Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Looked after Children Who Move Placement Frequently
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11942072 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alison Beck (0000-0002-9031-2117, South West London and St Georges NHS Trust, London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 60-65 |
| Publication date | 2006-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Adoption & Fostering (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0308-5759 • E-ISSN: 1740-469X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/030857590603000308 |
| OpenAlex | W2004833439 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 9 |
Research has revealed high levels of mental health need among children who are looked after. The aim of this study, reported by Alison Beck, was to compare the mental health needs of looked after children who move placement frequently with the mental health needs of those who do not and to consider how these differences may be addressed in terms of mental health service planning. Two questionnaires (including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire — SDQ) were sent to the carers of 747 young people (aged over three years) looked after by one inner-London local authority, to the young people themselves if they were aged over 11 years and to a selected sample of teachers. A third (30 per cent) of young people had a ‘probable’ psychiatric diagnosis using the SDQ. Eleven per cent had moved placement three or more times in the last year and they were three times more likely to have a ‘probable’ psychiatric diagnosis. They were also significantly more likely to report deliberate self-harm in the last six months compared to those who had moved placement less frequently. Although young people who move placement frequently are far more likely to develop psychiatric disturbance than other looked after children, they are much less likely to access mental health services. The barriers to service access and practice implications of these findings are discussed
Harm · Mental health · Mental health service · Psychiatry · Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire · Child Welfare and Adoption · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Social Psychology
Service Use by Looked after Children with Behavioural Problems
The prevalence of mental health disorders amongst care-experienced young people in the UK
Are the voices of young people living in out-of-home care represented in research examining their health
Understanding Foster Placement Instability for Looked After Children
Perceptions of interprofessional collaboration at the intersection of child welfare and child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany
Residential group care workers' recognition of depression
The Mental Health and Help-Seeking Behaviour of Children and Young People in Care in Northern Ireland
The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Great Britain
Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in young people in the care system
The Mental Health of Young People Looked After by Local Authorities in England
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
The Developmental Histories of Children Who Experience High Levels of Placement Instability in the Care System
The Effect of Foster Carer Training on the Emotional and Behavioural Functioning of Looked after Children
Judicial and Service Decisions for Children Entering State Custody
| Citations per year | 0.39 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2008 - 2024 (17) |
| Highly cited | No |