title: Impact of a mentoring and skills group program on mental health outcomes for maltreated children in foster care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of the Fostering Healthy Futures program in reducing mental health problems and associated problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Denver metropolitan area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 9 to 11 years who were maltreated and placed in foster care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children in the control group (n=77) received an assessment of their cognitive, educational, and mental health functioning. Children in the intervention group (n=79) received the assessment and participated in a 9-month mentoring and skills group program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children and caregivers were interviewed at baseline prior to randomization, immediately following the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. Teachers were interviewed 2 times after baseline. Measures included a multi-informant index of mental health problems, youth-reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress, dissociation, and quality of life, and caregiver- and youth-reported use of mental health services and psychotropic medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for covariates, intent-to-treat analyses demonstrated that the treatment group had fewer mental health problems on a multi-informant factor 6 months after the intervention (mean difference, -0.51; 95% confidence interval, -0.84 to -0.19), reported fewer symptoms of dissociation 6 months after the intervention (mean difference, -3.66; 95% confidence interval, -6.58 to -0.74), and reported better quality of life immediately following the intervention (mean difference, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.19). Fewer youths in the intervention group than in the control group had received recent mental health therapy 6 months after the intervention according to youth report (53% vs 71%, respectively; relative risk=0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.98).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 9-month mentoring and skills group intervention for children in foster care can be implemented with fidelity and high uptake rates, resulting in improved mental health outcomes. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00809315.
authors.affiliation: The Kempe Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, The Gary Pavilion at The Children's Hospital, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 E 16th Ave, B-390, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. taussig.heather@tchden.org
authors.forename: Heather N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Taussig
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Culhane
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008611:Mentors; D016896:Treatment Outcome