Foster care characteristics.

BackgroundEach year, thousands of young Canadians ‘age out’ of foster care on or before their 19th birthday. This abrupt transition to independence coincides with emerging adulthood (ages 18–29), a developmental period associated with transformational changes, including new or worsening mental health challenges.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to understand how emerging adults, who aged out of foster care in Canada, navigated their transition to independence, and specifically, how experiences of structural violence encountered pre- and post-emancipation may have influenced their mental health and capacity for positive adaptation.Participants and Setting203 emerging adults from across Canada took part in the quantitative arm of this study, with a subsample of 31 participants enrolled in the qualitative arm. Virtual methods (online survey and video conferencing) supported remote participation.MethodsA convergent mixed methods design involved concurrent quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, followed by integration of emergent findings. The quantitative arm of the study consisted of an electronic questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, foster care histories, and ten validated measures. The qualitative arm involved virtual semi-structured interviews regarding participants’ transition to independence upon aging out of care, including experiences and perceptions of structural violence, mental health challenges, and positive adaptation.ResultsCorrelation analyses and regression modelling revealed relationships between and among structural violence, mental health challenges, and positive adaptation in this population. Nine qualitative themes uncovered the contextual nuances of participants’ transition to independence. Two joint displays were developed to visually represent the integration of quantitative and qualitative data.ConclusionsBy exploring this clinical issue from a combined socioecological, temporal, and intersectional perspective, key findings reflect its complexity, nuance, and transformative capacity. Integrated data may suggest approaches for future development of interventions to address the unique mental health care needs of this population.

背景：每年都有数千名加拿大青年在19岁生日当天或之前离开寄养照料（foster care）。这种突如其来的独立过渡阶段，恰逢新兴成年期（emerging adulthood，18至29岁）——这一发展阶段伴随诸多变革性变化，包括新发或加重的心理健康挑战。
研究目的：本研究旨在了解加拿大脱离寄养监护的新兴成年群体如何应对独立过渡历程，具体而言，即脱离监护前后遭遇的结构性暴力（structural violence）经历，如何影响其心理健康状态与积极适应能力。
研究对象与场景：来自加拿大全境的203名新兴成年个体参与了本研究的定量研究分支（quantitative arm），另有31名参与者组成子样本（subsample）参与定性研究分支（qualitative arm）。虚拟调研方法（线上问卷与视频会议）为远程参与提供了支持。
研究方法：本研究采用聚合式混合研究设计（convergent mixed methods design），同步开展定量与定性数据的收集与分析，随后整合涌现性研究结果。定量研究分支采用电子问卷，内容涵盖社会人口学特征、寄养照料经历史以及10项经过信效度检验的测评工具。定性研究分支则通过虚拟半结构化访谈（semi-structured interviews），探讨参与者脱离寄养照料后的独立过渡经历，包括其对结构性暴力、心理健康挑战与积极适应的体验与认知。
研究结果：相关分析与回归建模结果显示，该群体中结构性暴力、心理健康挑战与积极适应之间存在相互关联。本研究通过定性分析提炼出9个主题，揭示了参与者独立过渡历程的情境细节与细微差异。此外，本研究构建了2份联合展示图（joint displays），以可视化形式呈现定量与定性数据的整合结果。
研究结论：本研究从社会生态、时间维度与交叉性（intersectional）的复合视角探讨这一临床议题，核心发现反映了该议题的复杂性、细微差异与变革性影响。整合后的研究数据可为未来开发针对性干预措施提供参考，以满足该群体独特的心理健康照料需求。