| Abstract: | The main aim of this article is to explore the association between mental health problems in children placed out-of-home and family risk factors reported as reasons for placement. The sample consisted of 109 Norwegian children aged 6–12 years. Mental health problems were assessed by the Revised Rutter scales reported by the parents and the teachers shortly after placement. On the basis of the reported reasons for placement, three risk indexes were constructed: parental risk, interactional risk, and child neglect and abuse risk. The analyses showed that 70% or more of the placed children had symptoms of mental health problems, boys more often than girls. Parental risk and interactional risk each accounted for a significant part of the variance in the children's mental health, while child neglect and abuse did not. Our data, however, indicated that children placed out-of-home mainly due to parental risk had less mental health problems than other children, while children placed due to interactional risk or child neglect and abuse had more problems. The study indicates that family-related reasons for placement reported by the child welfare workers are important indicators for assessing mental health problems in children placed out-of-home. |
