It is well documented that children in foster care have a high
prevalence of trauma in their lives. For many, circumstances that bring
them into the foster care system are formidable—sexual abuse, parental
neglect, family violence, homelessness, and exposure to drugs. In
addition, they are separated from biological family and some are
regularly moved around from one place to another.
“Children with early life adversity tend to have elevated levels of
inflammation across their lifespan,” explains lead author Thaddeus Pace,
assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University.
“Inflammation is known to play a fundamental role in the development
of a number of chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, type
2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, and depression.”
Published in the journals Psychoneuroendocrinology and Child and Family Studies, the study found that adolescents who practiced Cognitively-Based Compassion Training
(CBCT) had improvements in their mental and physical health—reductions
in the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), less anxiety, and
increased feelings of hopefulness. The more the study participants
practiced, the greater the improvement observed in these measures.
“The beneficial effects of CBCT on anxiety and feelings of
hopelessness suggest that this intervention may provide immediate
benefit to foster children,” says Charles Raison, corresponding author
of the study in Psychoneuroendocrinology, now at the University of
Arizona.
“We are even more encouraged by the finding that CBCT reduced levels
of inflammation. Our hope is that CBCT may help contribute to the
long-term health and well being of foster care children, not only during
childhood, but also as they move into their adult years.”
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