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.

Displaying 221 - 230 of 521

Browse Other Topics

Tools for Transformation: Building a Compassionate Child Welfare System - Recommendations from Foster Care Alumni

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), 01 Jul 2018

CCAI’s Foster Youth Internship Program® is a highly esteemed congressional internship for young adults who spent their formative years in the U.S. foster care system. In this annual policy report, the interns focus on subjects they are personally passionate about due to their experiences and understanding after living in foster care and make personal recommendations for improving the U.S. foster care system.

Dangerous Times for Looked-After Children: Austerity Cuts Risking the Lives of the Most Vulnerable

Stephanie Hunter - Austerity Policies, 13 Jun 2018

This chapter will critically examine the difficulties faced by young people who are looked after by local authorities in accessing mental health services and argue, based on findings of recent Serious Case Reviews that there has never been a more dangerous time to be a looked-after child.

View Article

Measuring Symptoms of Psychopathology in Zambian Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Scale Validation and Psychometric Evaluation

Sarah McIvor Murray, Paul Bolton, Jeremy C. Kane, Daniel P. Lakin, Stephanie Skavenski Van Wyk, Ravi Paul, Laura K. Murray - Assessment, 06 Jun 2018

The authors of this paper sought to explore the psychometric properties and validity of the Achenbach Youth Self-Report and Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale among orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) living in Lusaka, Zambia.

View Article

A comparison of LGBTQ youth and heterosexual youth in the child welfare system: Mental health and substance abuse occurrence and outcomes

Maria Scannapieco, Kirstin R. Painter, Gary Blau - Children and Youth Services Review, 01 Jun 2018

This study had two purposes; first to examine mental health disparities among LGBTQ youth and their heterosexual peers who are involved in the child welfare system, and second to observe the effectiveness of systems of care with youth in child welfare and if any differences exist between LGBTQ youth and heterosexual youth.

View Article

Association of sleep with emotional and behavioral problems among abused children and adolescents admitted to residential care facilities in Japan

Masakazu Okada, Masaaki Otaga, Takako Tsutsui, Hisateru Tachimori, Shingo Kitamura, Shigekazu Higuchi, Kazuo Mishima - Plos One, 01 Jun 2018

In this study, the authors sought to identify sleep habits and suspected sleep disorders among abused children and adolescents admitted to residential care facilities in Japan and to investigate their association with emotional and behavioral problems.

View Article

Meeting the Developmental, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs of Children in Foster Care

Colleen E. Bennet, M. Katherine Henry, Joanne N. Wood - Foster Care, 01 Jun 2018

This paper reviews the development, behavioral, and mental health needs of children in foster care.

Mental health among adolescents living with HIV in Namibia: the role of poverty, orphanhood and social support

Shelene G. Gentz, Isabel Calonge-Romano, Rosario Martínez-Arias, Chengbo Zeng & Mónica Ruiz-Casares - AIDS Care, 30 May 2018

This study examines the mental health of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Namibia, and the factors that contribute to mental health problems.

View Article

Examining sources of heterogeneity between studies of mental-health outcomes in children with experience of foster care – a meta-analytical approach

Karlsson, Henrik, 30 May 2018

This thesis took on a meta-analytical approach to examine sources of heterogeneity between studies evaluating the effect of foster care on adaptive functioning, cognitive functioning, externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior, and total problems behavior.

View Thesis

Implementation of Trauma Systems Therapy-Foster Care in child welfare

Jessica Dym Bartlett & Berenice Rushovich - Children and Youth Services Review, 19 May 2018

This study evaluated the implementation of Trauma-systems Therapy-Foster Care (TST-FC) in two state child welfare agencies that included training for staff and resource parents.

View Article

The emotional and behavioural symptom trajectories of children in long-term out-of-home care in an English local authority

Rachel M. Hiller & Michelle C. St. Clair - Child Abuse & Neglect, 02 May 2018

The current service-data study explored the emotional and behavioural symptom trajectories of 207 young people under the long-term care of a local authority in the South West of England, over their first five years in the care system.

View Article