Examining the risk and predictive factors for substance use and mental health among indigenous youth in out-of-home care

Abstract

BackgroundYouth exposed to the child welfare system are among society’s most vulnerable citizens. Despite research highlighting the harms that typically follow child welfare placement, little is known regarding the factors that influence substance use and mental health among older Indigenous youth in out-of-home care. ObjectiveThe objective of this research are to provide a recent snapshot of the severity of substance use and mental health problems among older Indigenous youth in-care, identify factors driving the high prevalence of Indigenous youth in the child welfare system, and provide information on factors that could reduce health disparities among Indigenous youth. MethodUsing data from the 2016 Ontario Looking After Children project, this study examines the risk-predictive factors of substance use and positive mental health among 1173 youth between 16 and 17 years of age in out-of-home care. ResultsFindings reveal no significant difference in positive mental health between older Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, but Indigenous youth are more likely to engage in substance use. Results also indicate that unstructured living arrangements, placement instability, low caregiver attachment, school suspensions, and deviant peer associations impact substance use and/or mental health among this population. ConclusionsThis study offers insight into how older Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in the child welfare system fare with respect to substance use and mental health. While there are no differences in positive mental health, findings from this study warrant further investigation into the factors for substance use for older Indigenous youth.