Entrance into care for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems in The Netherlands

Abstract

M Nanninga, DEMC Jansen, LM van Eijk, EJ Knorth, SA Reijneveld Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen/ University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Sociology and Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Special Needs Education and Youth Care, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Contact: m.nanninga02@umcg.nl Background Evidence on determinants of entrance into care for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems is limited. Aim of this study was to assess how many children enter care for emotional and behavioural problems, what characterizes them, and by whom and to which type of care they are referred. Methods Data were obtained on care provided to children and adolescents aged 0 to 23 years because of emotional and behavioural problems, in a northern region of The Netherlands during June 2011 – June 2012. Data on entrance of care and demographic characteristics came from two sources: from administrative data of 13 types of providers (among which general practitioners, home-based care, child and youth (mental health) care and judicial services) and from the first measurement wave of a large longitudinal prospective cohort study on care for children with emotional and behavioural problems. In this study, parents/caregivers of children aged 0-19 (N = 1.118) were recruited at entry of child and youth (mental health) care. They filled in questionnaires. Results Of the 168.505 children and adolescents (age 0-23) of the general population in the northern region of The Netherlands, 34.945 (20.7%) received care for emotional or behavioural problems. Entrance into care was more likely for boys and age 12 to 18 (57.8 and 28.6% of the total group, respectively) and in case of more severe problems. Moreover, deprivation (i.e. low income, one-parent or ethnic minority family, low maternal education) was more likely among children entering care. General practitioners referred 43,9% of all children with emotional or behavioural problems mainly to child mental health care (90%). The Youth Care Office mainly referred children to child and youth care (63%). Regarding the type of care, the majority received light parenting support (65.6%), followed by ambulant or out-patient care (30.9%) and specialized care (3.5%, day treatment; residential, foster or judicial care). Additional results on determinants of entrance will be included in the presentation. Conclusions One fifth of the general population of children received care for emotional or behavioural problems. The way of entrance to the system of care highly determined the type of care that was received. Key messages Way of entrance into the system of care for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems highly determines the type of care that is received. In the Dutch care system, general practitioners have a pivotal role regarding entry of this type of care. Adolescent gambling as a public health issue Tiina Rasanen