Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T10:26:22.734Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Psychiatric Disorders in Children in Long-Term Residential Care: a Follow-Up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Stephen Wolkind
Affiliation:
London Hospital Medical College, Turner Street, London, E.1
George Renton
Affiliation:
Emanuel Miller Clinic, Gill Street, London E.14

Summary

Ninety-two children who had been examined in a psychiatric study of five to twelve year-olds in long-term residential care were followed up four years later. Three-quarters were still in children's homes, but over half had been moved to different establishments. At both the original study and follow-up, the majority showed evidence of psychiatric disorder. Considerable continuity of behavioural pattern was found, particularly amongst those who originally had antisocial disorders, who were also most likely to have had changes of care-taker during the four years. It is suggested that the persistence of their disorder may be due to a vicious circle of unacceptable behaviour and adult rejection.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

D.H.S.S. (1977) Health and Personal Social Service Statistics for England. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Graham, P. & Rutter, M. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child. II. Interview with the parent. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 581–92.Google Scholar
Graham, P. & Rutter, M. (1973) Psychiatric disorders in the young adolescent: a follow up study. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 66, 1226–9.Google Scholar
Lapouse, R. & Monk, M. A. (1964) Behaviour deviations in a representative sample of children: variation by sex, age, race, social class and family size. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 34, 436–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robins, L. N. (1966) Deviant Children Grown Up. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1967) A children's behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8, 111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rutter, M. (1972) Maternal Deprivation—Reassessed. London: Penguin.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. & Graham, P. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child. I. The interview with the child. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 563–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shepherd, M., Oppenheim, A. N. & Mitchell, S. (1966) The definition and outcome of deviant behaviour in childhood. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 59, 379–82.Google Scholar
Tizard, B. (1977) Adoption: A Second Chance. London: Open Books.Google Scholar
Wolins, M. (1974) Successful Group Care. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Wolkind, S. N. (1974) The components of affectionless psychotherapy in institutionalized children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 15, 215–20.Google Scholar
Wolkind, S. N. (1977) A child's relationship after admission to residential care. Child Care, Health and Development, 3, 357–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolkind, S. N. (1977) Women who have been ‘in care’—psychological and social status in pregnancy. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 18, 179–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolkind, S. N. & Rutter, M. (1973) Children who have been ‘in care’—an epidemiological study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 14, 97105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yule, W. & Raynes, N. V. (1972) Behavioural characteristics of children in residential care, in relation to indices of separation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13, 249–58.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.