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Assisting Carers to Respond to the Mental Health Needs of Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2017

Josh Fergeus ,
Cathy Humphreys ,
Carol Harvey  and
Helen Herrman
Josh Fergeus*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Cathy Humphreys
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Carol Harvey
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Helen Herrman
Affiliation:
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Josh Fergeus, Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010. E-mail: j.fergeus@student.unimelb.edu.au
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Abstract

Across the developed world, efforts are being made to identify and develop effective interventions that will reduce the prevalence and severity of mental health problems among children and young people in out-of-home care. Foster and kinship carers have been identified as critically important in this process. In order to develop an understanding of what interventions and/or supports assist carers in responding effectively to the mental health needs of the children and young people in their care, a scoping review was undertaken. Using the scoping study method, 1064 publications were identified, and 82 publications were selected for further analysis. The review shows that promising interventions that aim to improve the mental health of children and young people living in out-of-home care have been developed and trialled both in Australia and internationally. However, the review also highlights the lack of research specifically focused on the role of the carer.

Keywords

mental healthfoster carekinship carechild protectionout-of-home carelooked after children
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , March 2017 , pp. 30 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

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