Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Child Abuse Negl. 2022 May;127:105585. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105585. Epub 2022 Mar 10.
Whilst we know that foster care is better than institutional care for abused and neglected children, we know less about the specific qualities of foster care that are important for their development and recovery from maltreatment effects.
This is the first study to investigate the effects of foster carer commitment on symptoms of Attachment Disorders (AD) and mental health problems in young children post-maltreatment.
PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: 144 children, age 0-5, recently accommodated into foster care as part of an ongoing Randomised Controlled Trial.
Children were assessed using the Disturbances of Attachment Interview and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, then followed up 15 months and 2.5 years thereafter. Commitment of the foster carer was measured by 'This Is My Baby' interview. Multiple regression was used to analyse the data.
Higher initial foster carer commitment, measured shortly after entry to care, was associated with a reduction in Reactive Attachment Disorder symptoms 15 months after placement, with a modest (non-significant) association persisting 2.5 years later. Initial commitment was not associated with symptoms of Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder at any follow-up time point, nor with symptoms of mental health problems at 15 months. However, higher initial commitment was unexpectedly associated with higher mental health symptom scores at 2.5 years post-accommodation.
This study highlights the complex and non-linear development of children in committed foster care, underscoring the need to examine multiple time-points and to consider symptoms of Attachment Disorders separately from those of other mental health problems.
虽然我们知道寄养对于受虐待和被忽视的儿童来说比机构照料更好，但我们对于寄养的具体特质，以及这些特质对儿童从虐待影响中恢复和发展的重要性知之甚少。
这是第一项研究，旨在调查寄养照顾者的承诺对受虐待后幼儿的依恋障碍（AD）症状和心理健康问题的影响。
144 名 0-5 岁的儿童，最近被安置在寄养家庭中，作为一项正在进行的随机对照试验的一部分。
使用依恋障碍访谈和长处和困难问卷对儿童进行评估，然后在 15 个月和 2.5 年后进行随访。寄养照顾者的承诺通过“这是我的宝贝”访谈进行测量。使用多元回归分析数据。
在进入护理后不久进行的初始寄养照顾者承诺度较高，与放置后 15 个月时的反应性依恋障碍症状减少有关，2.5 年后仍存在适度（非显著）关联。初始承诺与 15 个月时的不抑制社交参与障碍症状或心理健康问题症状均无关联。然而，较高的初始承诺与安置后 2.5 年的较高心理健康症状评分有关，这是出乎意料的。
这项研究强调了在承诺寄养中的儿童的复杂和非线性发展，强调需要检查多个时间点，并分别考虑依恋障碍的症状与其他心理健康问题的症状。
