Resilient youth in the foster care system: examining the impact of risk and protective factors on adolescent substance use

Although child welfare services are anticipated, in part, to lessen the negative

influence of maltreatment on childhood and adolescent development, there is evidence

that involvement in the foster care system negatively affects adolescent substance

use. Within the literature, limited empirical research has emerged in regard to this issue.

The present study aims to fill this critical gap in the literature by examining the

association between baseline biological, psychological, and social risk and protective

factors on adolescent involvement in substance use, and frequency of substance use, over

a period of 24 months for foster care involved youth. Furthermore, the present study

compares substance use behaviors between youth with differing experiences of

maltreatment subtypes and severity levels. Data come from VOYAGES, a longitudinal

study of older adolescents in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division for foster

care services. The current analysis reports on those youth who completed both the

baseline and the final interview (N=323). Key findings include significant associations

between baseline peer substance use, lowered levels of school commitment, mentorship,

and familial support with later adolescent substance use. Overall, the existence of

numerous individual risk factors far outweighs the potential of protective factors

buffering against subsequent substance use in the current study. The foster care system,

although well-intentioned, potentially barricades individuals from successfully navigating

through adolescence and early adulthood without engaging in risky behaviors such as

substance use. Given the high prevalence of substance use among those placed in the

care of the foster care system, prevention efforts for this population requires an improved

understanding of psychosocial risk and protective factors.