Children placed in alternate care in Norway: A review of mental health needs and current official measures to meet them

Lehmann, Stine; Kayed, Nanna Sønnichsen

doi:10.1111/ijsw.12323

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Previous studies from Norway have found that children and youth receiving IHS or who are placed outside their home display more mental health problems than peers from the general population (Havnen et al, 2009;Iversen et al, 2007). Studies have also documented a high prevalence of mental disorders among children and youth in FC, and it has been estimated that about 50% meet the criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders (Lehmann et al, 2013;Lehmann & Kayed, 2018). A study further found great variability in mental health adjustment over time among children and youth in FC (Havnen et al, 2014).…”

Section: The Norwegian Contextmentioning

confidence: 96%

Mental health, adverse life events and health service use among Norwegian youth in the child welfare system: Results from a population‐based study

Nilsen

Askeland

Loro

et al. 2021

Child & Family Social Work

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Youth within the child welfare system (CWS) have often experienced adverse life events, and many need support from health services. This study aimed to compare mental health problems and health service use among adolescents receiving in-home services (IHS), living in foster care (FC) and general population youth (GP). Data stem from the youth@hordaland survey, a population-based study of adolescents (N = 10,257, age 16-19) conducted in 2012 in Hordaland County, Norway. The adolescents provided self-reported data on CWS contact, health service use, adverse life events and multiple instruments assessing mental health problems. The IHS and FC groups had significantly higher symptom scores across most mental health measures than peers from the GP. Youth receiving IHS had significantly higher scores on measures of general internalizing and externalizing problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression compared with peers in FC. Those receiving IHS reported the highest health service use. Adverse life events accounted for a substantial part of the differences between the groups. Mental health problems are frequent among older adolescents within the CWS, especially among youth receiving IHS. Service providers and policymakers should be aware of the present and likely continued challenges faced by many of these youth.adolescence, adverse life events, child welfare, health services, mental health, youth | BACKGROUNDChildren exposed to poverty, inadequate parenting or maltreatment are at risk of mental health problems (

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Section: The Norwegian Contextmentioning

confidence: 96%

Mental health, adverse life events and health service use among Norwegian youth in the child welfare system: Results from a population‐based study

Nilsen

Askeland

Loro

et al. 2021

Child & Family Social Work

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“…These teams should have a coordinating function between local authority levels of services and ambulatory teams in mental health services responsible for adolescents in institutional care. Furthermore, the report calls for commitment to cooperation agreements between CPS and mental health services (Directorate for health/BufDir, , 2017, but see Lehman & Kayed, 2018).…”

Section: Several Missing Links In the Cpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In the Best Interest of the Child: the Norwegian Approach to Child Protection

Melinder

Hagen²

2021

Int. Journal on Child Malt.

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In the present paper, we discuss three challenges with the Norwegian Child Protective System (CPS) that might have contributed to the recent criticism from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). First, how to balance the rights of the child with those of the parents. Second, the psychological field’s influence on the interpretation of what constitutes the best interest of the child, and third we describe several missing links in the CPS work. Throughout the paper, we find indications of a well-developed Act, but a less optional CPS practice. Likewise, we find evidence for a narrow interpretation of the best interest of the child related to CPS and expert psychologists’ application of attachment theory, and several organizational and educational shortcomings in the area of CPS. We conclude that the child is not fully seen as a legal subject in the eyes of the ECtHR, and that more research into CPS measures and organization are needed to better deliver adequate assistance to vulnerable families.

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“…There are indications that inter-agency collaboration between child welfare services (CWS) and child and adolescent mental health services improves early identification of mental health problems, as well as improved access to help (Bai, Wells, and Hillemeier 2009;Darlington and Feeney 2008;Timonen-Kallio 2019). Nevertheless, effective inter-agency collaboration has been reported to be difficult to achieve (Darlington and Feeney 2008;Stanley et al 2003), also in Norway (Lehmann and Kayed 2018;Jozefiak et al 2016;Pedersen 2019).…”

Section: Screening Of Mental Health Among Youth In Residential Care Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Interagency collaboration for early identification and follow-up of mental health problems in residential youth care: evaluation of a collaboration model

Kaasbøll

Ådnanes

Paulsen

et al. 2020

Nordic Social Work Research

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Despite high levels of mental disorders among young people living in residential youth care (RYC) institutions, only a small percentage of these children receive help from mental health services. The aim of the present study is to explore the usefulness of an inter-agency collaboration model from the perspective of service providers, and to investigate factors that promote and hinder effective inter-agency collaboration around early identification and follow up of mental problems and disorders among youth in residential care. A purposive sample of 16 professionals in three RYC institutions and related child and adolescent mental health services and child welfare services that were involved in piloting the collaboration model was recruited. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted, and a thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. The results suggest that the collaboration model promoted increased awareness on mental health issues and a greater systematic inter-agency collaborative effort in assessing and following up the mental health of children and adolescents in RYC institutions. However, there were major challenges related to central elements of the collaboration model; the conduction of the multidisciplinary meeting within the deadline of three weeks, and participation of child welfare services-providers at the multidisciplinary meeting. Further dissemination of the collaboration model merits further consideration of the choice of screening assessment battery due to the lack of participation from teachers and parents, the time limit of three weeks and measures to increase participation from the municipal child welfare services.

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Children placed in alternate care in Norway: A review of mental health needs and current official measures to meet them

Cited by 21 publications

References 44 publications

Mental health, adverse life events and health service use among Norwegian youth in the child welfare system: Results from a population‐based study

Mental health, adverse life events and health service use among Norwegian youth in the child welfare system: Results from a population‐based study

In the Best Interest of the Child: the Norwegian Approach to Child Protection

Interagency collaboration for early identification and follow-up of mental health problems in residential youth care: evaluation of a collaboration model

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