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Self-protection in adolescents in foster care
1University of California, San Francisco, Department of Family Health Care Nursing, USA. skools@itsa.ucsf.edu
Problem:
Adolescents in long-term foster care experience significant health and mental health problems. Little is known about their perceptions of the impact of foster care.
Method:
Seventeen adolescents were interviewed in their foster group homes. Dimensional analysis was used to develop theory on the impact of foster care.
Findings:
Adolescents in foster care engaged in self-protection strategies secondary to experiences of devaluation and uncertainty in foster care, including guarding foster child status, maintaining a defensive posture, distancing self, and keeping relationships superficial. Self-protection resulted in a veneer of self-reliance and social detachment.
Conclusions:
Strategies are suggested to address devaluing experiences and promote positive identity development in foster care.