{"title":"Carer perceptions of a specialist mental health service for children and young people in care","authors":"K. Eadie, K. Moss, Judith Burton","doi":"10.1177/25161032221105301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032221105301","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Children and young people in care are a key client group for child and youth mental health services. A collaborative approach to addressing the complex and long-term needs of children or young people in care is essential and carers who support these children or young people are vital team members of this collaboration. Method: This research surveyed carers over a 4-year period to gather feedback about a specialist mental health service. 277 carers responded to the Carer Perceptions Survey. Participants were mainly foster (65%) and kinship (17%) carers. However, residential workers (13%) and biological parents (5%) also responded to the survey. A thematic analysis was undertaken with responses to open-ended questions about most liked aspects of the service and ideas for service improvement. Results: Themes included support for carers, communication between carers and staff, personal attributes of staff, working in collaboration, accessibility to the service, and carer training. Carers expressed their appreciation of staff who provided support in collaborative and respectful ways and valued staff who listened to their experiences and ideas. In addition, carers expressed interest in receiving more information and training about how best to support the mental health of children and young people in their care. Conclusion: Effective mental health services for children and young people in care require clinical staff that foster respectful engagement and facilitate collaboration with carers in all aspects of care.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"204 - 216"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49654667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cognitive flexibility moderates the association between maltreatment and emotion regulation in residential care children of the middle childhood period.","authors":"Laetitia Mélissande Amédée, Laurence Cyr-Desautels, Houria Bénard, Katherine Pascuzzo, Karine Dubois-Comtois, Martine Hébert, Célia Matte-Gagné, Chantal Cyr","doi":"10.1177/25161032221100233","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25161032221100233","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this study was to examine, in a sample of residential care children, the moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the association between maltreatment and emotion regulation competencies. The sample included 69 children aged 8 to 12 and their group home educator as their primary caretaker. Educators completed questionnaires evaluating child emotion regulation competencies and cognitive flexibility. Child history of maltreatment and sociodemographic data were collected on the basis of the children's child protective services files. Moderation analyses showed that the effect of child maltreatment on emotion regulation was only present for children with high levels of cognitive flexibility, such that the less children experienced severe maltreatment, the more they showed emotion regulation competencies. Children with low cognitive flexibility displayed lower levels of emotion regulation regardless of their maltreatment history. These results suggest that focusing on cognitive flexibility when intervening with children in residential care could help strengthen their emotion regulation competencies, which may prevent further maladaptive behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"217-234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13020990/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44258371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The protective role of internal/external factors on Covid-19 related stressors among resource parents","authors":"Sarah Zak, E. Gallitto, E. Romano","doi":"10.1177/25161032221100232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032221100232","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on almost everyone worldwide, but one particularly vulnerable group are resource parents (foster and kinship) and the young people in out-of-home care. Resource parents have experienced the same increases in pandemic-related stressors as other parents but have the added challenge of caring for a young person involved with child welfare. There are, however, various possible protective factors that have been found to positively influence families during times of stress. Methods: We examined how internal (family functioning/resilience and emotion regulation) and external (parent/child welfare worker relationship and social supports) resource parent protective factors are related to the degree of perceived stressors experienced due to the pandemic. A sample of 47 resource parents from the province of Ontario (Canada) caring for a young person between 4 and 17 years old completed an online questionnaire. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that a higher quality relationship between resource parents and child welfare workers was associated with lower perceived pandemic-related stressors. Higher parent emotion regulation was also found to be associated with a significant decrease in resource parents’ perceived stressors. Conclusion: Overall, resource parents experienced an increase in pandemic-related stressors. However, both internal and external protective factors could be associated with a decrease in experienced stressors. Impact: This study used a strengths-based approach and showed the importance of a positive resource parent and child welfare worker relationship as well as effective parental emotion regulation strategies during times of stress.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"177 - 191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47864818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Caregiver-specific factors and orphanage-context factors contributing to maltreatment of children in institutional care: A multi-level analysis of 24 orphanages in Tanzania","authors":"Getrude Mkinga, Anette Kirika, Mabula Nkuba, Simeon Mgode, Mira Huth, Tobias Hecker","doi":"10.1177/25161032221099979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032221099979","url":null,"abstract":"Background: High rates of maltreatment and low caregiving quality in institutional care settings have been identified in various low-and middle-income countries. Many studies have focused on children living in institutions. Objective: This study investigates the prevalence of maltreatment, caregiver-specific, orphanage-context factors, and their relation to maltreatment of orphans from the caregivers’ perspective. Participants and setting: In this cross-sectional study, 227 caregivers (67% female) with a mean age of 36.84 years (SD age = 12.89) of 24 childcare centres in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania participated. Methods: The primary outcome was the maltreatment of children assessed through structured interviews of caregivers. Further information on individual (like work-related stress) and structural variables (working conditions) was gathered. Results: Caregivers’ work under extreme and exhausting conditions, with very high caregiver-child ratios, low salaries, and almost no possibility to recover. Results also showed significant differences in the maltreatment level and structural and individual factors (e.g., payment and days of entitlement) between the orphanages. Caregiver’s positive attitudes towards violence ( ƒ2attitudes = 0.19) and difficulties in the relationship with children ( ƒ2relationship = 0.05) significantly predicted maltreatment with moderate and small effects. Conclusions: The overall poor working conditions highlight the urgent need to reduce the caregivers’ burden. In addition to this, addressing caregivers’ positive attitudes and improving their interaction competencies with children may be a starting point to prevent maltreatment of children. Further investigation of structural factors contributing to maltreatment is essential to develop recommendations for the improvement and re-organization of childcare institutions.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"154 - 173"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47471573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What makes summer camp therapeutic for siblings separated by out-of-home care? Associations from counselor ratings of program implementation to youth-reported outcomes","authors":"Jeffrey Waid, A. Wojciak","doi":"10.1177/25161032221093409","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032221093409","url":null,"abstract":"Recognition of the developmental importance of sibling relationships has resulted in the proliferation of programs and services for siblings in out-of-home care. Empirical support is limited to a small number of these programs, however; and the mechanisms through which sibling-focused programs work to promote youth outcomes remains largely unexplored. To address this gap in research, the current study examined associations from counselor ratings of program implementation to youth-reported outcomes at Camp To Belong, a manualized camp-based reunification program for siblings separated by out-of-home care. Paper and pencil surveys were administered to 655 youth and 236 counselors at 11 camps operating in the U.S.A. during one camp season. Youth completed pre-test post-test measures of individual resilience, sibling support, sibling conflict, and post-test measures of belonging. Counselors completed post-test measures rating the enabling environment of the camp setting, the activities and events offered at camp, counselor satisfaction with program implementation, and critical events counselors observed at camp. A series of generalized linear models examined associations from the four dimensions of program implementation to each of the four youth-reported outcomes. Significant associations were observed from the program implementation domains to youth belonging and resilience, but not to sibling conflict or sibling support. Associations were observed in both expected and unexpected directions, illuminating the complexity of ways in which sibling-focused programs may affect the well-being of youth in out-of-home care. Insights and recommendations to inform future research and practice with siblings in out-of-home care are provided.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"136 - 153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43982626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Childhood neglect and its implications for physical health, neurobiology and development—A scoping review of the literature","authors":"A. Jackson, M. Frederico, H. Cleak, B. Perry","doi":"10.1177/25161032221088042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032221088042","url":null,"abstract":"There is much evidence of the many risks posed by childhood neglect. A scoping review of the literature found 467 articles on 345 studies from 38 countries reporting a large number of problems for children and adults associated with childhood neglect. After describing the broader scoping review, this paper presents findings specific to physical health, neurobiology and development. Across different neglect sub-types, different populations and different research methods, the weight of research demonstrates substantial risk from neglect including, at the most extreme, fatal outcomes for children. Physical health problems associated with neglect cover many health areas including the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems for children and adults. Studies from neuroscience have also shown wide-ranging atypical neurobiological structures and networks following different neglect sub-types especially for children exposed to institutional neglect. Similarly, studies have reported many developmental outcomes associated with neglect especially related to cognitive development. Physical health, neurobiology and general development are interrelated in healthy childhood and in the presence or aftermath of childhood neglect.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"114 - 135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46078914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gary Kainth, Fiona Turner, Karen Crawford, Nicholas Watson, R. Dundas, H. Minnis
{"title":"Process evaluation protocol for the BeST? Services trial","authors":"Gary Kainth, Fiona Turner, Karen Crawford, Nicholas Watson, R. Dundas, H. Minnis","doi":"10.1177/25161032211070861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032211070861","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Outcomes for children who have been received into state care due to maltreatment or neglect are very poor in comparison to the general population. A mental health focussed intervention is being trialled in the UK which seeks to improve outcomes for such children. Although the main study is concerned with outcome evaluation (child mental health measures), a robust process evaluation adds nuance to the findings by examining the relationship between the interventions, the participants and the context-thereby determining what works, for whom and in what context. This paper sets out the protocol for that process evaluation. Methods: The process evaluation is embedded within a Randomised Control Trial and uses Realist Evaluation as its theoretical framework. It sets out the mechanisms of change that are used to effect positive outcomes and outlines the various aspects of the context (including service provision and the legal system that provides the statutory basis for involvement with families). Data collection is primarily qualitative and takes place with a large group of stakeholders. The analysis of the interplay between context, mechanisms and outcomes will provide a richer understanding of the main trial outcomes. Discussion: The nature of the interaction between the social, legal and practice context is complex. The use of a variety of methods including case studies, focus groups and analysis of routine data are justified and it is argued that they will provide for greater understanding of the nature of the interactions within such a challenging context.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"56 - 72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48720752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruth Copson, Anne M Murphy, Laura Cook, Elsbeth Neil, Pernille Sorensen
{"title":"Relationship-based practice and digital technology in child and family social work: Learning from practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Ruth Copson, Anne M Murphy, Laura Cook, Elsbeth Neil, Pernille Sorensen","doi":"10.1177/25161032221079325","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25161032221079325","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vital services provided by social workers to children in care or on the edge of care were largely delivered \"online\" during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the potential impact of these changes on vulnerable children and their families. Relationship-based practice is integral to social work and the shift to digital communication during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to accelerated practice changes and implications for relationship building both with and between service users. Going forward, social workers and other professionals are likely to move to an increasingly hybrid model of communication, combining both digital and face-to-face methods. This article identifies the impact of digital communication on relationships in professional practice, drawing on three studies of digital communication in the UK carried out at the University of East Anglia. The first considered how child protection social workers responded to the challenges of COVID-19, the second looked at how children in care were keeping in touch with their birth families and the third focused on the approaches being taken to moving children from foster care to adoptive families. Five themes related to relationships were identified across all three studies: the significance of the age and developmental stage of the child; the frequency of contact and communication; digital literacy/exclusion; the impact of the lack of sensory experience; and the importance of the relationship history. The article concludes with implications for utilising digital methods in building and maintaining relationships in practice and highlights the need to consider both the inner and outer worlds of those involved.</p>","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"3-19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8891247/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45303774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does assertive mental health care make a difference to children in out-of-home care? A pilot study","authors":"Róisín Devlin, R. Jairam, Mona Asghari, V. Eapen","doi":"10.1177/25161032211064644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032211064644","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Children in out-of-home care (OOHC) experience poor mental health. With the number of Australian children in OOHC rising, accessible and effective interventions are needed to address this escalating predicament. South Western Sydney Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) collaborated with the local statutory child protection agency, developing a specialized assertive mental health team supporting children in OOHC (OOHC MHT). This study outlines the characteristics of the first cohort of children referred to the OOHC MHT and the impact of intervention in improving outcomes, warranting ongoing provision of this service. Methodology: A two-part study was used to compare the psychosocial and emotional wellbeing of children referred to the OOHC MHT (OOHC group) against CAMHS-referred children who had not experienced OOHC (Control group). Evaluation of the OOHC MHT’s intervention was conducted by measuring Health of the Nation Outcome Scale-Child and Adolescent (HoNOSCA) and Child Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) scores over the first year of treatment. Results: The OOHC group demonstrated significantly higher levels of emotional, behavioural and social problems compared to the control group through their HoNOSCA score on admission (OOHC Group: M = 24.9; SD = 5.3, Control Group: M = 16.7; SD = 5.7; p = .001) and CGAS (OOHC Group: M = 40.5; SD = 7.9, Control Group: M = 50.3; SD = 7.9; p = .001). Significant improvements in the OOHC group’s HoNOSCA (T1 = 24.9, T3 = 17.0) and CGAS (T1 = 40.5, T3 = 52.8) measures were observed over the first year of treatment. Conclusion: Children in OOHC referred to CAMHS present with poorer mental health and psychosocial functioning than referred children who have not experienced OOHC. Assertive intervention was associated with improvement in social, emotional and behavioural problems and reduction in psychosocial impairment, suggesting the benefit of such an intervention both state-wide, and nationally.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"73 - 93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44472999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Foord, S. Drever, A. Mendoza Diaz, Lucy Hobby, Natalie Medel, Charlotte Burman, V. Eapen, R. Jairam
{"title":"An exploratory study protocol examining if assertive integrated service delivery better meets the psychosocial and mental health needs of young people in out of home care","authors":"R. Foord, S. Drever, A. Mendoza Diaz, Lucy Hobby, Natalie Medel, Charlotte Burman, V. Eapen, R. Jairam","doi":"10.1177/25161032211064286","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032211064286","url":null,"abstract":"Young people in Out of Home Care (OoHC) have complex mental health and psychosocial needs due to a range of individual, systemic and intergenerational factors that may limit the effectiveness of usual clinic-based services. To address this, in 2017 an assertive-integrated service (AIS) model of care was adopted by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), Australia, through outreach to the young person in the community. This paper outlines the study protocol comparing AIS with clinic-based CAMHS usual care to meet the physical, mental health and wellbeing needs of young people in OoHC. Using routinely collected outcome data, the AIS model will be compared to clinic-based CAMHS treatment as usual care. Measures of overall functioning (e.g. Global Assessment Scale [CGAS]), psychological functioning (e.g. Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ]), general health and social functioning (e.g. Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents [HoNOSCA]) and other relevant socio-demographic and clinical variables will be collected at intake and at 3-month intervals until discharge from the respective services. Semi-structured interviews will also be conducted with young people, their carers, and service providers, to examine qualitative themes about the suitability of service provision. It is expected that a better understanding of the key indicators of functioning for young people accessing AIS and clinic-based services will help inform what works for these young people so that they can receive targeted and tailored support from the start of service engagement.","PeriodicalId":36239,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Child Welfare","volume":"4 1","pages":"41 - 55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49109139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}