KEY POINTS:
Foster children suffer up to five times more mental health problems than kids living with their families, and most are going without treatment, a new report from Australia has warned.
Rates of suicidal tendencies, attention problems and severe disruptive behaviour were the most extreme issues affecting Australia's 20,000 foster children and teenagers.
The Adelaide-based study, comparing 6 to 17-year-olds in and out of foster homes, is the most comprehensive of its kind to paint a picture of mental health in this section on the welfare system.
Researchers found that 61 per cent of the foster kids failed the government's official child behaviour check, compared with 14 per cent of other young people.
"We found that the prevalence of mental health problems experienced by children and adolescents in home-based foster care was two to five times higher than that in the general population," said study leader Michael Sawyer, from the University of Adelaide.
Extrovert-type problems like aggression, attention difficulties and delinquency were six to seven times worse, and far outstripped introvert-type problems like withdrawal, anxiety or depression.
"Severe disruptive behaviour is of particular concern as it can continue into adulthood and is a source of significant economic burden for the whole community," Prof Sawyer wrote in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.
Foster teenagers had much higher rates of suicidal behaviour than other children, with 6.7 per cent of 13-17 year olds reporting a suicide attempt that had required medical treatment for an injury or overdose.
Most concerning, he said, was that while 53 per cent of caregivers believed their foster kids needed professional help, only 26 per cent were getting it.
"Our findings provide a major challenge for the community and for welfare services," Prof Sawyer said.
He said the system was under increasing strain as welfare staff struggled to cope with large numbers of children with severe mental health problems, fewer suitable placement options and difficulty accessing help.
"It is unrealistic to expect volunteer caregivers to provide 24-hour support for these young people unless they receive high-quality professional support and adequate respite."
The study results were collated from interviews with 326 foster children and their carers in central Adelaide between 2004 and 2006.
- AAP
