Memories of Preventive Intervention Program Participation 10 Years Later: Associations with Mental Health and Adversity

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Prevention and Interventions

Abstract

Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is a prevention program for youth ages 9-11 years old in out-of-home care that incorporates individual mentorship and cognitive behavioral skills groups to enhance children's strengths and promote positive long-term well-being. This presentation will explore associations between memories of participation in FHF collected ten years post-program and current mental health and adversity in a sample of young adults who were living in foster care at the time of their program participation. Young adults (N = 82, Mage = 19.80, SDage = 0.89, rangeage = 18-22; 81% minority) who participated in FHF as pre-adolescents were asked, “Tell us about your experiences in the Fostering Healthy Futures Program.” Using a novel coding system with 0-2-point scales, transcribed responses were coded for a) memory quality, the extent to which the memory was elaborated and included specific details (0 = “No Memory or Extremely Vague Memory” to 2 = “Elaborated Memory”); and b) emotional connection, the degree to which participants were emotionally impacted by the program (0 = “No Emotional Connection” to 2 = “Strong Emotional Connection”). Responses were categorically coded for the presence/absence of specific program-relevant details including reference to the mentor or skills group, and specific positive details such as “met other children going through the same thing as me.” Two trained raters coded responses independently and resolved discrepancies by consensus (ICC = .88 -.92 for scales; 88% -100% agreement for categorical variables). Intellectual functioning (IQ), and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were assessed pre-program, and traumatic stress symptoms were assessed at pre-program and at the young adulthood follow-up. Cumulative risk was composited based on childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, high levels of community violence, number of living situation and school changes, and being removed from a single parent family. Results illustrated that most participants’ recollections were of moderate to high memory quality and emotional connection. About 95% recalled at least one positive aspect of the program. Higher IQ was only modestly correlated with higher memory quality, suggesting that participants’ intelligence did not largely account for recollection ability. Traumatic stress symptoms were not associated with memory quality or emotional connection at either time point. Although pre-program internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms were not associated with memory quality or emotional connection, participants with fewer symptoms on both these scales were significantly more likely to recollect at least one positive detail about the program as young adults. Lower levels of pre-program cumulative risk were also significantly associated with recollecting at least one positive detail about the program. Findings indicate that aspects of participants’ mental health and exposure to adversity at the time of program participation may impact recollection of positive details about mentoring program a decade later. This talk will discuss the preliminary utility of a coding system to assess participants’ memories 10 years later of an intervention for children in foster care.This talk will also illustrate how participants’ qualitative narratives provide insight into their perceptions of program impact.

Authors

• Victoria Atzl, University of Rochester
  Presenting Author

• John L Cooley, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Angela J Narayan, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author

• Heather Taussig, University of Denver
  Non-Presenting Author