Sawyer, M.Carbone, J.Searle, A.Robinson, P.2008-05-062008-05-062007Medical Journal of Australia, 2007; 186(4):181-1840025-729X1326-5377http://hdl.handle.net/2440/43334The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is includedObjective: To identify the prevalence of mental health problems, rates of suicidal ideation and behaviour, and use of professional mental health services among children and adolescents residing in home-based foster care, and to compare these rates with those reported for children and adolescents in the general Australian community. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Participants and setting: 326 children and adolescents (aged 6–17 years) residing in home-based foster care in the Adelaide metropolitan region between August 2004 and January 2006. Main outcome measures: Prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems, suicidal ideation and behaviour, and use of professional services to obtain help for emotional and behavioural problems. Results: 61.0% of children and adolescents living in home-based foster care scored above the recommended cut-off for behaviour problems on the Child Behavior Checklist and 35.2% of adolescents scored above the cut-off on the Youth Self Report. 6.7% of 13–17- year olds in home-based foster care reported a suicide attempt that required medical treatment during the previous year. Caregivers reported that 53.4% of children needed professional help for their mental health problems but only 26.9% had obtained help during the previous 6 months. Conclusion: Children in home-based foster care experience high rates of mental health problems but only a minority receive professional help for their problems.enHumansFoster Home CarePrevalenceCross-Sectional StudiesAffective SymptomsAggressionDepressionSuicide, AttemptedAnxietyMental HealthAttentionChild Behavior DisordersMental Health ServicesJuvenile DelinquencyAdolescentChildAdolescent Health ServicesChild Health ServicesUrban Health ServicesAustraliaFemaleMaleJournal article002007044110.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb00857.x0002451803000062-s2.0-3384770691949065Sawyer, M. [0000-0002-7834-0561]Searle, A. [0000-0002-8602-0146]