Foster parents' attachment and mentalization as a contribution to foster children's mental health

[I.D. Anđelković]

169 str.

Političke nauke - Socijalni rad / Political Science - Social Work

Ovom disertacijom prikazano je istraživanje koje je imalo za cilj da ispita kvalitet mentalnog zdravlja adolescenata na alternativnom porodičnom smeštaju i ustanovi u kojoj meri afektivna vezanost i mentalizacija hraniteljica doprinose oporavku od nepovoljnih efekata traumatskih iskustava iz biološke porodice i razvoju pozitivnog mentalnog zdravlja njihovih štićenika. Kvalitet mentalnog zdravlja adolescenata predstavljen je njihovom afektivnom vezanošću, kapacitetom za mentalizaciju i snagama i teškoćama u socio-emocionalnom funkcionisanju. Nakon teorijskog sledi empirijski deo istraživanja, koji obuhvata dve studije u kojima je korišćena kvantitativna i potom kvalitativna metodologija. Prva studija sprovedena je primenom upitnika samoprocene na uzorku od 103 adolescenta i 72 hraniteljice. Uzorak druge studije sačinjen je od deset adolescenata, čije je mentalno zdravlje pozitivno procenjeno na osnovu rezultata prve studije, i njihovih hraniteljica, sa kojima je sproveden polustrukturisani dubinski intervju. Osnovni rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na sledeće: 1) sigurna vezanost i izražena sigurnost u mentalna stanja predstavljaju značajne aspekte mentalnog zdravlja adolescenata; 2) nakon višegodišnjeg hraniteljskog smeštaja adolescenti uspevaju da prevaziđu većinu nepovoljnih efekata rane traumatizacije na kvalitet mentalnog zdravlja; 3) dimezije izbegavanja i sigurnosti u pogledu mentalnih stanja hraniteljica ostvaruju moderatorski efekat na povezanost traume i određenih aspekata mentalnog zdravlja adolescenata; 4) interesovanje hraniteljica za emotivna stanja svojih štićenika uz adekvatno prilagođavanje njihovim razvojnim promenama doprinose doživljaju prihvaćenosti kod mladih na smeštaju. U diskusijama obe studije rezultati su razmatrani u smislu slaganja, odnosno neslaganja, sa očekivanjima zasnovanim na izloženim teorijama i drugim empirijskim studijama. U završnom delu rada izložene su praktične implikacije, kao i ograničenja studije uz preporuke za buduća istraživanja

The aim of the research presented in this dissertation was to examine the quality of mental health of adolescents in foster care and establish the degree to which their foster parents’ attachment and mentalization may contribute to their wards’ recovery from the adverse effects of early trauma experienced in their biological families and enhance the growth of positive mental health. The quality of adolescent mental health is represented through attachment, mentalization as well as strengths and difficulties in socio-emotional functioning. Following the theoretical background, the empirical part consists of two major studies: quantative and qualitative. The first was conducted by applying self-report questionnaires, on the sample consisting of 103 adolescents and 72 foster mothers. The sample used in the second involved 10 adolescents whose mental health was favourably estimated on the basis of the previous questionnaire’s results, and their foster mothers, with whom a semi-structured, in-depth interview was conducted. Our major results indicate the following: 1) secure attachment and high certainty in mental states constitute significant aspects of adolescents’ mental health; 2) after a number of years spent in foster care, adolescents successfully overcome most of the unfavourable effects left on their mental health by early traumatization; 3) dimensions of avoidance and certainty in mental states in foster mothers have a moderating effect on the relatedness of trauma and aspects of adolescents mental health; 4) foster mothers’ interest in their wards’ emotional states, along with the adequate adjustment required by their developmental changes, contribute to the sense of acceptance experienced by the young in foster care. In the discussion of both studies their results are interpreted in terms of their (dis)agreement with the expectations deriving from the theories and other empirical studies referred to in the dissertation. The final section includes the practical implications and limitations of the work, along with recommendations concerning future research.

deca bez roditeljskog staranja, alternativni porodični smeštaj, mentalno zdravlje, afektivna vezanost, mentalizacija, trauma

alternativ care, mental health, attachment, mentalization, trauma

364.65-058.862(043.3) 159.922.8:364‑787.224-058.862(043.3)

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