Sources and Types of Social Supports and Their Association with Mental Health Symptoms and Life Satisfaction among Young Adults with a History of Out-of-Home Care

Abstract

Young adults with a history of out-of-home care report poorer mental health and life satisfaction compared to non-care-experienced peers. Social support is a known protective factor for mental health. There is limited evidence, however, on the relationship between sources (e.g., family members) and types (e.g., information) of social support and mental health symptoms and life satisfaction in this population. Reporting cross-sectional survey data from 215 young adults aged 18–22 years with a history of out-of-home care, the current study conducted descriptive, bivariate, and linear regression analysis to examine the different sources and types of support young adults receive and their relation to mental health symptoms and life satisfaction. Participants had high levels of support from family members, friends, and other adults. Most participants had informational support, but less than half had consistent material support. Regression analyses demonstrated that having enough informational and material support were associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Having family support and material support were associated with greater life satisfaction. Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the trajectory between social supports and mental health functioning and life satisfaction.

Insights into turning points from the perspective of young people with out-of-home care experience: events, impact and facilitators of change

“…FHF enrolled 91% of all eligible children at this baseline interview. For more details on the FHF design, including other studies using these data, see Combs et al, 2022;Evans et al, 2022;Taussig & Roberts, 2022. The young adult interview, which is the focus of this study, occurred an average of 9.4 years after the baseline interview and 88.5% of those eligible were located and agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. The follow-up interview, conducted with 206 young adults, included a list of qualitative questions.…”

“…FHF enrolled 91% of all eligible children at this baseline interview. For more details on the FHF design, including other studies using these data, see Combs et al, 2018; Evans et al, 2022; Taussig & Roberts, 2022 .…”

Screening and Assessment of Suicidal Behavior in Transition-Age Youth with Foster Care Involvement

“…Social support can mitigate the long-term negative consequences associated with child maltreatment, protecting against mental illness and suicidal behavior (Evans et al, 2022 ; Katz & Geiger, 2020 ; Kleiman & Liu, 2013 ). However, youth involved in the CW system often report low levels of support from both family and peers (Negriff et al, 2015 ; Pepin & Banyard, 2006 ).…”

Understanding Family Risk and Protective Factors That Shape Child Development

“…This Special Issue features 18 articles that examine family risk and resilience among children and adolescents across developmental stages, ranging from early childhood to late adolescence/young adulthood. A wide range of child outcomes are examined in these studies, including children’s use of electronic devices [ 1 , 2 ], maltreatment experiences [ 3 ], mental health [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], school readiness and academic functioning [ 8 ], suicidal thoughts and behaviors [ 9 ], socioemotional development [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], and resilient/adaptive functioning [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…In line with Kobulsky et al’s study—but focusing on low-income Hispanic families and their young children during the COVID-19 pandemic—Cabrera et al found that positivity (e.g., staying optimistic about the future) and economic support (e.g., WIC/SNAP) buffered the adverse effects of economic risk and helped parents to manage their parenting stress and stay engaged with their children [ 11 ]. Notably, Evans et al found that having family support and material support predicted greater life satisfaction among youths with a history of out-of-home care; highlighting the importance of both relational and material resources as important family protective factors [ 5 ].…”