Placement instability among young people removed from their original family and the likely mental health implications

Abstract

Background: Young people in out-of-home care are more likely to experience poorer mental and physical health outcomes related to their peers. Stable care environments are essential for ameliorating impacts of disruptive early childhood experiences, including exposure to psychological trauma, abuse and neglect. At present there are very few high quality data regarding the placement stability history of young people in out-of-home care in Australia or other countries. Objectives: To undertake the first systematic census of background, care type and placement stability characteristics of young people living in the out-of-home care sector in Australia. Methods: Data was collected from four non-g..