Psychosocial Support

The best form of psychosocial support is a healthy family and supportive environment, preferably in the child's community of origin, or one that is culturally similar. Psychosocial well-being is a product of multiple support, which is rooted in the ability to form healthy relationships and participate in community networks.

However, certain considerations may be required in order to help children and caretakers come to terms with life-changing events, such as the loss of a parent. Separation can be highly stressful for children, particularly if it is unexpected, or repeated. Some children may experience anxiety, attachment problems, sleep disturbances, dependency issues, regression, and a range of other behavioural issues which threaten their mental health and development.

Specific types of support may be required for children suffering from loss, severe or chronic ill health, abuse or exploitation. The child’s experience, age, resilience, and the level of support received from the family and community will determine if a child needs external services. A child is far less likely to experience psychosocial stress if they have good natural support mechanisms and therefore protection efforts should focus on supporting families and communities to help each other.

When psychosocial support is needed, an assessment is important in determining the scope and type of issues, the existing family and community resources, and analysis of how these can be strengthened. Clinical mental health interventions such as therapy, psychiatry or psychological counseling, should only be provided by trained professionals after a clinical assessment and, in all cases, should be culturally relevant.

Psychosocial activities must promote the children’s development and their relationships with others, re-establish routines, increase self confidence and sense of control over their lives. Children’s activities, such as the provision of safe places, group work or referrals to specialists, should be designed around the child’s individual needs, age, gender, and cultural identity. Interventions should be empowering, inclusive, and fully integrated with wider community efforts. Children’s participation is essential in psychosocial work; children should be encouraged to express their opinions, and to have these taken into account.

The literature found here describes the psychosocial effects of separation, and other threats to children such as HIV/AIDS, conflict, abuse and exploitation, and provides guidance and examples of psychosocial interventions.

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Achieving Broad-Scale Impacts for Social Programs

Ron Haskins, Kenneth A. Dodge, and Deborah Daro - The Future of Children, 29 May 2019

In this brief, Ron Haskins, Kenneth A. Dodge, and Deborah Daro call for a system of psychosocial care for young families in the US, highlighting the the Family Connects program which aims to reach every family with a newborn child in a given community through a system that combines home visiting by trained nurses; community alignment through a directory of services to connect families to the resources they need; and data and monitoring through an electronic data system that acts as a family-specific psychosocial and educational record.

Universal Approaches to Promoting Healthy Development

Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, 29 May 2019

This volume explores universal social programs designed to serve entire communities as they move toward achieving population impact in reducing child maltreatment, strengthening parental capacity, and improving infant health and development.

Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder in Early Childhood Predicts Reduced Competence in Early Adolescence

Katherine L. Guyon-Harris, Kathryn L. Humphreys, Devi Miron, Mary Margaret Gleason, Charles A. Nelson, Nathan A. Fox, Charles H. Zeanah - Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 22 May 2019

In a sample of 136 Romanian children from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), who were exposed to early psychosocial deprivation in the form of institutional care, the authors of this study examined caregiver-reported and observer-rated signs of disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED).

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Storying special objects: Material culture, narrative identity and life story work for children in care

Debbie Watson, Rachel Hahn, Jo Staines - Qualitative Social Work, 19 May 2019

This paper considers the importance of material objects for looked after and adopted children integrated as part of life story work practices.

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Predictive factors for changes in quality of life among children and adolescents in youth welfare institutions

Tamara Gander, Cyril Boonmann, Jörg M. Fegert, Michael Kölch, Klaus Schmeck, Alain Di Gallo, Claudia Dölitzsch, Marc Schmid - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 17 May 2019

This study investigated what factors are associated with an improvement in quality of life (QoL) during residential stay for children and adolescents living in youth welfare institutions in Switzerland.

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Personal psychological resources mediate parent–child relationship and mental health among left‐behind children

Imelu G. Mordeno, I Marie Joy S. Gallemit, Sittie Shayuri B. Lantud, Brian J. Hall - The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 09 May 2019

The present study examined the association between family resources and mental health as mediated by personal psychological resources (PPRs) for left‐behind children (LBC).

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Mental well-being among children in foster care: The role of supportive adults

Carly Elizabeth Magee, Martin Guhn, Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Eva Oberle - Children and Youth Services Review, 08 May 2019

This study examined associations between perceived support from adults in three developmental contexts (home, school and neighbourhood) and mental well-being (life satisfaction, self-concept, optimism) among grade four children living with foster parents in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada.

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Association between parental visitation and depressive symptoms among institutionalized children in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Aki Yazawa, Saeko Takada, Hanako Suzuki, Takashi X. Fujisawa and Akemi Tomoda - BMC Psychiatry, 30 Apr 2019

The objectives of this open access study were to investigate the association between parental visitation and depressive symptoms among institutionalized children in Japan, and to explore whether the established security of attachment interacts with that association.

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Improving Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders: What Child Welfare, Direct Service Providers, and Courts Need to Know

Tina Willauer and Kim Coe - National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 24 Apr 2019

This presentation was given at the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington, DC in April 2019. The presentation outlines data on the prevalence of parental substance abuse as a contributing factor for child removal in the US and highlights practices that work for families with substance abuse disorders.

TeaH (Turn ‘em around Healing): a therapeutic model for working with traumatised children on Aboriginal communities

Michelle Moss and Anthony Duwun Lee - Children Australia, 16 Apr 2019

This paper presents a therapeutic model of practice that incorporates Aboriginal concepts of healing and spirit within a creative therapeutic framework.

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