Depression and Service Use Among Caregivers Dually Involved in the Child Welfare and Mental Health Systems (original) (raw)
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression, use of mental health services, and correlates of service use among caregivers who are dually involved in the child welfare and child mental health systems. Methods: This study analyzed baseline data from 129 caregivers who reported child welfare system involvement and were participating in a Multiple Family Group service delivery model to reduce childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Results: Seventy-eight (60.5%) of caregivers met or exceed the clinical-cut off for depression; of them 50 (64.1%) reported utilizing mental health services for their emotional health. Race, employment status, and CES-D score were significantly associated with lifetime mental heath services use. Discussion: Depression rates exceeded those found among caregiver involved in either the child welfare or child mental health systems. Rates of service use were higher than found in existing research. As expected, racial differences and depression were associated with service use; contrary to expectations, full time employment was not associated with service use. Discrepancies between this study and existing research are discussed, as are practice, policy, and research implications.
Caregiver depression and trajectories of behavioral health among child welfare involved youth
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2018
Child welfare involvement has been linked to child behavioral health issues, including increased likelihood of internalizing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and externalizing behavioral problems such as oppositional behaviors and substance use problems. One predictor of child behavioral health is caregiver mental health. Although, there remains a specific gap associated with identification of factors among caregivers that are associated with longitudinal child behavioral health trajectories. Using LONGSCAN, we explore the effects of caregiver depression on the behavioral health of children over time. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models showed that children with a caregiver who reported depression showed significantly higher internalizing behavioral problems over time, and significantly larger decreases in externalizing behavioral problems over time, compared to children with a caregiver who reported no depression. These findings emphasize that early interventions geared towards jointly assessing and treating parent and child mental health issues in the child welfare system may be successful at improving future behavioral health outcomes.
Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2017
Disproportionately high rates of caregiver stress and depression are found among poverty-impacted communities, with high levels of caregiver stress and depression putting youth at heightened risk for the onset and perpetuation of disruptive behavior disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a behavioral parent training program called the 4Rs and 2Ss for Strengthening Families Program (4R2S) on caregiver stress and depressive symptoms among 320 youth aged 7 to 11 and their families assigned to either the 4R2S or services as usual (SAU) condition. Among caregivers with clinically significant (CS) scores at baseline, 4R2S participants manifested significantly reduced scores on the stress and depressive symptom scores to SAU participants at 6-month follow-up. Findings suggest that 4R2S may reduce caregiver stress and depressive symptoms among those caregivers initially manifesting CS levels of stress or depressive symptoms.
Caregiver Depression and Youth Disruptive Behavior Difficulties
Social Work in Mental Health, 2010
This study examines the rates of depressive symptoms and service use among caregivers whose children receive treatment for disruptive behavior disorders. Descriptive analyses examined preliminary baseline data from the Family Groups for Urban Youth with Disruptive Behaviors study for 212 caregivers to determine rates of caregiver depressive symptoms and lifetime mental health service use. Findings indicate that caregivers manifest substantially
Examining a peer-delivered program for child welfare-involved caregivers at risk for depression
Journal of Public Child Welfare, 2020
Caregivers involved in the child welfare system are at heightened risk for depression, which has innumerable, deleterious effects upon the family. Screening and active outreach can facilitate identification and service use, yet there are considerable obstacles to detection and help-seeking. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a peer-delivered detection and active outreach program upon depression and engagement in mental health services. Twenty-four caregivers participated in this four-session intervention (Mage? = ? 32.5?±?7.46 years). Caregivers evidenced significant reductions in depressive from baseline to posttest and from baseline to followup; scores moved from clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms (M = 26.33) to the subclinical range (M = 14.4 at followup). A notable increase in treatment engagement over time, as well as the stability of caregivers involved in treatment was detected. Finally, the number of perceived barriers to help seeking were similar among caregivers who were engaged versus not engaged in services. The findings suggest that the active components of the intervention, when delivered by a peer, can effectively reduce depressive symptoms among high-risk caregivers.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2018
Childhood mental health disorders are on the rise in the United States. To ensure equitable access to care, it is important to examine the characteristics of children and families who access services. This study compares the demographic characteristics of two samples of families who participated in National Institute of Mental Health-funded studies of a Multiple Family Group model, entitled the 4Rs and 2Ss Multiple Family Group (4Rs and 2Ss) in New York City. One sample is currently receiving services, and the other received services a decade ago. Significant differences in demographic characteristics were found between the two samples pertaining to child race, child nativity, caregiver age, primary caregiver, caregiver marital status, caregiver race, caregiver education, caregiver employment, and family income. Families currently engaging in the public mental health service system are primarily White, and are less disadvantaged than families a decade ago. These differences are examined in light of changing policy and epidemiological trends, and potential unintended consequences are discussed.
Multiple family groups: an engaging intervention for child welfare-involved families
Child welfare, 2011
Differences between child welfare- and non-child welfare-involved families regarding barriers to child mental health care, attendance, program satisfaction, and relationship with facilitators are examined for a multiple family group service delivery model aimed at reducing childhood disruptive behaviors. Although child welfare-involved caregivers reported more treatment barriers and less program satisfaction than non-child-welfare-involved families, no significant differences exist between groups on average total sessions attended and attendance rates over time.