Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Child and Family Studies

Major Professor

Oliver Massey, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Donna Durton, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Roxann Taormina, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Troy Quast, Ph.D.

Keywords

Autonomy, Frustration, Relatedness, Satisfation, Substance misuse

Abstract

Youth have multiple pathways to adulthood and for some of those youth that journey takes them through the foster care system either temporarily or until emancipation. A vital part of the foster care system is to protect and care for children in a variety of circumstances including unsafe and traumatic experiences. However, a history of foster care has been tied to certain risks like substance use. The focus of this dissertation is to investigate the strength of the relationship between self-determination and substance use through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in foster care in three phases. In Study I the researcher used thematic analysis to investigate the perception of self-determination in transition aged youth and its connection with independent living skills and substance use. Study II investigated the relationship between need fulfillment as defined by SDT, individual factors such as placement history and demographics, and substance misuse using logistical regression and other statistical methods. Study III investigated the perceptions of self-determination within the foster care environment and its perceived connection to substance use from the perspective of staff and leaders working closely with transition age youth and young adults. Using this approach, the research was able to collect qualitative and quantitative data from those with a history of foster care and qualitative data from those working within the foster care system. Results showed that both youth and staff valued aspects of self-determination including the importance of developing close relationships and important decision making as a protective factor, a significant relationship was also found between the number of placements in foster care and need fulfillment. However, no significant relationship between need fulfillment and substance misuse was observed. The researcher suggests a larger sample size and further investigation into the perceptions of self-determination in different placement types for future research.

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