Children reared in institutions experience severe psychosocial deprivation, resulting in lasting consequences for social and emotional development. This study evaluated growth trajectories of self-regulation from ages 8 to 16 among previously institutionalized children randomized to foster care (foster-care group; FCG) or to remain in institutional care (care-as-usual group; CAUG) compared with a never-institutionalized group (NIG). We then tested a developmental pathway by which growth in self-regulation reduces general psychopathology at age 16 for the FCG relative to the CAUG. The FCG experienced modest growth in self-regulation over adolescence and “caught up” to the NIG by age 16. The beneficial effect of foster care on psychopathology operated through growth in self-regulation; part of this effect was further mediated by reduced peer difficulties for the FCG. Findings reveal that the effects of foster care on self-regulation emerge over adolescence and that growth in self-regulation is a mechanism by which foster care mitigates the impact of institutionalization on psychopathology.

在机构中抚养的儿童会经历严重的社会心理剥夺，从而对社会和情感发展产生持久的影响。本研究评估了 8 至 16 岁之前被随机分配到寄养（寄养组；FCG）或继续接受机构照料（照常照料组；CAUG）的先前机构化儿童的自我调节的成长轨迹，并与从未接受过- 制度化团体（NIG）。然后，我们测试了一种发育途径，通过该途径，FCG 相对于 CAUG 的自我调节增长减少了 16 岁时的一般精神病理学。FCG 经历了青春期自我调节的适度增长，并在 16 岁时“赶上了”NIG。寄养对精神病理学的有益影响通过自我调节的增长而发挥作用；FCG 的同伴难度降低进一步调节了这种效果。研究结果表明，寄养对自我调节的影响出现在青春期，并且自我调节的增长是寄养减轻机构化对精神病理学影响的一种机制。