Outcome-Network.org

An International Database and eJournal for Outcome-Evaluation and Research

Paper

Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to aid in the early identification of looked after children’s mental health needs in Ontario, Canada

abstract

Background

Children involved in the child welfare system are often at an increased risk for mental health difficulties due to their experience of and exposure to abuse, neglect, and domestic violence. These difficulties are often pervasive and negatively affect all aspects of children's development, adversely impacting their experiences while in foster care and once discharged from care. For example, many children who have experienced maltreatment have poor interpersonal skills, difficulties regulating their emotions, high levels of anxiety, and physical and verbal aggression. They also have a greater likelihood of having academic difficulties and of leaving high school before graduating, of being incarcerated, and are at high risk of social and financial disadvantage in adulthood. When looked after children experience such difficulties, they tend to experience multiple placement breakdowns, which exacerbate their difficulties and may lead to their being identified as 'problematic' children.      

The mental health needs of children living in out of home care tend to be under-addressed due to system-wide difficulties in identifying such needs and in coordinating psychological services. These service-related difficulties make it even more important to promote the early detection of looked after children's mental health needs, to improve their overall functioning, enhance their subsequent development, stabilize their out-of-home placement, and improve their academic and social skills. Several researchers have recommended that early detection of social, behavioural, and psychological problems in child welfare populations should become a priority.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has become increasingly used within international child welfare settings as a screening device to improve the assessment of looked after children's mental health needs and to facilitate timely referrals to mental health services. The SDQ is a brief questionnaire used to assess the social, emotional, and behavioural functioning of children and youth aged 3 to 16 years.

Purpose

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the emotional and behavioural strengths and difficulties of children and youth living in out of home care in Ontario, Canada. The SDQ is used as part of the Assessment and Action Record (Second Canadian Adaptation; AAR-C2) of the Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) project. It is used as a screening tool to identify children and youth with high mental health needs. Based upon previous research, it was hypothesized that there would be high rates of behavioural and emotional difficulties among children and youth living in out of home care. The sample was a convenience sample of 702 children and youth aged 10 years to 17 years for whom data had been collected with the AAR-C2 during year 5 (2005-2006) of the ongoing OnLAC project.

Key findings

The SDQ results indicated that many of the children and youth living in out of home care in Ontario during year 5 of the OnLAC project had significant mental health difficulties. For example, children in this sample were four times more likely than American children in the general population to receive an SDQ Total Difficulties score that indicated they have a probable psychiatric diagnosis.

In general, those young people living in group homes were found to experience significantly more emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention problems, difficulties with peers and experience more difficulties overall than children and youth living in foster care. The latter had significantly more pro-social behaviour. Also, males were found to experience significantly more conduct problems, peer problems, hyperactivity, and more difficulties overall than their female peers, who were found to have significantly more pro-social behaviour. Non-significant differences were found between male and female young people with regard to emotional problems.

Recommendations and implications

The results of this study emphasize the importance of engaging in early detection of looked after children's mental health needs. Professionals who work with and provide services to looked after children in Ontario, Canada, need to be diligent in conducting ongoing assessments of children they suspect are experiencing significant emotional and behavioural problems. It is imperative that the professionals and systems that provide services to such children work together to provide and coordinate appropriate referrals and services for these children in an attempt to help improve the children's outcomes.

Key references

Barber, J.G. and Delfabbro, P.H. (2004) Children in Foster Care. London: Routledge.

Goodman, R. (1997) 'The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note.' Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 38, 581-586.

Flynn, R.J., Ghazal, H., Legault, L., Vandermeulen, G., and Petrick, S. (2004) 'Use of population measures and norms to identify resilient outcomes in young people in care: An exploratory study.' Child and Family Social Work 9, 65-79.

Contact details

Robyn Marquis, School of Psychology and Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services, The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5.

Email: rmarq101@uottawa.ca

© copyright 2024 Outcome-Network.org all rights reserved, in partnership with FondazioneZancan | iaOBERfcs | read the legal notice.