Exploring mechanisms of change in a dyadic relationship intervention for siblings in foster care

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the potential for sibling relationships to promote the well-being of youth in out-of-home care. Efficacious interventions now exist to strengthen the sibling relationships for youth in out-of-home care, yet the processes through which these interventions work to enhance sibling relationships remains largely speculative. The current study therefore aimed to identify the critical components of an efficacious dyadic relationship enhancement intervention for siblings in foster care through a secondary analysis of fidelity of implementation and trial outcome data. Data for 168 youth from the treatment condition of the Supporting Siblings in Foster Care study were analysed. Fidelity of implementation was assessed across seven intervention domains: Sibs 4 Life, Positive/Sib Thinking, Activity Planning, Problem Solving, Cooperation, Managing Feelings and Adult Allies. Trial outcome data were drawn from efficacy test results and included a multi-agent construct of sibling relationship quality. Descriptive statistics detailed intervention implementation, and hierarchical linear models examined associations between intervention coverage, comprehension, and engagement, and 18-month improvements to the sibling relationship. Results indicate high fidelity to implementation, and Positive/ Sib Thinking was the primary intervention domain associated with sibling relationship improvements. Considerations for future mechanisms-based intervention research with siblings in out-of-home care are provided.

Sibling effects on problem and prosocial behavior in childhood: Patterns of intrafamilial “contagion” by birth order

“…Siblings can influence one another across the life course, and on various aspects such as emotion regulation, psychopathology, delinquency, prosociality, and educational attainment (Buist et al, 2013;Her et al, 2021;Karbownik & Özek, 2019;Kramer, 2014;Prime et al, 2017;Slomkowski et al, 2001). Intervention programs for adolescents with a focus on siblings have also shown high efficacy (Feinberg et al, 2013;Kothari et al, 2014;Waid et al, 2021). Recently, Waid et al (2020) reviewed the role of siblings in externalizing symptom development in childhood and adolescence and found a significant influence across several domains including conduct problems and substance use.…”

What makes summer camp therapeutic for siblings separated by out-of-home care? Associations from counselor ratings of program implementation to youth-reported outcomes

“…Mechanisms-based approaches to research are particularly valuable as they can help identify the active ingredients within interventions, programs, and services, and are a crucial step to refining practices that can optimize youth outcomes and intervention effectiveness (Blase & Fixsen, 2013; Collins et al, 2005; Raghavan et al, 2019). Currently, only one 12-session community-based program for sibling dyads in out-of-home care has been investigated using a mechanisms-based approach to identify positive sibling thinking as a lever for promoting sibling relationship improvements (Waid et al, 2021). To build upon this research, the current study explores key hypothesized operating mechanisms within Camp To Belong, a manualized, multisite brief camp-based reunification program for siblings separated by out-of-home care.…”