Mental Health Problems among Child Welfare Clients Living at Home

Background. Concerns have been raised about the scope and generalizability of much community mental health research. In particular, both experimental and control services are poorly characterized.Methods. To review the effectiveness of ‘home treatment’ for mental health problems in terms of hospitalization, we conducted a systematic review, using Cochrane methodology but with a wider remit. Non-randomized studies were included in response to concerns about RCTs’ generalizability. All authors were followed up for data on service components. ‘Home treatment’ was defined broadly for the purposes of the literature search, but included studies were then assessed against service components specifically focused on delivering treatment at home. The study tested components and other features for associations with days in hospital, as well as conducting a conventional meta-analysis of data on days in hospital.Results. We found 91 studies, 18 comparing home to in-patient treatment. Sixty per cent of authors responded to follow-up. The vast majority of the services studied had a ‘home treatment function’ and regularly visited patients at home. The heterogeneity of control services made meta-analysis problematical as did the limited availability of data. There was some evidence that ‘regular’ home visiting and combined responsibility for health and social care were associated with reduced hospitalization. The inclusion of non-randomized studies rarely affected the findings.Conclusions. Evidence concerning the effectiveness of home treatment remains inconclusive. A centrally coordinated research strategy is recommended, with attention to study design. Experimental and control service components should be prospectively recorded and reported to enable meaningful analysis.

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Do the Child Welfare and Protection Services Involve Children in Cases With Parental Mental Health Problems? A Norwegian Case-File Study

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.784022 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Svein Arild Vis ◽

Camilla Lauritzen ◽

Øivin Christiansen ◽

Charlotte Reedtz

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Welfare ◽

Child Protection ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Common Source ◽

Main Concern ◽

Parental Mental Health ◽

Case File ◽

Child Age

Background: Parental mental health problems is a common source of concern reported to child welfare and protection services (CWPS). In this study we explored to what extent the child was invited to participate in the investigation process. We aimed to study: (a) what was the current practice in the child protection service in Norway when the CWPS received a report of concern about children whose parents were affected by mental health problems or substance abuse, (b) to what extent were children involved and consulted, (c) which factors predicted the decision to involve the children, and (d) in cases in which conversations with children were conducted: what was the main content of the conversations.Method: The study was a cross-sectional case file study (N = 1,123). Data were collected retrospectively from case records in 16 different child protection agencies. The cases were randomly drawn from all referrals registered in the participating agencies. Differences in how investigations were conducted in cases with and without concerns about parental mental health were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square testes. Predictors of child involvement in cases with parental mental health problems (N = 324) were estimated by logistic regression analyses.Results: When the referral to the CWPS contained concerns about parental mental health, there were more consultations with parents, more frequent home visits and the investigation took longer to conclude. The children, however, were less likely to be involved. Children in such cases were consulted in 47.5% of cases. Predictors for involving the children in those cases were child age, concern about the child's emotional problems and if the child was known from previous referrals.Conclusion: In Norwegian child protection investigations, in which there were concerns about the parent's mental health, conversations with children were conducted to a significantly lower degree compared to cases where the child's problem was the main concern. In such cases, the CWPS workers have to overcome a threshold before they consult with the child. The threshold decreases with child age and when case worker already knows the child.

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Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.561898 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

William D. S. Killgore ◽

Sara A. Cloonan ◽

Emily C. Taylor ◽

Natalie S. Dailey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Job Loss ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

The United States ◽

Health Problems ◽

World Health ◽

Population Estimates ◽

Clinically Significant ◽

At Home

Background: By March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis as a worldwide pandemic and many local governments instituted stay-at-home orders and closed non-essential businesses. Within the United States, tens of millions of workers lost their jobs and financial security during the first few weeks of the national response, in an attempt to slow the global pandemic. Because of the enormity of the pandemic and its potential impact on mental health, the objective of the present study was to document the prevalence of mental health problems and their association with pandemic-related job loss during the third week of the nationwide shutdown.Methods: Mental health was assessed via online questionnaires among a representative sample of 1,013 U.S. adults on April 9–10, 2020. Rates of clinically significant mental health outcomes were compared between participants who lost their job as a result of COVID-19 restrictions (17.4%) vs. those who did not (82.6%). Bivariate multiple logistic regression identified factors that were predictive of, and protective against, mental health problems.Results: The prevalence of clinically significant symptoms was significantly higher than prior population estimates, ranging from 27 to 32% for depression, 30 to 46% for anxiety disorders, 15 to 18% for acute/post-traumatic stress, 25% for insomnia, and 18% for suicidal ideation. Prevalence estimates were 1.5–1.7 times higher for those who reported job loss due to COVID-19 restrictions than those who did not. Mental health problems were predicted by worry over financial instability, insomnia, social isolation, and alcohol consumption, while getting outside more often, perceived social support, and older age were protective against these problems.Conclusions: During the first 3 weeks of lockdowns/stay-at-home restrictions, mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and acute stress reactions were notably elevated relative to prior population estimates. Job loss related to the nationwide shutdown was particularly associated with poorer mental health. These findings provide a baseline of mental health functioning during the first weeks of the national emergency and lockdown orders in response to COVID-19.

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Canadian Adolescents’ Mental Health and Substance Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associations with COVID-19 Stressors

10.31234/osf.io/kprd9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Craig ◽

Megan E. Ames ◽

Bianca C. Bondi ◽

Debra Pepler

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Family Stress ◽

Health Impact ◽

Health Problems ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Positive Coping ◽

At Home

Objective: There have been significant concerns regarding the mental health impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to isolation, anxiety around the pandemic, and increased conflict in the home. The purpose of this study was to examine the rates of mental health problems and substance use, and to assess which COVID-19 related stressors were predictors of mental health and substance use in a large Canadian sample of adolescents, with comparisons across genders. Method: Participants (N = 809, Mage = 15.67, SD = 1.37) identified as a girl (56.2%), boy (38.7%), or trans/non-binary individual (TNBI; 5.1%) and were recruited via social media to complete an online survey. Results: A high proportion of adolescents met clinical cut-offs for depression (51%), anxiety (39%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (45%). Other mental health problems ranged from 9%-20%. Adolescents were mainly concerned with the health of family members and vulnerable populations, as well as the increased family stress at home during COVID-19. Rates of substance use were higher than expected, with over 50% of youth engaging in some form of substance use in the past 90 days, and almost 20% engaging in substance use at least once a week. TNBI and girls reported higher rates of mental health problems compared to boys. Family stress due to confinement and violence at home predicted higher rates of mental health, but not substance use problems. Conclusions: Increased rates of mental health problems and substance use necessitate targeted supports that encourage positive coping amidst the additional stresses of COVID-19.

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Do Mental Health Problems Affect Safety and Permanency for Children Served by Child Welfare?

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e522532014-126 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Bai ◽

Marianne M. Hillemeier ◽

Rebecca Wells

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Welfare ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems

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Associations Between Physical Activity, Affect Regulation Difficulties, and Mental Health Among Canadian Adolescents at Two Different Points of the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/y2b4k ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Megan Ames ◽

Christina Lauren Robillard ◽

Brianna Turner ◽

Mauricio Garcia-Barrera ◽

Jonathan Rush ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Affect Regulation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Protective Role ◽

Social Distancing ◽

At Home

Although physical activity declined with social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth who engaged in more physical activity experienced fewer mental health problems. If and how physical activity maintained its protective role throughout the ongoing pandemic remains unclear. This study models associations between three types of physical activity (indoor, outdoor, with parents), affect regulation, and anxious and depressive symptoms in two adolescent samples (W1: Summer 2020; W2: Winter 2020/21).

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