The Research Design Associates Blog

Children in foster care experience higher rates of adverse life experiences than do children in the general population, resulting in a host of psychological and social problems that extend well beyond their years in foster care. Studies have shown that children in foster care have higher rates of chronic illness and developmental disability, and one recent study found that children in foster care report lifetime rates of post-traumatic stress disorder similar to that of US war veterans. Those foster children who meditated more had the greatest reductions in inflammation. Meditation appears to be an acceptable intervention for foster children with the potential to improve interpersonal functioning and perhaps to reduce the long-term biological consequences of chronic stress. The emphasis of compassion meditation on striving for interpersonal harmony appears to be particularly salient for this population.