Child Maltreatment · 2017 · 112 citations · 41 references
Social SciencesDemographyHuman DevelopmentDevelopmental PsychologyGerontologyLifespan DevelopmentAdverse Childhood ExperiencesChildhood AdversityLongitudinal ResearchMidlife DevelopmentOut-of-home CareOut-of-home PlacementConfoundingLife Course Socioeconomic StatusMiddle AdulthoodPlacement In Out-of-home CareProspective Cohort DataSocioeconomic Determinants Of RiskUnobserved ConfoundingYoung Adulthood
International research has consistently reported that children placed in out-of-home care (OHC) have poor outcomes in young adulthood. Yet, little is known about their outcomes in midlife. Using prospective data from a cohort of more than 14,000 Swedes born in 1953, of which nearly 9% have been placed in OHC, this study examines whether there is developmental continuity or discontinuity of disadvantage reaching into middle age in OHC children, compared to same-aged peers. Outcome profiles, here conceptualized as combinations of adverse outcomes related to education, economic hardship, unemployment, and mental health problems, were assessed in 1992-2008 (ages 39-55). Results indicate that having had experience of OHC was associated with 2-fold elevated odds of ending up in the most disadvantaged outcome profile, controlling for observed confounding factors. These findings suggest that experience of OHC is a strong marker for disadvantaged outcomes also in midlife.
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