Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption

This dissertation consists of two studies designed to broaden our understanding of the impact of complex trauma on symptom profiles and outcomes of children in the child welfare system through the lenses of gender, development, and placement permanency. Data for both were obtained using the Child an...

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Main Author: Hopton, Jennifer
Other Authors: Lyons, John S.
Language:en
Published: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34192
http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-5464
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spelling ndltd-uottawa.ca-oai-ruor.uottawa.ca-10393-341922018-01-05T19:02:36Z Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption Hopton, Jennifer Lyons, John S. complex trauma developmental trauma Posttraumatic stress child welfare gender youth placement disruption externalizing behavior attachment This dissertation consists of two studies designed to broaden our understanding of the impact of complex trauma on symptom profiles and outcomes of children in the child welfare system through the lenses of gender, development, and placement permanency. Data for both were obtained using the Child and Adolescent Strengths and Needs Comprehensive Assessment tool (CANS; Lyons, Gawron, & Kisiel, 2005) for youth ages 6 -17 years involved in the child welfare system. In Study 1, I examined symptom profiles of 3,446 youth to determine the ability of gender, age, ethnicity, trauma type, and other adversity variables to predict the following CANS domains: posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), emotional/ behavioral needs, risk behaviors, life domain functioning, and child strengths. Findings supported the hypothesis that males and females would exhibit a similar number and severity of PTSS subsequent to exposure to maltreatment, including complex trauma. Unique gender-specific developmental profiles of trauma exposure and symptomatology emerged. I concluded that the complex and dynamic interactions among gender, age, trauma experience, and psychosocial functioning are more complicated than can be elucidated in main effect or two-way interactions. It is therefore recommended that trauma researchers disaggregate analyses by gender in trauma research because the dynamics of trauma are different for males and females. In Study 2, I employed survival analyses to examine the ability of child characteristics, complex trauma exposure, and placement-related variables to predict placement disruption in a sample of 4,822 youth at high-risk for placement disruption. Older age, female gender, higher levels of externalizing behavior, and more prior placements increased risk for placement disruption, whereas longer time in care and type of out-of-home placement decreased risk for placement disruption in the sample. It is recommended that placement stability be directly targeted for those at higher risk through provision of intensive support to youth and their foster caregivers. Caseworkers should receive training about those subgroups most at-risk for placement disruption. Externalizing behavior and attachment, but not PTSS, mediated the relation between complex trauma and placement disruption. Intervention for youth with a history of complex trauma should focus on both attachment and externalizing behaviors. 2016-01-29T16:49:52Z 2016-01-29T16:49:52Z 2016 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34192 http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-5464 en Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
collection NDLTD
language en
sources NDLTD
topic complex trauma
developmental trauma
Posttraumatic stress
child welfare
gender
youth
placement disruption
externalizing behavior
attachment
spellingShingle complex trauma
developmental trauma
Posttraumatic stress
child welfare
gender
youth
placement disruption
externalizing behavior
attachment
Hopton, Jennifer
Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
description This dissertation consists of two studies designed to broaden our understanding of the impact of complex trauma on symptom profiles and outcomes of children in the child welfare system through the lenses of gender, development, and placement permanency. Data for both were obtained using the Child and Adolescent Strengths and Needs Comprehensive Assessment tool (CANS; Lyons, Gawron, & Kisiel, 2005) for youth ages 6 -17 years involved in the child welfare system. In Study 1, I examined symptom profiles of 3,446 youth to determine the ability of gender, age, ethnicity, trauma type, and other adversity variables to predict the following CANS domains: posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), emotional/ behavioral needs, risk behaviors, life domain functioning, and child strengths. Findings supported the hypothesis that males and females would exhibit a similar number and severity of PTSS subsequent to exposure to maltreatment, including complex trauma. Unique gender-specific developmental profiles of trauma exposure and symptomatology emerged. I concluded that the complex and dynamic interactions among gender, age, trauma experience, and psychosocial functioning are more complicated than can be elucidated in main effect or two-way interactions. It is therefore recommended that trauma researchers disaggregate analyses by gender in trauma research because the dynamics of trauma are different for males and females. In Study 2, I employed survival analyses to examine the ability of child characteristics, complex trauma exposure, and placement-related variables to predict placement disruption in a sample of 4,822 youth at high-risk for placement disruption. Older age, female gender, higher levels of externalizing behavior, and more prior placements increased risk for placement disruption, whereas longer time in care and type of out-of-home placement decreased risk for placement disruption in the sample. It is recommended that placement stability be directly targeted for those at higher risk through provision of intensive support to youth and their foster caregivers. Caseworkers should receive training about those subgroups most at-risk for placement disruption. Externalizing behavior and attachment, but not PTSS, mediated the relation between complex trauma and placement disruption. Intervention for youth with a history of complex trauma should focus on both attachment and externalizing behaviors.
author2 Lyons, John S.
author_facet Lyons, John S.
Hopton, Jennifer
author Hopton, Jennifer
author_sort Hopton, Jennifer
title Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
title_short Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
title_full Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
title_fullStr Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption
title_sort assessment of the needs of complex trauma-exposed boys and girls in the child welfare system: symptom profile, gender differences, and placement disruption
publisher Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
publishDate 2016
url http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34192
http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-5464
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