History of foster care among newly homeless young adults and the likelihood of psychiatric disorders and treatment

Objective.Adolescents with juvenile-onset fibromyalgia (JFM) have increased rates of psychiatric disorders, but to our knowledge no studies have examined psychiatric disorders in adolescents with JFM when they enter young adulthood. This study examined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in young adults diagnosed with JFM during adolescence and the relationship between mental health diagnoses and physical functioning.Methods.Ninety-one young adults (mean age 21.60, SD 1.96) with a history of JFM being followed as part of a prospective longitudinal study and 30 matched healthy controls (mean age 21.57, SD 1.55) completed a structured interview of psychiatric diagnoses and a self-report measure of physical impairment.Results.Young adults with a history of JFM were more likely to have current and lifetime histories of anxiety disorders (70.3% and 76.9%, respectively) compared with controls (33.3% for both, both p < 0.001). Individuals with JFM were also more likely to have current and lifetime histories of major mood disorders (29.7% and 76.9%, respectively) compared with controls (10% and 40%, p < 0.05). The presence of a current major mood disorder was significantly related to impairment in physical functioning [F (1, 89) = 8.30, p < 0.01] and role limitations attributable to a physical condition [F (1, 89) = 7.09, p < 0.01].Conclusion.Psychiatric disorders are prevalent in young adulthood for individuals with a history of JFM, and a current major mood disorder is associated with greater physical impairment. Greater attention to early identification and treatment of mood disorders in patients with JFM is warranted.

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A Typology of Transition-Age Youth

International Journal for Population Data Science ◽

10.23889/ijpds.v3i5.1083 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Raithel ◽

Andrew Wallace ◽

Maryanne Schretzman ◽

Eileen Johns

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Foster Care ◽

Service Use ◽

Subsidized Housing ◽

Supportive Housing ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Homeless Services ◽

Homeless Young Adults ◽

Transitional Living ◽

Poor Outcomes

Young adulthood is a time of transition which poses particular challenges for youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including those exiting foster care. The instability of being homeless puts youth at greater risk of many poor outcomes. Connection to relevant housing resources and services are critical to ensure that young adults have the opportunity to succeed. Better aligning youths’ needs with relevant housing resources can help young adults become and remain stably housed, leading to better lifetime outcomes. This study presents a typology of young adults who exit foster care and residential programs for homeless young adults, including emergency shelters and transitional living programs. The study uses administrative data to follow a cohort of 8,795 young adults, including young parents and unaccompanied young adults from ages 18 through 21, who exited foster care or homeless services. Using sequence analysis, subsequent service use after exit, including utilization of homeless services, hospitals, jail, subsidized housing, and supportive housing, was used to build three-year trajectories of service use patterns of youth. These patterns were then grouped together based on similarity using cluster analysis to form six distinct groups of youth: (1) Minimal Service Use, (2) Later Homeless Experience, (3) Earlier Homeless Experience, (4) Consistent Subsidized Housing, (5) Consistent Supportive Housing, and (6) Frequent Jail Stays. Profiles were developed for each typology to comprehensively, but concisely, describe differences in the characteristics of each group of youth. Models were also developed to determine factors that were predictive of each typology. This typology is being used to inform prioritization processes for housing resources and to better understand how to target programs based on potential pathways of youth.

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Experiences of young adults with a history of foster care during COVID-19

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105836 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 121 ◽

pp. 105836

Author(s):

Saralyn C. Ruff ◽

Deanna Linville

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Foster Care ◽

History Of

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Pregnancy and Childbearing Among Young Adults Who Experienced Foster Care

Child Maltreatment ◽

10.1177/1077559517733816 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 166-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Katie Massey Combs ◽

Stephanie Begun ◽

Deborah J. Rinehart ◽

Heather Taussig

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Foster Care ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Early Pregnancy ◽

Pregnancy Prevention ◽

Financial Resources ◽

Young Parents ◽

History Of ◽

Racial Ethnic ◽

Lower Educational Attainment

This study explores rates of early pregnancy and parenthood among a sample of young adults ( N = 215), ages 18–22, with a history of foster care. The study also compares the educational attainment, financial resources, and homelessness experiences of young adults who became parents to those who did not. By age 21, 49% of the young women became pregnant, and 33% of young men reported getting someone pregnant. Over a quarter of participants experienced parenthood, which was associated with lower educational attainment, less employment, not having a checking or savings account, and a history of homelessness. Gender moderated the association between parenthood and employment such that males who were parents were more likely than female parents to be employed. Given that these young adults were at risk of early pregnancy and parenthood regardless of emancipation status and across several racial/ethnic groups, the results suggest a need for early pregnancy prevention efforts for all youth with child welfare involvement as well as improving resources and support for those who become young parents.

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