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Does what happens in group care stay in group care? The relationship between problem behaviour trajectories during care and post‐placement functioning
Author(s) -
Lee Bethany R.,
Chmelka M. Beth,
Thompson Ron
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00669.x
Subject(s) - multinomial logistic regression , latent class model , juvenile delinquency , psychology , foster care , perspective (graphical) , logistic regression , mental health , outcome (game theory) , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , psychiatry , nursing , computer science , mathematics , mathematical economics , machine learning , artificial intelligence
Residential programmes for youth may improve youth behaviour during placement, but it is not clear whether there is an association between a youth's behaviour pattern during placement and post‐placement outcomes. Life course perspective has been used to understand longitudinal patterns and pathways, and new statistical methods have been developed to identify latent trajectory groups. This study used administrative data from a family‐style group care programme to assess whether a youth's externalizing behaviour trajectory while in placement can significantly predict delinquency and adjustment outcomes at discharge and 6‐month follow‐up. Findings from multinomial logistic regression revealed a statistically significant relationship between a youth's behaviour trajectory class and outcomes. Behaviour pattern during care was a stronger predictor of outcome than cross‐sectional measures such as other demographic factors, placement history or mental‐health need indicators.