Associations between psychosocial functioning and physical health in youth with maltreatment experiences. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schneiderman, Janet U.; Davis, Jordan P.; Negriff, Sonya
• Is Part Of: Children and youth services review. Volume 127(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: Child Maltreatment -- Physical Health -- Resilience -- Psychological -- Youth -- Stress -- Latent Profile Analysis -- Social Support; Social work with children -- Periodicals; Social work with youth -- Periodicals; Adolescent -- Periodicals; Child Welfare -- Periodicals; Social Work -- Periodicals; Service social aux enfants -- Périodiques; Service social à la jeunesse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106080
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-7409

Abstract

Highlights: 60% of the youth had higher social support and positive psychological functioning. The positive psychosocial functioning class had fewer physical health problems. Youth with poorer psychological functioning also had lower social support. Youth with more internalizing, externalizing/drug use symptoms had poorer health. Abstract: Childhood maltreatment often results in long-term untoward outcomes, although some individuals demonstrate better psychosocial functioning than others. Maltreatment is linked with poor physical health outcomes but little is known about how psychosocial functioning is related to physical health. The aims of this study were to: (1) Identify heterogeneity of psychosocial functioning using a latent profile analysis. Positive functioning was measured by both fewer problematic symptoms (depressive, PTSD, anxiety, externalizing behavior, and substance abuse disorder) and the presence of the protective factor of social support; and (2) Explore the relationship between emergent classes of psychosocial functioning and physical health (self-reported illnesses, symptoms, and health status as well as measured overweight/obesity). Participants included a sample of youth with child welfare-documented maltreatment (n = 219; mean age 18.3 years; range 15–23 years) at Time 4 (T4) of a longitudinal study. Mean differences or odds ratios were assessed across the health variables between classes. The three resulting classes were labeled: 1) higher support/lower symptoms (60.7%); 2) lower support/higher internalizing symptoms (29.2%); and 3) lower support/higher externalizing/substance abuse symptoms (10%). Youth in the lower/support/higher externalizing/substance abuse symptoms class had a similar high level of internalizing symptoms as the lower support/higher internalizing symptoms class. Youth in the lower support/high externalizing/substance abuse symptoms class had more colds and pain symptoms in the past month and gastrointestinal illnesses in the past year than the higher support/lower symptoms class, and more illnesses, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal illnesses the last year than the lower support/higher internalizing symptoms class. Overall, functioning class was related to certain health problems which often have a stress component and were more prevalent for youth with more externalizing and substance abuse symptoms.