Children and adolescents placed in foster care are an at-risk population and have a high risk for a range of adverse outcomes as they get older. The purpose of this content analysis through an extensive literature review is to examine the factors that contribute to psychological adjustment and adjustment difficulties among foster care children and youth. This study also aims to develop an overarching prototype case that embraces the overall principal findings extracted from a wide range of written sources. The ultimate purpose of this content analysis is to design ethnically sensitive intervention and prevention strategies on the basis of the prototype case.

This study highlighted seven themes that negatively impacted the adjustment and psychological well-being of children and youth in foster care. These themes include; ethnicity, gender, placement setting, maltreatment type, attachment styles, substance abuse, and academic functioning. This study also analyzes effective prevention and intervention strategies that can be utilized to reduce the negative impact foster care may have in children. The themes were categorized to formulate interventions that can be implemented at the micro, mezzo, and macro level. The analysis revealed that placement disruptions were associated with negative mental health outcomes. Children and youth who exhibited externalizing behaviors were correlated with experiencing more placement disruptions. The existing literature suggests recommendations to implement better mental health and community resources to assist foster youth.