Foster families face complex issues that include a history of maltreatment, family disruption, placement instability, behavioral problems, and other adjustment related concerns. Adjusting to these issues presents unique challenges to foster youths and their families. Using family systems theory as the theoretical lens, this study explored the ways in which youth psychosocial adjustment is related to the interactions between foster parents and foster youth in long-term placement as perceived and reported by foster parents. This study utilized a qualitative methodology with a grounded theory approach. Using in-depth interviews, foster parents described their perceptions of how their foster youth cope and adjust in the foster family context. This study has important implications for theory, research, and practice for individuals working with foster youth and their foster families.
","abstract_html":"<p>Foster families face complex issues that include a history of maltreatment, family disruption, placement instability, behavioral problems, and other adjustment related concerns. Adjusting to these issues presents unique challenges to foster youths and their families. Using family systems theory as the theoretical lens, this study explored the ways in which youth psychosocial adjustment is related to the interactions between foster parents and foster youth in long-term placement as perceived and reported by foster parents. This study utilized a qualitative methodology with a grounded theory approach. Using in-depth interviews, foster parents described their perceptions of how their foster youth cope and adjust in the foster family context. This study has important implications for theory, research, and practice for individuals working with foster youth and their foster families.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nicoleau, Alicia Marie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counseling and Family Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Fox, Curtis A.","Oloo, Winetta A.","Sealy, Diadrey-Anne","Williams-Reade, Jackie"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:45Z","subjects":["Family, Life Course, and Society","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster children - Mental health; Foster home care - Psychology; Foster Home Care; Family therapy","Foster Families; Family Systems Theory; Pyschosocial adjustment; Grounded theory"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/423","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Fox, Curtis A.","Oloo, Winetta A.","Sealy, Diadrey-Anne","Williams-Reade, Jackie"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Nicoleau, Alicia Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling and Family Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Family, Life Course, and Society","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster children - Mental health; Foster home care - Psychology; Foster Home Care; Family therapy","Foster Families; Family Systems Theory; Pyschosocial adjustment; Grounded theory"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/423"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Foster families face complex issues that include a history of maltreatment, family disruption, placement instability, behavioral problems, and other adjustment related concerns. Adjusting to these issues presents unique challenges to foster youths and their families. Using family systems theory as the theoretical lens, this study explored the ways in which youth psychosocial adjustment is related to the interactions between foster parents and foster youth in long-term placement as perceived and reported by foster parents. This study utilized a qualitative methodology with a grounded theory approach. Using in-depth interviews, foster parents described their perceptions of how their foster youth cope and adjust in the foster family context. This study has important implications for theory, research, and practice for individuals working with foster youth and their foster families.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Bonding and Psychosocial Adjustment of Youth in Foster Care"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Fox, Curtis A.","Oloo, Winetta A.","Sealy, Diadrey-Anne","Williams-Reade, Jackie"],"dc:creator":["Nicoleau, Alicia Marie"],"dc:description.abstract":["Foster families face complex issues that include a history of maltreatment, family disruption, placement instability, behavioral problems, and other adjustment related concerns. Adjusting to these issues presents unique challenges to foster youths and their families. Using family systems theory as the theoretical lens, this study explored the ways in which youth psychosocial adjustment is related to the interactions between foster parents and foster youth in long-term placement as perceived and reported by foster parents. This study utilized a qualitative methodology with a grounded theory approach. Using in-depth interviews, foster parents described their perceptions of how their foster youth cope and adjust in the foster family context. This study has important implications for theory, research, and practice for individuals working with foster youth and their foster families.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/423"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Family, Life Course, and Society","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster children - Mental health; Foster home care - Psychology; Foster Home Care; Family therapy","Foster Families; Family Systems Theory; Pyschosocial adjustment; Grounded theory"],"dc:title":["Bonding and Psychosocial Adjustment of Youth in Foster Care"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling and Family Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:45Z"}