Publication year: 2011
Source: Children and Youth Services Review, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 27 May 2011
Karen Skaale, Havnen , Kyrre, Breivik , Kjell Morten, Stormark , Reidar, Jakobsen
The purpose of this paper was to compare children placed out-of-home because of parental substance abuse (PSA) with children placed for other reasons (NPSA), and to explore the association between PSA and mental health problems in a Norwegian sample of 6-12-year-old children in out-of-home care (N=109). Several group differences were found related to the children themselves, their families and the Child Welfare case. The PSA children had less total difficulties, conduct problems and emotional problems than the NPSA children assessed by the teachers on the Revised Rutter Scale. However, both groups had far more mental health problems than children in…
Research highlights: ► The study compares mental health problems in children removed from home because of parental substance abuse (PSA) and other reasons (NPSA) ► The PSA group had significantly less mental health problems than the NPSA group ► Prosocial behavior was the most important explanatory variable ► Gender, discipline problems and socioeconomic conditions did not have any effect ► More research is needed on PSA and placed children’s mental health conditions