Läntzsch Steffen, Fegert Jörg M, Pfeiffer Elisa, Witt Andreas, Rassenhofer Miriam
Universitätsklinikum Ulm Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie/Psychotherapie Steinhövelstraße 3 89075 Ulm Deutschland.
Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr. 2022 Jan;71(1):55-71. doi: 10.13109/prkk.2022.71.1.55.
Out-of-home placement is a critical life event for affected children and adolescents. We explored the potential content and conditions for a group intervention aiming at coping with this critical life event by the means of three focus groups with n = 13 participants. The participants reported feelings of guilt, uncertainty concerning their future, experiences of loss, and lack of confidence. So far, standardized programs for sharing the participants' out-of-home care experiences had not been established in their child welfare programs. Under certain circumstances, the participants were willing to take part in a group intervention for this purpose. The intervention should aim at the autobiographical integration of the out-of-home placement as well as the promotion of general protection factors. Further qualitative research is needed to adjust the intervention in order to fit the needs of the target population.