Children’s Health in Care in Scotland (CHiCS): Main findings from population-wide research

Allik, Mirjam

doi:10.36399/gla.pubs.279347

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These support previous research which found high rates of antidepressant prescribing, hospital presenting self-harm and mental health diagnoses in CIC compared to unexposed peers (Allik et al. , 2022; Bronsard et al. , 2016; Fleming et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The mental health of all children in contact with social services: a population-wide record-linkage study in Northern Ireland

McKenna¹,

O’Reilly²,

Maguire³

2023

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aims Children in contact with social services are at high risk for mental ill health, but it is not known what proportion of the child population has contact with social services or how risk varies within this group compared to unexposed peers. We aim to quantify the extent and nature of contact with social services within the child population in Northern Ireland (NI) and the association with mental ill health. We also examine which social care experiences identify those most at risk. Methods This is a population-based record-linkage study of 497,269 children (aged under 18 years) alive and resident in NI in 2015 using routinely collected health and social care data. Exposure was categorized as (1) no contact, (2) referred but assessed as not in need (NIN), (3) child in need (CIN) and (4) child in care (CIC). Multilevel logistic regression analyses estimated odds ratios (ORs) for mental ill health indicated by receipt of psychotropic medication (antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics and hypnotics), psychiatric hospital admission and hospital-presenting self-harm or ideation. Results Over one in six children (17.2%, n = 85,792) were currently or previously in contact with social services, and almost one child in every 20 (4.8%, n = 23,975) had contact in 2015. Likelihood of any mental ill health outcome increased incrementally with the level of contact with social services relative to unexposed peers: NIN (OR 5.90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.10–6.83]), CIN (OR 5.99 [95% CI 5.50–6.53]) and CIC (OR 12.60 [95% CI 10.63–14.95]). All tiers of contact, number of referrals, number of care episodes and placement type were strongly associated with the likelihood of mental ill health. Conclusion Children who have contact with social services account for a large and disproportionate amount of mental ill health in the child population. Likelihood of poor mental health across indicators is highest in care experienced children but also extends to the much larger population of children in contact with social services but never in care. Findings suggest a need for targeted mental health screening and enhanced support for all children in contact with social services.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…A limited number of UK population-wide studies have found increased rates of self-harm, outpatient psychiatry visits, psychiatric hospitalizations and psychotropic prescribing among children in care compared to children never in care (Allik et al. , 2022; Fleming et al. , 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mental health of all children in contact with social services: a population-wide record-linkage study in Northern Ireland

McKenna¹,

O’Reilly²,

Maguire³

2023

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…7 There are few studies of cause-specific adult mortality given childhood care experience but the available evidence suggests this excess mortality is disproportionately attributable to sudden death from external causes such as suicide, accidents and violence. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] In addition, little is known about the adult mortality outcomes of the much larger population of children that had contact with social services but never entered care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood contact with social services and risk of suicide or sudden death in young adulthood: identifying hidden risk in a population-wide cohort study

McKenna,

O'Reilly,

Maguire

2023

J Epidemiol Community Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundChildhood out-of-home care is associated with premature death in adulthood, in particular death by suicide, accidents and violence. However, little is known about the mortality risk in the much larger population of adults that had contact with social services in childhood but never entered out-of-home care. We determine the association between all tiers of contact with children’s social services and risk of suicide and other sudden deaths in young adulthood.MethodsThis population-wide, longitudinal, record-linkage study of adults in Northern Ireland born between 1985 and 1997 (n=437 008) followed each individual from age 18 years to July 2021 (maximum age 36 years). Cox regression models estimated the association between level of contact with social services in childhood (no contact; referred but assessed as not in need (NIN); child in need (CIN) and child in care (CIC)) and risk of death by suicide and sudden death in young adulthood.ResultsIndividuals with childhood social care contact (n=51 097) comprised 11.7% of the cohort yet accounted for 35.3% of sudden deaths and 39.7% of suicide deaths. Risk of suicide or sudden death increased stepwise with level of childhood contact and was highest in adults with a history of out-of-home care (suicide HR 8.85 (95% CI 6.83 to 11.4)). Individuals assessed as NIN, and those deemed a CIN, had four times the risk of death by suicide in young adulthood compared with unexposed peers (HR 4.25 (95% CI 3.26 to 5.53) and HR 4.49 (95% CI 3.75 to 5.39), respectively).ConclusionChildhood contact with social services is a risk marker for death by suicide and sudden death in young adulthood. Risk is not confined to adults with a history of out-of-home care but extends to the much larger population that had contact with social services but never entered care.

show abstract

Children’s Health in Care in Scotland (CHiCS): Main findings from population-wide research

Cited by 2 publications

References 16 publications

The mental health of all children in contact with social services: a population-wide record-linkage study in Northern Ireland

The mental health of all children in contact with social services: a population-wide record-linkage study in Northern Ireland

Childhood contact with social services and risk of suicide or sudden death in young adulthood: identifying hidden risk in a population-wide cohort study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About