Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Older Youths in the Foster Care System
Abstract
Objective To estimate the lifetime and past year prevalence rates of major psychiatric disorders in a sample of older youths in the foster care system, to examine the timing of disorder onset and system entry, and to explore variations in past year prevalence rates.Method Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV, interviews were conducted with 373 17-year-old youths (90% of those eligible) in one state's foster care system between December 2001 and June 2003.Results : Sixty-one percent of the youths qualified as having at least one psychiatric disorder during their lifetime; of these youths, 62% reported onset of their earliest disorder before entering the foster care system. In addition, 37% of youths met criteria for a psychiatric disorder in the past year. The number of types of maltreatment experienced was the most robust predictor of psychiatric disorder among several maltreatment variables. There were no differences in prevalence rates for youths in kinship care and those in nonkin foster families.Conclusions Older youths in the foster care system have disproportionately high rates of lifetime and past year psychiatric disorders. Results support recommendations for initial and periodic mental health assessments for these youths and mechanisms to continue mental health services for young adults transitioning out of the foster care system.
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Older youth from the foster care system are of interest because of their high rates of mental disorder and mental health service use while in foster care and number of service and life changes expected as they leave the foster care system.
“Older youth from the foster care system are of interest because of their high rates of mental disorder4 and mental health service use while in foster care5 and number of service and life changes expected as they leave the foster care system.”
From Pediatric to adult mental health service use of young people leaving the foster care system (2009) · cites this paper as [4]
Youth in foster care have elevated mental health challenges, including 60% lifetime disorder at ages 17-18, and twice the normative rate of depression and PTSD.
“Further, although youth in foster care have elevated mental health challenges—including 60 % lifetime disorder at ages 17–18, and twice the normative rate of depression and PTSD (Havlicek et al., 2013; Keller et al., 2010; Mcmillen et al., 2005; Salazar et al., 2013)—they are also more likely to have unmet service needs.”
From Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking (2023) · cites this paper as Mcmillen et al., 2005
The prevalence of mental health problems in foster children estimated by symptom checklists is in the range of 42.7% to 61.0%.
“The prevalence of mental health problems in foster children has primarily been investigated using symptom checklists, providing an overall estimated prevalence of mental health problems in the range of 42.7% to 61.0% [6-11].”
From Mental disorders in foster children: a study of prevalence, comorbidity and risk factors (2013) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- McMILLEN, J. C., ZIMA, B. T., SCOTT, L. D., AUSLANDER, W. F., MUNSON, M. R., OLLIE, M. T., & SPITZNAGEL, E. L.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- McMILLEN, J CURTIS
- Venue
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-01
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 88-95
- ISSN
- 0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2105272833
- Cited by
- 523
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 31
- FWCI
- 16.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH061404, R01MH 61404, T32MH019960)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- mental illness, foster care, older youth, lifetime prevalence, child abuse, kinship care, mental health services, coming of age, mental health screening
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Mental Disorders, Child, Child Abuse, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Foster Home Care, Humans, Male, Prevalence, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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