Resilience Factors in Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care: A Systematic Review

Clinical Impact Statement Resilience is a necessary ability for foster youth to achieve independent living after they transition out of the foster care system. This review provides a summary of the assets and resources known to promote resilience in youth transitioning out of foster care. This information can help assess for resilience, aid in the development of interventions and legislation that aim to increase it, and guide future research in this area. Objective: Youth who emancipate from the foster care system often experience poor outcomes during their transition into independent living (e.g., criminal justice involvement and homelessness). Yet, some youth are resilient and achieve positive outcomes. The purpose of this study is to review the resilience factors identified in the literature for youth transitioning out of care. Method: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. A total of 12 studies met our inclusion criteria. Results: A total of 38 different resilience factors were identified across the studies reviewed. From these resilience factors, 18 were statistically significant, including four assets and 14 resources. Conclusion: Understanding the assets and resources that promote resilience can aid clinicians in assessing and capitalizing on youths' strengths and can help researchers develop effective interventions and target gaps in the literature. Further, it can assist policymakers in generating legislation to improve outcomes for foster youth transitioning out of care. To assist in this process, we systematically reviewed studies to provide a summary of resilience factors currently identified in the literature.