Emotion understanding and theory of mind among maltreated children in foster care: evidence of deficits.

Children in foster care are at heightened risk for poor psychosocial outcomes. This study examined differences in two areas that may be associated with many of these outcomes, emotion understanding and theory of mind, using a sample of 3- to 5-year-old maltreated foster children (n = 60) and a comparison group of same-aged, low-income, nonmaltreated children living with their biological families (n = 31). Being in foster care was significantly associated with worse emotion understanding and theory of mind capabilities, even when accounting for age, intelligence, and executive function. There were no significant associations between length of time in foster care, number of transitions, and emotion understanding and theory of mind. Results help to expand knowledge about the cognitive and affective deficits of children in foster care and suggest that interventions targeted at these deficits include an emphasis on emotion understanding and theory of mind.