Case Report: A Comprehensive Early Childhood Mental Health Evaluation for Children in the Foster Care System.

Background: Children in the foster care system often have a host of prenatal and postnatal risk factors that can compromise development including disruptions in important attachment relationships. We argue that to effectively address this complex history and inform specific recommendations for intervention, it is important for an Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) evaluation to include both an assessment of the caregiver-child relationship status and neurodevelopment.

Case Presentation: We describe an ECMH evaluation for a 21-month-old girl who was referred to a multidisciplinary birth to three specialty clinic for difficulties separating from her preadoptive mother, indiscriminate friendliness, and emotional and behavioral dysregulation.

The Role of Social Support in Coping with Psychological Trauma: An Integrated Biopsychosocial Model for Posttraumatic Stress Recovery.

This theoretical review proposes an integrated biopsychosocial model for stress recovery, highlighting the interconnectedness of intra- and interpersonal coping processes. The proposed model is conceptually derived from prior research examining interpersonal dynamics in the context of stressor-related disorders, and it highlights interconnections between relational partner dynamics, perceived self-efficacy, self-discovery, and biological stress responsivity during posttraumatic recovery. Intra- and interpersonal processes are discussed in the context of pre-, peri-, and post-trauma stress vulnerability as ongoing transactions occurring within the individual and between the individual and their environment.

Youth at the intersection of parental incarceration and foster care: Examining prevalence, disparities, and mental health.

Background: While there are various pathways by which children experience parental incarceration or foster care, involvement in either system is associated with adverse health outcomes. Despite co-occurring risk factors for parental incarceration and foster care, little is known about the prevalence or characteristics of youth navigating both of these experiences.

Objectives: This study details the prevalence of youth at the intersection of parental incarceration and foster care, their demographic characteristics, and heterogeneity in their mental health.

Linking Foster Family Characteristics and Mental Health Symptoms of Youth in Care.

Youth in foster care are disproportionately at risk for developing internalizing and externalizing problems (Lawrence et al., 2006); however, a history of maltreatment prior to foster care placement does not automatically result in poor mental health outcomes. Among non-foster care youth, the quality of family interactions has been related to adjustment outcomes, such that low family cohesion and high family conflict is associated with poor mental health symptoms (Caples & Barrera, 2006).

Internalizing, Externalizing Problems and Psychiatric Hospitalizations: Examination of Maltreatment Chronicity and Coping Style in Adolescents in Foster Care.

Child maltreatment is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents, as well as psychiatric hospitalizations, which represent severe mental health difficulties and substantial burden on individuals and the health care system. These negative outcomes are especially prevalent in youth in foster care. Not all youth exposed to maltreatment, however, demonstrate poor mental health outcomes.

Coping styles in youth exposed to maltreatment: Longitudinal patterns reported by youth in foster care.

Coping styles in youth living in foster care with a history of maltreatment were examined to determine the nature and stability of self-reported coping behavior over time. Participants included 542 (time 1), 377 (time 2), and 299 (time 3) youth ages 8-22 years (M=13.28years, SD=3.