The association between mental health and educational problems among adolescent girls in child welfare: moderating role of protective factors

Child welfare involved youth are at increased risk for mental health problems that have been associated with academic and behavioral difficulties in school. Although a wide body of literature has examined factors that promote the educational success of child welfare involved youth in general, less is known about what helps them to succeed in the context of specific risk such as mental health problems. This study investigated internal (school engagement, social problem-solving) and external protective factors (caregiver type, number of school and placement changes) that buffered the relationship between mental health problems (depression and PTSD symptoms) and educational problems. Participants were 231 child welfare involved girls who were aged between 12 and 19, and who were youth of color (75%) and White (25%). Results indicated that higher levels of depression and PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with more educational problems. Each of the external protective factors significantly moderated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and educational problems. Number of school changes and type of caregiver also moderated the relationship between depression and educational problems. Girls who lived with a biological parent and moved schools less frequently fared better. Neither of the internal protective factors, school engagement nor social problem-solving skills, served as significant moderators for the relationships between mental health problems and educational problems. Findings suggest that external protective factors provide suitable targets for interventions seeking to increase the educational success of youth who have contact with the child welfare system.