Mental Health and Homelessness Among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Abstract

Purpose: To identify the risk of homelessness and mental health needs of youth aging out of foster care. This integrative review aims to synthesize the literature on the health outcomes of aging out of foster care. The intent is to highlight the mental health needs and risk of homelessness in those who have aged out of foster care and to determine the role of nursing care in this population.
 Design: Systematic integrative literature review
 Methods: Integrative review methods will be used to identify the risk associated with aging out of foster care and the adverse health outcome, including mental health and homelessness. Current research, including experimental and non-experimental studies, was retrieved using OVID, MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAL. The PRISMA guidelines' general framework will provide guidance for reviewing, structuring, reporting, and discussing the findings from the various computer database searches.
 Findings: Fifty-eight abstracts were reviewed, and twenty-five met the inclusion criteria. They were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs Institute approach for mixed methods using the PICo inclusion criteria. Both qualitative and quantitative studies were used to support the identified problem with the phenomenon of interest.
 Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This literature review provided an in-depth understanding of adolescents aging out of foster care and their struggle with mental health issues. This synthesis of the literature offers nurses suggestions on important suggestions for important research questions and clinical care in this population.