Coping strategies in life stories of young adults with foster care backgrounds

Abstract

The study, positioned at the interface of social sciences and psychological research, focuses on coping strategies identified in interviews with 18 young adults (between 18 and 32 years) with foster care backgrounds and living in Finland. In the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA; Smith & Osborn, 2003. Interpretive phenomenological analysis. In J. A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology (pp. 51-80). Sage), three main themes of coping strategies emerged: inward orientation, outward orientation, and influencing one's life circumstances. One additional theme, acceptance, was also identified, but it was only used in young adulthood. The findings highlight the importance of giving voice to young foster care adults' coping strategies, and sensitising foster families and professionals in the field to these strategies to better understand and support children and youth who face adversities. ABSTRAKTITutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin sijoitettuna olleiden nuorten aikuisten selviytymiskeinoja 18 yksilöhaastattelun avulla. Fenomenologisella analyysilla (IPA;Smith & Osborn, 2003. Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Teoksessa J. A. Smith (toim.), Qualitative Psychology (s. 51-80). Sage) tunnistettiin kolme pääteemaa liittyen selviytymiskeinoihin vastoinkäymisissä ja haasteissa: sisäänpäin suuntautuminen, ulospäin suuntautuminen sekä omiin elinolosuhteisiin vaikuttaminen. Lisäksi tunnistettiin keino, joka oli käytössä vain varhaisaikuisuudessa, hyväksyminen. Tulosten perusteella on tärkeää kuulla sijoitettuna olleita nuoria aikuisia koskien heidän selviytymiskeinojaan sekä lisätä sijaisperheiden ja lastensuojeluun osallistuvien toimijoiden ymmärrystä vastoinkäymisiä kohtaavien ja kohdanneiden lasten ja nuorten kokemuksista.

Factors supporting resilience during out‐of‐home care: Experiences of former child welfare clients in Finland

“…The importance of internal domains of resilience, such as the individual characteristics of a young person, has been well documented in earlier studies (Tahkola et al, 2021;Zolkoski & Bullock, 2012). The evidence of this study supports this notion by confirming how personal characteristics, the ability to reflect on one's life situation and participation in meaningful activities support the resilience of a young person.…”

“…states that we need to find ways to engage children rather than assessing their capacity to participate in adult-designed processes. Considering supporting the resilience and well-being of young people, the results of this study indicate that one size does not fit all because of a considerable variation in what young people have reported as the most important factors promoting their well-being (see alsoTahkola et al, 2021). In addition, the participants argued that supportive factors were not emphasized in their encounters with social work professionals.…”