Sadly, mental health is something that is not always given the attention it needs. This extends to mental health in teens as well. When foster parenting teens, a good first step to address this problem is to become aware of it.
With the stories of neglect, abuse and trauma that we hear from the foster parents we serve, none of these statistics of child depression are surprising. Still, they are sobering.
Statistics About Foster Care Mental Health
Up to 80% of foster youth suffer from mental health issues as compared to 18%-22% of non-foster youth.¹
In a study of foster youth aged 16-17 years old, one quarter have attempted suicide.²
The suicide attempt rate for foster youth living in a group home was 2.6 times higher than youth living in a foster home.²
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACEs) determined that there is a 60% increase in risk of suicide attempt with every additional adverse childhood experience.³
Foster children are 5 times as likely to have anxiety and 7 times as likely to have depression than children not in the child welfare system.³
How Can We Help Our Youth in Foster Care?
As caregivers of children from hard places, we must be aware of the risks and ensure that our children are receiving the help they need.
As friends of parents fostering, we must provide support when we recognize signs of depression in children.
As child welfare workers of foster youth, we must eliminate silos and insist that the children on our case loads receive trauma-sensitive mental health services.
As members of the community, we must advocate for quality mental health services.
If you know of anyone caring for a child with a traumatic history, don’t hesitate to recommend Chosen’s services today. We welcome the opportunity to provide caregivers with mental health professionals and resources equipped to help children heal. This is a fight no foster child or parent should weather alone.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
If you want more parenting tips geared for families impacted by foster care, adoption, and kinship care, please visit our resource library. If you would like assistance developing a summer routine or need personalized trauma-responsive education for your family, we would love to help! Contact us to learn more about the ways Chosen can support your family.
¹ American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, Committee on Early Childhood, and Committee on Adolescence. Technical report: health care issues for children and adolescents in foster care and kinship care. Pediatrics. 2015;136(4). Available at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/4/e1131#ref-1
² Okpych, N. J., & Courtney, M. E. (2017). Characteristics of foster care history as risk factors for psychiatric disorders among youth in care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Online publication: http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/ort0000259
³ Heather N. Taussig, Scott B. Harpin, Sabine A. Maguire Child Maltreat. Suicidality Among Preadolescent Maltreated Children in Foster Care. Published in final edited form as: Child Maltreat. 2014 Feb; 19(1): 17–26. Published online 2014 Feb 24. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4319651/
