Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Schott, Erik.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The present study investigates the impacts of placement instability and how that can affect a foster youth’s mental health. There has been minimal research investigating this problem from the perspective of a social worker. This quantitative research explores the effects of placement instability and its impacts on the mental health of former foster youth. Former foster youth were randomly selected from various geographic locations to participate in a brief survey to evaluate their state of mental health. Participants were randomly selected across various social media platforms and were asked to complete questions on the K10 scale which is a mental health assessment. The data was then analyzed through SPSS to find a correlation between placement instability. This research did not provide any statistical findings but the researchers observed that the questions given in the survey were correlated to one another. Also, it was identified that more risks and factors need to be taken into consideration for future research. Although there were no findings, this study discusses more detailed information for further research on placement instability. Findings indicate that more research is needed to better understand the correlation between placement instability and mental health. The following research contributes to social work practice, policy, and research are also discussed in this study. Moreover, social work practitioners can benefit from this research in better understanding the effects of placement instability on their clients.

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