Social Support Is Related to the Use of Adaptive Emotional Regulation Strategies in Ecuadorian Adolescents in Foster Care

Ana F Trueba,Graham Pluck

doi:10.3390/psych3020005

Abstract

Adolescents in foster care are exposed to maltreatment and inadequate social support which can have lasting repercussions on their emotional development. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of social support on the use of emotional regulation strategies in Ecuadorian adolescents in foster care and non-foster peers. This study recruited 181 adolescents, 56 in foster care and 123 non-foster peers, from various locations in Quito, Ecuador. Participants completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Using linear regression, we found that being in foster care was related to lower perceived social support. The non-foster care control group reported using more emotion regulation strategies, both adaptive and maladaptive (acceptance, rumination, refocusing to planning, and self-blaming), than the foster care group. Greater social support was associated with the use of more positive strategies (reappraisal, positive refocusing, and refocusing to planning) and less maladaptive strategies (catastrophizing). Youth in foster care have less social support than their non-foster peers. This puts them at risk, as social support has an important role in the use of healthy emotion regulation skills in adolescents.

Highlights

Most youth in foster care have been subjected to some form of hardship and have had disturbances in their attachment relationships [1]
We used linear regression models to test if the foster group and social support were associated with the use of each of the emotion regulation skills of self-blame, otherblame, rumination, catastrophizing, putting into perspective, positive refocusing, positive reappraisal, acceptance, and refocus to planning
We found that the control group reported using significantly more emotion regulation skills, : acceptance, rumination, refocusing to planning, and self-blaming compared to the foster care group (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Most youth in foster care have been subjected to some form of hardship and have had disturbances in their attachment relationships [1]. This can negatively impact their psychological and emotional development [2]. One study found that 61% of the children and adolescents in foster care in their sample displayed behavior problems, and 7% of adolescents in foster care had attempted suicide and had required medical attention as a result [5]. Research indicates that adolescents in foster care are more likely to commit repeated self-harm [6] and are four times more likely to have attempted suicide [4]

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Conclusion