Date of Conferral

10-26-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jerrod Brown

Abstract

Opioid abuse has remained a public health crisis with far-reaching economic and social consequences that include costs associated with healthcare and increased foster care placements. Children placed into foster care are at risk themselves for opioid use and delinquency. The purpose of this quantitative research was to explore the causal-comparative relationship between foster care placement with kin (family) or nonkin (nonfamily) and its impacts on opiate abuse and criminal behavior. The Attachment Theory guided this study. Data were collected using a web-based, retrospective survey distributed at behavioral health agencies in Northeast Ohio, social media platforms, and Centiment, an online survey service. The final sample size included 151 adults who were in foster care as children or adolescents. Participants completed a survey that used items from the Adolescent Drug Use Measure and the Delinquency Scale to measure substance use and delinquent behavior. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANOVA) was applied to assess group differences. The results were not statistically significant; however, large effect sizes of the group differences suggest potentially meaningful patterns. These findings may support the value of kinship care in promoting emotional stability and reducing long-term risks for foster care youth, such as substance abuse and delinquency. Policies that support attachment can shape practices that protect children and ultimately save lives.

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