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Do adult emotional and behavioural outcomes vary as a function of diverse childhood experiences of the public care system?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2011

A. Dregan ,
J. Brown  and
D. Armstrong
A. Dregan*
Affiliation:
Division of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, UK
J. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Quantitative Social Sciences, Institute of Education, London, UK
D. Armstrong
Affiliation:
Division of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr A. Dregan, Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, Capital House, 42 Weston St, London SE1 3QD, UK. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Longitudinal data from the 1970 British Cohort Study were used to examine the long-term adult outcomes of those who, as children, were placed in public care.

Method

Multivariate logistic estimation models were used to determine whether public care and placement patterns were associated with adult psychosocial outcomes. Seven emotional and behavioural outcomes measured at age 30 years were considered: depression, life dissatisfaction, self-efficacy, alcohol problems, smoking, drug abuse, and criminal convictions.

Results

The analyses revealed a significant association between public care status and adult maladjustment on depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.74], life dissatisfaction (OR 1.45), low self-efficacy (OR 1.95), smoking (OR 1.70) and criminal convictions (OR 2.13).

Conclusions

Overall, the present study findings suggest that there are enduring influences of a childhood admission to public care on emotional and behavioural adjustment from birth to adulthood. Some of the associations with childhood public care were relatively strong, particularly with respect to depression, self-efficacy and criminal convictions.

Keywords

Adult outcomesbehavioural disordercohortemotional disorderpublic care
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 41 , Issue 10 , October 2011 , pp. 2213 - 2220
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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