title: Children Placed In Out-of-Home Care as Midlife Adults: Are They Still Disadvantaged or Have They Caught Up With Their Peers?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brännström
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vinnerljung
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hilma
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Forsman
authors.affiliation: 2 Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ylva B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Almquist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013548:Sweden; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: child welfare; cohort study; foster care; longitudinal research