Parental mental health after having a child placed in out-of-home care in Sweden : A register-based longitudinal cohort study

Children in out-of-home care (OHC) experience poor outcomes in almost every dimension of life. However, much less attention has been given to their birth parents who also face several co-existing challenges. This study examines the association between OHC placement of a child and changes in mental health disorders (MHD) in their parents. Data from two generations of the Stockholm Birth Cohort Multigenerational (SBC Multigen) study including 11,338 parents (Generation 1; G1) and their children (Generation 2; G2) was used and associations between OHC placement in G2 and changes in MHD in G1 were examined using multinomial regression analysis. Stratified analysis by sex in G1 was performed to explore variations in patterns of associations. Results not only showed associations between OHC and worsening of MHD (RRR=6.57), but also improvement in MHD (RRR=7.71) compared to parents that did not have a child in care. Sex stratified analysis in G1 showed that OHC placement was associated with almost twice the relative risk of worsening of MHD in mothers (RRR=7.62) as compared to fathers (RRR=4.58). The study concluded that OHC placement of a child may not only be associated with worsening but may also be associated with improvement in MHD for some parents

Parental mental health after having a child placed in out-of-home care in Sweden : A register-based longitudinal cohort study

Children in out-of-home care (OHC) experience poor outcomes in almost every dimension of life. However, much less attention has been given to their birth parents who also face several co-existing challenges. This study examines the association between OHC placement of a child and changes in mental health disorders (MHD) in their parents. Data from two generations of the Stockholm Birth Cohort Multigenerational (SBC Multigen) study including 11,338 parents (Generation 1; G1) and their children (Generation 2; G2) was used and associations between OHC placement in G2 and changes in MHD in G1 were examined using multinomial regression analysis. Stratified analysis by sex in G1 was performed to explore variations in patterns of associations. Results not only showed associations between OHC and worsening of MHD (RRR=6.57), but also improvement in MHD (RRR=7.71) compared to parents that did not have a child in care. Sex stratified analysis in G1 showed that OHC placement was associated with almost twice the relative risk of worsening of MHD in mothers (RRR=7.62) as compared to fathers (RRR=4.58). The study concluded that OHC placement of a child may not only be associated with worsening but may also be associated with improvement in MHD for some parents