PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS OF CHILDREN IN CARE - METHODOLOGY AND DEMOGRAPHIC CORRELATES

This paper examines psychiatric symptoms and disorders in children in the care of a Children's Aid Society. Youth caretaker and teacher scor es on the Standardized Clinical Information System questionnaire were correlated with demographic and maltreatment data gathered from the fi les of children from a Children's Aid Society. Mean externalizing and internalizing scores for the study group were significantly elevated a bove the norm on the youth, caretaker and teacher reports; externalizi ng more so than internalizing. Forty-one percent to 63% of the childre n studied scored in the pathological range for one or more disorders. Conduct disorder was the most common disorder (30% to 50%). Within the study sample, temporary wards and children with a history of having b een abused had more elevated scores. The authors conclude that childre n in foster care have significant psychiatric morbidity reflective of the extreme adversity and maltreatment they have experienced.