The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007) 190: 319-325. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.025023
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Psychiatric disorder among British children looked after by local authorities: comparison with children living in private households

TAMSIN FORD, PhD

Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

PANOS VOSTANIS, MD

Department of Health Sciences, Leicester University

HOWARD MELTZER, PhD and ROBERT GOODMAN, PhD

Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK

Correspondence: Dr Tamsin Ford, Box 085, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: t.ford{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Background Children looked after by local authorities are at higher risk of poor psychosocial outcomes than children living in private households, but nationally representative and random samples of the two groups of children have not previously been compared.

Aims To find explanations for the increased prevalence of psychiatric disorder in children looked after by local authorities.

Method We examined socio-demographic characteristics and psychopathology by type of placement among children looked after in Britain by local authorities (n=1453), and compared these children with deprived and non-deprived children living in private households (n=10 428).

Results Children looked after by local authorities had higher levels of psychopathology, educational difficulties and neurodevelopmental disorders, and ‘looked after’ status was independently associated with nearly all types of psychiatric disorder after adjusting for these educational and physical factors. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder was particularly high among those living in residential care and with many recent changes of placement.

Conclusions Our findings indicate a need for greater support of this vulnerable group of children.


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Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
M. K. Sekar
Psychiatric disorder and looked after status
The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2007; 191(4): 360 - 360.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
T. Ford, P. Vostanis, H. Meltzer, and R. Goodman
Authors' reply
The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2007; 191(4): 360 - 361.
[Full Text] [PDF]

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Re: Psychiatric disorder and looked after status
Murali K Sekar
BJP Online, 24 Apr 2007 [Full text]