Abstract
There were 59,500 Children in out-of-home care in England in 2008. Research into this population points to poor health and quality of life outcomes over the transition to adult independence. This undesirable outcome applies to mental health, education and employment. This lack of wellbeing for the individual is a burden for health and social care services, suggesting limitations in the current policy approaches regarding the transitional pathway from care to adult independence. Although the precise reasons for these poor outcomes are unclear long term outcomes from national birth cohorts suggest that mental health could be a key predictor for subsequent psychosocial adjustment.Researching the wellbeing of children in out-of-home care has proven difficult due to the range and complexity of the factors leading to being placed in care and the different methods used internationally for recording information. This paper delineates the estimated prevalence of mental health problems for adolescents in the care system, organisational factors, influencing service provision, and pathways through the transition from adolescence to independent young adult life. The extent to which being taken into care as a child moderates adult wellbeing outcomes remains unknown. Whether the care system enhances, reduces or has a null effect on wellbeing and specifically mental health cannot be determined from the current literature. Nonetheless a substantial proportion of young people display resilience and experience successful quality of life outcomes including mental capital. A current and retrospective study of young people transitioning to adult life is proposed to identify factors that have promoted successful outcomes and which would be used to inform policy developments and future longitudinal studies.
Highlights
There were 59,500 Children in out-of-home care in England in 2008
Long term outcomes from national birth cohorts suggest that mental health could be a key predictor for subsequent psychosocial adjustment [1] and a 2002 report commissioned by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health reported that approximately half (45%) of children cared for by local authorities (CIC), and almost three quarters (72%) of those in residential care, were clinically diagnosed with a mental disorder [2]
Given the numbers of young people involved there is an imperative to understand how those who achieve successful outcomes manage to do this within the care system
Summary
The Scale of the Problem and the Way Forward Recent government statistics have shown that there were 59,500 looked after children (CIC) in England in 2008 [[51]; Table A1]. Retrospective catch-up studies of young people who have left the care system, with the aim of identifying factors that have promoted successful outcomes with respect to the Every Child Matters Agenda of being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and achieving economic wellbeing are needed. This will be able to inform policy developments in respect of best practice for looked after children and identify the nature of further longitudinal studies of leaving care and mental health, informing their design and methodology.
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