Help seeking among adolescents in foster care: A qualitative study

Adolescents in foster care are at high risk for mental health and emotional problems, however many do not receive needed services. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the subjective experiences and perceptions related to mental health and help seeking of adolescents in care. Seven individuals aged 16-20 completed in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were coded following a grounded theory approach. Identified concepts or themes were related to level of need (i.e., stressful situations related to school, family, and foster care); predisposing and enabling factors (e.g., attitudes toward help seeking, previous help seeking, and awareness of sources); seeking help (i.e., a preference to talk to others with shared experiences); and stages of help seeking (i.e., problem recognition; recognition of need for help; evaluation of appropriate sources of help; and seeking help). Findings address gaps in the literature, and suggest targets for intervention.