Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T15:11:09.021Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Children's Emotional and Behavioural Problems and Carer-Child Relationships in Permanent Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2013

Maria M. Alexandris ,
Sabine W. Hammond  and
Michael McKay
Maria M. Alexandris
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University
Sabine W. Hammond
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University
Michael McKay
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Children placed in permanent care often display a range of challenging behaviours that can affect the quality of carer-child relationships. The current study examined the relationship between children's emotional and behavioural difficulties and the quality of carer-child relationships in permanent care (N = 46). Permanent carers of children ages 3 to 12 completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1999) and Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS; Pianta, 1992). Results indicated that child emotional and behavioural difficulties were related to carer-child relationships. The SDQ scales Conduct Problems and Pro-Social Behaviour were the strongest predictors of relationship quality. The findings of the study suggest that fewer conduct problems and more pro-social behaviour is important for positive carer-child relationships.

Keywords

permanent careout-of-home careparent-child relationshipsbehavioural difficulties
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 22 - 27
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013

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

Aarons, G.A., James, S., Monn, A.R., Raghavan, R., Wells, R.S., & Leslie, L.K. (2010). Behaviour Problems and Placement Change in a National Child Welfare Sample: A Prospective Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49 (1), 70–80. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2009.09.005Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012). Child Protection Australia 2010–11. AIHW Cat no: CWS 41 Canberra: AIHW (Child Welfare Series) 53.Google Scholar
Akin, B.A. (2011). Predictors of foster care exits to permanency: A competing risks analysis of reunification, guardianship, and adoption. Children & Youth Services Review, 33 (6), 999–1011. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barber, J., & Delfabbro, P. (2005). Children's adjustment to long term foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 27 (3), 329–340. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.10.010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellamy, J.L., Gopalan, G., & Traube, D.E. (2010). A national study of the impact of outpatient mental health services for children in long-term foster care. Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 15 (4), 467–479. doi: 10.1177/1359104510377720CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brydon, K. (2004b). Untreatable families? Suggestions from literature. Australian Social Work, 57 (4), 365–373. doi: 10.1111/j.0312-407X.2004.00166.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christiansen, O., Havnen, K.J.S., Havik, T., & Anderssen, N. (2012). Cautious Belonging: Relationships in Long-Term Foster-Care. British Journal of Social Work. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcr198Google Scholar
Cushing, G., & Greenblatt, S.B. (2009). Vulnerability to foster care drift after the termination of parental rights. Research on Social Welfare Practice, 19 (6), 694–704. doi: 10.1177/1049731509331879CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egelund, T., & Lausten, M. (2009). Prevalence of mental health problems among children placed in out-of-home care in Denmark. Child & Family Social Work, 14 (2), 156–165. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00620.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fanaj, N., Poniku, I., Sadiku, M., Vehbiu, B., & Fanaj, B. (2011). P01-280 – One proof of usage and comparing of a strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) within clinical/community. European Psychiatry, 26 (1), 281. doi: 10.1016/S0924-9338(11)71991-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, M.W., Day, S.H., Galinsky, M.J., Hodges, V.G., & Smokowski, P.R. (2004). Conduct problems and peer rejection in childhood: A randomized trial of the Making Choices and Strong Families Programs. Research on Social Work Practice 14 (5), 313–324. doi: 10.1177/1049731503257884CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbertson, R., & Barber, J.G. (2003). Breakdown of foster care placement: Carer perspectives and system factors. Australian Social Work, 56 (4), 329–339. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0748.2003.00095.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38 (5), 581–586. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40 (11), 1337–1345. doi: 10.1097/00004583-200111000-00015CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawes, D.J., & Dadds, M.R. (2004). Australian data and psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38 (8), 644–651. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1614.2004.01427.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hillan, L., Burt, H., & Halfpenny, N. (2008). Welcome to adulthood: Supporting young people in care. Residential care – at the frontline of practice. Children Australia, 33 (2), 41–47.Google Scholar
Holmes, B., & Silver, M. (2010). Managing behaviour with attachment in mind. Adoption & Fostering, 34 (1), 65–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janssens, A., & Deboutte, D. (2009). Screening for psychopathology in child welfare: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) compared with the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18 (11), 691–700. doi: 10.1007/s00787-009-0030-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelly, C., Allan, S., Roscoe, P., & Herrick, E. (2003). The mental health needs of looked after children: An integrated multi-agency model of care. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8 (3), 323–335. doi: 10.1177/1359104503008003004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laybourne, G., Andersen, J., & Sands, J. (2008). Fostering attachments in looked after children: further insight into the group-based programme for foster carers. Adoption & Fostering, 32 (4), 64–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, J. (2004). Childhood externalising behaviour: Theory and implications. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 17 (3), 93–103. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6171.2004.tb00003.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mellor, D. (2005). Normative data for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Australia. Australian Psychologist, 40 (3), 215–222. doi:10.1080/00050060500243475CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, R.R., Litrownik, A.J., & Landsverk, J.A. (2000). Children and youth in foster care: Disentangling the relationship between problem behaviours and number of placements. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24 (10), 1363–1374. doi: 10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00189-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osborn, A.L., Delfabbro, P., & Barber, J.G. (2008). The pyschosocial functioning and family background of children experiencing significant placement instability in Australian out of home care. Children and Youth Services Review, 30 (8), 847–860. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.12.012CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oswald, S.H., Heil, K., & Goldbeck, L. (2009). History of maltreatment and mental health problems in foster children: A review of the literature. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 35 (5), 462–472. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsp114CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pakaslahti, L., Karjalainen, A., & Järvinen, L.K. (2002). Relationships between adolescent prosocial problem-solving strategies, prosocial behaviour, and social acceptance. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26 (2),137–144. doi:10.1080/01650250042000681CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payne, H. (2000). The health of children in public care. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 13 (4), 381–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pianta, R.C. (1992). Child-Parent Relationship Scale, University of Virginia.Google Scholar
Pine, B.A., Spath, R., Werrbach, G.B., Jensen, C.E., & Kerman, B. (2009). A better path to permanency for children in out-of-home care. Children and Youth Services Review, 31 (10), 1135–1143. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.07.006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rushton, A., Mayes, D., Dance, C., & Quinton, D. (2003). Parenting late-placed children: The development of new relationships and the challenge of behavioural problems. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8 (3), 1359–1045. doi. 1177/1359104503008003008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, L.R., Sheffield-Morris, A., Scott-Heller, S., Scheeringa, M.S., Boris, N.W., & Smyke, A.T. (2009). Relations between emotion regulation, parenting, and psychopathology in young maltreated children in out of home care. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18 (4), 421–434. doi: 10.1007/s10826-008-9246-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sargent, K., & O'Brien, K. (2004). The emotional and behavioural difficulties of looked after children. Adoption and Fostering, 28 (2), 31–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sawyer, M.G., Carbone, J.A., Searle, A.K., & Robinson, P. (2007). The mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents in home-based foster care. Medical Journal of Australia, 186 (4), 181–184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sempik, J., Ward, H., & Darker, I. (2008). Emotional and behavioural difficulties of children and young people at entry into care. Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 13 (2), 221–233. doi: 10.1177/1359104507088344CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simms, M.D., Dubowitz, H., & Szilagyi, M.A. (2000). Health care needs of children in the foster care system. Pediatrics, 106 (Supplement 3), 909–918.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sinclair, I., & Wilson, K. (2003). Matches and mismatches: The contribution of carers and children to the success of foster placements. British Journal of Social Work, 33 (7), 871–884. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/33.7.871CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, A., Swann, R., & Warren, F. (2008). Foster carers’ beliefs regarding the causes of foster children's emotional and behavioural difficulties: a preliminary model. Adoption & Fostering, 32 (1), 6–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilbury, C., & Thoburn, J. (2008). Children in out of home care in Australia. International comparisons. Children Australia, 33 (3), 5–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tregeagle, S., & Hamilla, R. (2012). Can stability in out-of-home care be improved? An analysis of unplanned and planned placement changes in foster care. Children Australia, 36 (2), 74–80. doi: 10.1375/jcas.36.2.74CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Victorian Auditor-General (2005). Our children are our future: Improving outcomes for children and young people in out of home care. Melbourne: Department of Human Services.Google Scholar
Ward, H. (2009). Patterns of instability: Moves within the care system, their reasons, contexts and consequences. Children and Youth Services Review, 31 (10), 1113–1118. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.07.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whenana, R., Oxlad, M., & Lushington, K. (2009). Factors associated with foster carer well-being, satisfaction and intention to continue providing out-of-home care. Children and Youth Services Review, 31 (7), 752–760. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.02.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar