A mental health intervention for rural, foster children from methamphetamine-involved families: Experimental assessment with qualitative elaboration

This mixed method study describes the cultural adaptation, implementation and impact of a mental health intervention for individual rural children aged 7-17 from methamphetamine-involved families who are in foster care. Features of the culturally-shaped intervention include: 1) close collaboration with local professionals who provide the intervention over a seven month period; 2) provision of the intervention in and around children's homes; and 3) the use of local storytelling traditions in a narrative- and relationship-based intervention. As a group, children (N. =15) showed problematic levels of Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL) externalizing and total problem behaviors and symptoms of PTSD/dissociation during the pretest. Children were randomly assigned to an experimental group who received the intervention immediately (n. =8), or a wait-list control group (n. =7) who received the intervention at the end of the study. There was a significant interaction effect of time (pre and post test) and group on externalizing behavior with the trajectory of the experimental group improving while that of the control group worsened. Gains made by the experimental group were maintained over a seven month follow-up period. Comparative case studies, individual qualitative interviews and open-ended questionnaires provided rich elaboration of participants' experiences and illuminated complexities and challenges of the intervention.