Graduation Semester and Year
Winter 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Genevieve Graaf
Second Advisor
Hui Huang
Third Advisor
Yao Wang
Abstract
Psychotropic medication use among youth in foster care has been a longstanding concern in child welfare research, with studies consistently documenting disproportionately high prescribing rates, frequent polypharmacy, and the use of potent or off-label medications to manage behavioral or trauma-related symptoms. This study conducted an inductive thematic review of 17 peer-reviewed articles, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies, to explore the lived experiences of foster youth and foster care alumni related to psychotropic medication use and mental health treatment. Guided by principles of reflexive thematic analysis, findings across diverse methodologies were synthesized to better understand how systemic, clinical, and experiential factors contribute to patterns of medication use within foster care.
Four overarching themes emerged from the review. First, the broader foster care context, including placement instability, fragmented services, and limited continuity of psychiatric care, shaped youths’ medication experiences and increased the risk of overmedication. Second, stigma from providers, systems, and internalized beliefs influenced youths’ self-perception and contributed to avoidance of mental health services during and after care. Third, youth frequently reported a lack of agency in treatment decision-making, describing minimal involvement, limited information, and little control over the medications prescribed to them. Finally, youth described significant physical and emotional responses to psychotropic medications, including sedation, illness, and feelings of detachment, which damaged trust in treatment and often led to discontinuation of care in adulthood.
These findings highlight critical gaps in trauma-informed, youth-centered mental health practices in the child welfare system. Implications for social work include strengthening informed consent, increasing youth participation in treatment planning, improving oversight of prescribing practices, and promoting continuity of care as youth transition into adulthood.
Keywords
foster care, lived experience, psychotropic medication, transition to adulthood, foster care alumni
Disciplines
Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Daugherty, Zoe D., "PSYCHOTROPIC PRESCRIPTION USE AMONG FOSTER CARE ALUMNI MEDICATED WITH PSYCHOTROPIC IN CHILDHOOD" (2025). Social Work Theses. 219.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_theses/219