Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores and mental health in looked after children
- Authors:
- GOODMAN Anna, GOODMAN Robert
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(5), May 2012, pp.426-427.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
British local authorities are required to monitor the mental health of looked after children using mean Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores from parents or carers. This short report used a nationally representative sample (n = 1391, age 5–16) to examine whether differences in mean SDQ scores reflect real differences in child mental health in this group. The SDQ was found to be a genuinely dimensional measure of mental health in these children and provided accurate estimates of disorder prevalence.
The SDQ as a mental health measurement tool in a Canadian sample of looked-after young people
- Author:
- MARQUIS Roby
- Journal article citation:
- Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 4(2), June 2009, pp.114-121.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is used increasingly internationally in child welfare as a tool for mental-health screening, referral and outcome measurement. This study compared the SDQ scores, based on ratings by foster parents or other caregivers, of 492 young people aged 11-15 years and living in out-of-home care in Ontario, Canada, with normative SDQ scores, based on parental ratings, of a large sample of young people aged 11-15 years from the British general population. Of the Ontario looked-after young people, 57% were male and 43% female, with 86% residing in foster homes and 14% in group homes. As expected, a considerably higher proportion of the Ontario looked-after sample had SDQ scores in the at-risk range, compared with the British normative sample. The findings suggested that the SDQ is likely to prove useful as a mental health measurement tool in Canadian child welfare services.
Identification of mental health service need among youth in child welfare
- Author:
- LEVITT Jessica Mass
- Journal article citation:
- Child Welfare Journal, 88(1), 2009, pp.27-48.
- Publisher:
- Child Welfare League of America
This paper focuses on the ways in which the child welfare system identifies - or fails to identify - children as needing mental health services. The paper reviews current guidelines, policies, and practices for mental health screening and assessment of youth in US child welfare including available evidence-based screening instruments that have been evaluated in child welfare or other settings. It is concluded that the use of evidence-based screening and assessment instruments will improve the identification of children needing mental health services and offer the opportunity to provide appropriate care to children who are currently being overlooked.
Health assessment findings for young males with severe emotional and behaviour difficulties in a residential setting over 24 weeks
- Authors:
- CARROLL Denise, DUFFY T., MARTIN C.R.
- Journal article citation:
- Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 16(2), 2017, Online only
- Publisher:
- Department of Social Work. University of Strathclyde.
Seventy-four males aged 13-16 years old cared for by local authorities took part in this study when they were cared for in a Scottish residential centre for young people with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. This group of vulnerable young people are known to have poor health, educational and social outcomes (Residential Care Health Project, 2004, Scottish Government, 2014). Children and young people in local authority care feature on the agenda of all aspects of public care including health, social care, criminal justice and education. It was found that 44% of the young people’s health records were not available at the time of their health assessment despite the fact that young people had on average at least four previous placements prior to being admitted to the Centre. While a range of systems have been put in place to improve the health outcomes of children in care, lack of such key information may compromise the assessment process. Over three observations (at admission, 12 and 24 weeks) the young people had a comprehensive health assessment where some positive differences were found in dental intervention, vision problems, immunisation uptake, reduction in alcohol, substance use and sexual health concerns. Between the first and last assessment there was a decrease in the number of young people who have a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). (Publisher abstract)
When are attachment difficulties an indication for specialist mental health input?
- Authors:
- RATNAYAKE Adheesha, BOWLAY-WILLIAMS Jeanette, VOSTANIS Panos
- Journal article citation:
- Adoption and Fostering, 38(2), 2014, pp.159-170.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article presents the characteristics of 83 looked after and 67 adopted children at the time of their first assessment by a designated mental health team in the context of potential appropriateness of this service. Attachment and mental health problems were significantly associated across most subscales of the Relationships Problems (RPQ) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ). Adopted children were younger and were rated higher on both measures. One-third of the children were rated below the clinical cut-off SDQ score. The service appeared to adopt broad referral criteria to include attachment difficulties rather than just mental health disorders. The findings are discussed in relation to the varied interpretation of the constructs of attachment difficulties and disorders, and the future development of care pathways for looked after and adopted children. (Publisher abstract)
Multiple assessors of child welfare youths' mental-health functioning: comparing perceptions of adolescents, caregivers and teachers
- Authors:
- SIMMEL Cassandra, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Family Social Work, 19(3), 2014, pp.343-354.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
For youth involved with the child welfare system, accurate assessment of mental-health functioning is a critical factor in case planning. To assess correspondence among multiple reporters of child welfare youths' mental-health difficulties, this study, using data drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being dataset, examined the caregiver, teacher and youth (aged 11–16 years) reports on the Child Behavior Checklist (n = 464). Perceptions about symptomatology on a variety of externalising and internalising behaviour problem scales were measured with a correlation analysis. Subsequently, logistic regression models were created, which explored how each reporter category matched a fourth reporter category: the child welfare investigation caseworkers' identification of youths' mental-health needs. Results show that in several models, the odds of matching caseworkers' determination of youths' mental-health needs significantly increased as youths' perceptions of psychopathology increased. A similar pattern was found for caregivers' perceptions in some of the models, across both internalising and externalising domains. Implications for child welfare practice and research with child welfare youth are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)
The Assessment Checklist for Adolescents - ACA: a scale for measuring the mental health of young people in foster, kinship, residential and adoptive care
- Author:
- TARREN-SWEENEY Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 35(3), 2013, pp.384-393.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This article describes the development of the Assessment Checklist for Adolescents (ACA), a 105-item carer-report mental health rating scale, measuring behaviours, emotional states, traits, and manners of relating to others, as manifested by adolescents (ages 12 to 17) residing in various types of alternate care, as well as those adopted from care. The ACA was designed for population and clinical research with these young people, and for use as a clinical assessment measure. The ACA's content was largely derived from the Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC). Fifteen ACC items were modified to better reflect adolescent difficulties, and 25 additional items were derived using a combination of inductive and deductive strategies. Item and factor analyses were carried out on scores from a 136-item research instrument, obtained for 230 young people residing in long-term care. These data were supplemented by ACC scores obtained for 142 adolescents residing in treatment foster care in Ontario, Canada. A robust 7-factor model was identified among a core of 73 clinical item scores, accounting for 51% of score variance. Four of the factors replicate ACC clinical scales (non-reciprocal interpersonal behaviour; sexual behaviour problems; food maintenance behaviour; and suicide discourse), and three are unique to the ACA (social instability/behavioural dysregulation; emotional dysregulation/distorted social cognition; and dissociation/trauma symptoms). The ACA also contains two empirically-derived low self-esteem scales (low confidence; negative self-image) that are shared with the ACC. Initial data indicate that the ACA has good content, construct and criterion-related validity, as well as high internal reliability. (Edited publisher abstract)
Assessing the mental health needs of young people living in state care using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
- Authors:
- MCCRYSTAL Patrick, MCALONEY Kareena
- Journal article citation:
- Child Care in Practice, 16(3), July 2010, pp.215-226.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Young people living in the state care system are often reported to experience poorer levels of mental health and wellbeing. Government policy encourages a holistic approach to the assessment of all aspects of health and wellbeing of these young people. The aim of this study was to use data from the Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study being undertaken at Queens University Belfast, to show the value of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a screening tool for mental health issues with young people entering state care. The data were obtained during the first year of the study, with young people aged 11 and 12 years, and fourth year, with young people aged 14 and 15 years. The data obtained using the SDQ was compared for young people who indicated they were living in state care with those living with at least one biological parent outside care. The findings showed that a higher proportion of young people living in state care reported scores on the SDQ that indicated a higher propensity to problem behaviour at both stages of the survey. The results show that the SDQ is a tool that may assist professionals to make an informed decision on the health and wellbeing of young people entering the care system and possibly can lead to an empirically assisted decision on intervention planning.
Best practices for mental health in child welfare: screening, assessment, and treatment guidelines
- Author:
- ROMANELLI Lisa Hunter
- Journal article citation:
- Child Welfare Journal, 88(1), 2009, pp.163-188.
- Publisher:
- Child Welfare League of America
The Best Practices for Mental Health in Child Welfare Consensus Conference in the US focused on developing guidelines in five key areas (screening and assessment, psychosocial interventions, psychopharmacologic treatment, parent engagement, and youth empowerment) related to children's mental health. This paper provides an overview of issues related to the first three areas, presents the guidelines developed in these areas, and discusses the implications these guidelines have for the field of child welfare.
Promoting the health of looked after children: a study to inform revision of the 2002 guidance
- Authors:
- MOONEY Ann, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 52p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This study aimed to provide an evidence base to assist the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health in revising the guidance 'Promoting the Health of Looked After Children'. The report summarises the research and statistical evidence on the prevalence and nature of health problems among looked after children and the characteristics of the population of looked after children, as well as published evidence on how well their health needs are being met and the views of young people themselves. It also includes an overview of findings from the stakeholder interviews illustrating the differences between the guidance and current practice, the main areas of difficulty with the guidance and suggestions from interviewees about what might be done to address these difficulties. Chapter 3, draws on evidence from JAR reports, Healthy Care Programme briefing papers and local audits as well as from information provided by interviewees. Conclusions are drawn in chapter 5 using all the data sources for this study.