Dissociative symptoms in family foster children: [póster]

Abstract

Adjustment problems and mental health of children in the child welfare system have been a concern for a long time. However, it hasn’t been until recently that researchers and practitioners have claimed a more in-depth and nuanced knowledge of mental health in this population. Different research studies have shown a relevant presence of disturbances (such as trauma-related anxiety, disinhibited social engagement or dissociative symptoms) in foster care children specifically derived from the adverse experiences they have suffered. Some children develop significant dissociative symptoms because of traumatizing, emotionally overwhelming experiences that cannot be processed (such as physical or sexual abuse) and therefore disrupt the normal integration and coherence of memory, consciousness and perception. Severe dissociation places children in a maladaptive developmental pathway and entails significant risk for later psychopathology. In this study, the presence of dissociative symptoms in a sample of foster children between 4 and 8 years old who were living in non-relative foster families for at least six months in Southern Spain was analyzed. The Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC; Putnam, Helmers, & Trickett, 1993) was used to assess dissociative symptoms, the most widely used parent-reported questionnaire for this symptomatology. The CDC was answered by the primary foster caregiver during a home visit. We obtained the information related to adverse events and trajectory in the child protection services through the case records in collaboration with caseworkers. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge of the development of dissociative symptoms in children in family foster care, particularly in those who have suffered the most severe adversity. An informed and comprehensive knowledge of the possible mental health issues in foster and maltreated children in general is essential if we want to provide tailored and effective interventions to this vulnerable population.