A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care

Amy D. Engler · Kwabena O. Sarpong · Bethanie S. Van Horne · Christopher S. Greeley · Rachael J. Keefe

266 citations0/0 files storedTrauma Violence & Abuse

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Child Welfare and Adoption Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Child Abuse and Trauma

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This article summarizes the rate of mental health disorders of foster children, the specific types of disorders faced by this population, and how factors such as type of abuse or placement variables can affect mental health outcomes. METHOD: A search in PsycInfo Ovid, EMBASE Elsevier, and Cochrane Library Wiley resulted in 5,042 manuscripts that were independently reviewed by two authors, yielding 25 articles. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Published in or after 2000, written in English, and having a population sample of foster children (ages 0-18) in Western countries including the United States, Norway, Australia, and Canada. RESULTS: Foster children have higher rates of mental health disorders than those of the general population. The most common diagnoses include oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder. Variables such as type of maltreatment and type of placement predicted mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: Children in foster care experience more mental health disorders, as a response to either the circumstances that led to being removed from their homes or the experience of being placed in foster care. These results demonstrate the necessity for providers to consider mental health issues when caring for children in foster care and to perform appropriate screenings and assessments. With adequate trauma-informed training, providers can quickly become comfortable and competent in identifying mental health needs of children in foster care who have experienced trauma.

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References

1998Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults 2011The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress 2013The DSM‐5: Classification and criteria changes 2015Adverse Childhood Experiences 2000Children and youth in foster care: disentangling the relationship between problem behaviors and number of placements 2004Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Older Youths in the Foster Care System 2017Outcomes of children who grew up in foster care: Systematic-review 2009History of Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems in Foster Children: A Review of the Literature

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