Institutional care: risk from family background or pattern of rearing
Abstract
Previous research has shown that children receiving substitute parental care tend to have high rates of emotional/behavioural disturbance, but uncertainty remains on the extent to which this derives from genetic risk, adverse experiences before receiving substitute care, or from risks associated with substitute care experiences. In order to examine the effects of institutional rearing (as a specific form of substitute care), two groups of primary school children reared in substitute care from before the age of 12 months were compared: 19 children in residential group (institutional) care and 19 in continuous stable foster family care (matched for age and gender). The two groups were similar in coming from biological families with high rates of psychopathology and social malfunctioning, but differed with respect to pattern of rearing. Both groups were compared with classroom controls, using teacher questionnaires, systematic classroom observations, and standardised cognitive testing. Parental questionnaires were also obtained for the two substitute care groups. As found previously, the combined substitute care groups differed from controls in showing a high level of hyperactivity/inattention. The observational measures showed a similar effect, indicating that the elevated rate was not attributable to rater bias. The teacher questionnaire and observational measures showed, however, that the increased level of hyperactivity/ inattention was substantially higher in the institutional group than the foster family group. Parental questionnaire ratings showed the same contrast between the groups, except that the main difference was on unsociability and emotional disturbance rather than hyperactivity/ inattention. It is concluded that, against a background of genetic and early environmental risk, institutional rearing predisposes to a pattern of hyperactivity/inattention.
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Multiple studies have documented a link between institutional care and differences in executive functions.
“Since Roy et al. (2000) first noted that children raised in institutional care had lower inhibitory control performance and greater symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity than those in stable foster care, multiple studies have documented a link between institutional care and differences in executive functions”
From Foster care intervention protects cognitive control skills in young adults exposed to institutional rearing (2026) · cites this paper as Roy et al., 2000
Those earlier descriptive studies reported that foster care children fared better developmentally than institutionalized children.
“Results demonstrated that children in foster care developed more favorably than children in institutions.”
From Alternatives for abandoned children: Insights from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2017) · cites this paper as [11]
Prior to BEIP, few descriptive studies-mainly from the mid-1900s-had contrasted foster care with institutional care.
“Prior to the study this paper describes, only a small number of descriptive studies, mostly conducted in the mid-20th century, had compared children in foster care to children in institutional care (4–13).”
From Alternatives for abandoned children: Insights from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2017) · cites this paper as [11]
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Valadez, E. A., Jopling, E., Macera, E., Wade, M., Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C. A., & Fox, N. A. (2026) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579426101928
- Authors
- Roy, P., Rutter, M., & Pickles, A.
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-02
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 139-149
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2144543659
- Cited by
- 206
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 26.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- institutional upbringing, out-of-home care, residential group care, foster care, hyperactivity/inattention, emotional disturbance, unsociability, family background, genetic risk, elementary school students
- MeSH terms
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Child Care, Developmental Disabilities, Child Rearing, Child, Preschool, Family, Female, Foster Home Care, Humans, Hyperkinesis, Infant, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Residential Facilities, Risk Factors, Socialization, Conduct Disorder
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