What is important to young people in care during adolescence? A qualitatively driven photo-elicitation study

A feature of being a young person in care is that your life is overseen by a range of professionals, who make decisions that affect you. There is a lack of research into the experiences of young people in care to inform these decisions from the perspective of the young people. A need for research that allows young people in care to contribute to the literature about what is important to them during adolescence was established. This exploratory study used a participant-led, photo-elicitation methodology with six young people (13–15 years) who lived in foster care. A photo-elicitation interview was conducted in which participants brought photographs of what was important to them which they then discussed. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants described their experiences as being embedded in the place they lived, with their development being shaped by the possibilities this provided. Participants described what was important to them as: being seen and heard; a part of their place and being with others; finding space to escape to; relationships with their pets; and getting to know themselves. Discussion of how this relates to existing knowledge, and relevant clinical implications and future research directions, are discussed based on this analysis.