Mental Health Interventions for Children in Foster Care: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Mental Health Services Research
• Foster Care Research

Background:

• Children in foster care experience high rates of adverse childhood experiences and mental health challenges.
• Interventions for this population are complex due to severe mental health issues and high transience.
• There is a critical need for rigorous intervention research to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review intervention research for children (0-12) in foster care.
• To identify potentially efficacious mental health interventions.
• To outline future research directions for improving interventions in foster care settings.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of studies from multiple databases (ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, etc.).
• Inclusion criteria: mental health interventions for children aged 0-12 in foster care, at least 'possibly efficacious' (one RCT).
• Evaluation of studies for risk of bias.

Main Results:

• Ten interventions were identified, with varied mental health and physiological outcomes.
• Six interventions were specifically developed for children in foster care; others were adapted.
• Most interventions lack rigorous evaluation in community-based foster care settings.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in the rigorous evaluation of mental health interventions for children in foster care.
• Further research is needed on intervention adaptation, engagement strategies, and identifying optimal interventions for specific subgroups.
• Future efforts should prioritize developing, testing, and refining interventions within community-based foster care contexts.