Youth entering residential care possess significant emotional and behavioral needs; yet, it is uncertain whether these needs have remained constant or are changing over time. This study examined mental health variables from the admission files of 1,047 youth entering residential group home care in 1995 and 2004. Sequential logistical regression analyses revealed that the mental health needs of youth admitted in 2004 were greater than those for youth in 1995 with regard to having multiple psychiatric diagnoses, being prescribed two or more psychotropic medications, and using alcohol or drugs. As such, these analyses should be replicated in other group homes as well as in other placement settings within the system of care.
Achenbach, T.M., Dumenci, L., & Rescorla, L.A. (2002). Ten-year comparisons of problems and competencies for national samples of youth: Self, parent, and teacher reports. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders , 10(4), 194-203.
2.
Achenbach, T.M., Dumenci, L., & Rescorla, L.A. (2003). Are American children’s problems still getting worse? A 23 year comparison. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31(1), 1-11.
3.
Achenbach, T.M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2001). The manual for ASEBA school-age forms and profiles. Burlington: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
4.
Bates, B., English, D., & Kouidou-Giles, S. (1997). Residential treatment and its alternatives: A review of the literature. Child and Youth Care Forum, 26, 7-51.
5.
Breland-Noble, A.M., Elbogen, E.B., Farmer, E.M.Z., Dubs, M.S., Wagner, H.R., & Burns, B.J. ( 2004). Use of psychotropic medications by youths in therapeutic foster care and group homes. Psychiatric Services, 55, 706-708.
6.
Burns, B.J., Hoagwood, K., & Mrazek, P.J. ( 1999). Effective treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review , 2, 199-254.
7.
Burns, B.J., Phillips, S.D., Wagner, H.R., Barth, R.P., Kolko, D.J., Campbell, Y., et al. (2004). Mental health need and access to mental health services by youths involved with child welfare: A national survey. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , 43(8), 960-970.
8.
Centers for Disease Control. (n.d.). YRBSS national trends in risk behaviors. Retrieved August 13, 2008 , from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/trends.htm
9.
Costello, E.J., Angold, A., Burns, B.J., Stangl, D.K., Tweed, D.L., Erkanli, A., et al. (2006). The Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth: Goals, design, methods, and the prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53(12), 1129-1136.
10.
Costello, E.J., Egger, H., & Angold, A. ( 2005). 10-year research update review: The epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: I. Methods and public health burden . Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(10), 972-986.
11.
Curtis, P.A., Alexander, G., & Lunghofer, L.A. (2001). A literature review comparing the outcomes of residential group care and therapeutic foster care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 18(5), 377-392.
12.
Davis, J., & Daly, D.L. ( 2003). Long-term residential program training manual (4th ed.). Boys Town, NE: Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Home.
13.
Drais-Parrillo, A.A. ( 2004). The odyssey project: A descriptive and prospective study of children and youth in residential group care and therapeutic foster care . Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.
14.
Farmer, E.M.Z., Dorsey, S., & Mustillo, S.A. (2004). Intensive home and community interventions. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13(4), 857-884.
15.
Handwerk, M.L., Clopton, K., Huefner, J.C., Smith, G.S., Hoff, K.E., & Lucas, C.P. ( 2006). Gender differences in adolescents in residential treatment . American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(3), 312-324.
16.
Handwerk, M.L., Smith, G.L., Thompson, R.W., Spellman, D.F., & Daly, D.L. (in press). Psychotropic medication utilization at a group-home residential facility for children and adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
17.
Hawkins, R.P., Almeida, M.C., Fabry, B., & Reitz, A.L. ( 1992). A scale to measure restrictiveness of living environments for troubled children and youths. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 23, 54-58.
18.
Hunkeler, E.M., Fireman, B., Lee, J., Diamond, R., Hamilton, J., He, C., et al. (2005). Trends in use of antidepressants, lithium, and anticonvulsants in Kaiser Permanente-insured youths, 1994-2003. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 15(1), 26-37.
19.
Leichtman, M. ( 2006). Residential treatment of children and adolescent children: Past, present, and future. Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 76(3), 285-294.
20.
Lieberman, R.E. ( 2004). Future directions in residential treatment. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13, 279-294.
21.
McMillen, J.C., Fedoravicius, N., Row, J., Zima, B.T., & Ware, N. ( 2007). A crisis of credibility: Professionals’ concerns about the psychiatric care provided to clients of the child welfare system . Administration and Policy in Mental Health & Mental Health Services Research, 34, 203-212.
22.
McMillen, J.C., Scott, L.D., Zima, B.T., Ollie, M.T., Munson, M.R., & Spitznagel, E. (2004). Use of mental health services among older youths in foster care. Psychiatric Services , 55(7), 811-817.
23.
McMillen, J.C., Zima, B.T., Scott, L.D., Auslander, W.F., Munson, M.R., Ollie, M.T., et al. (2005). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among older youths in the foster care system. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(1), 88-95.
24.
Pottick, K.J., Warner, L.A., Isaacs, M., Henderson, M.J., Milazzo-Sayre, L., & Manderscheid, R.W. (2004). Children and adolescents admitted to specialty mental health care programs in the United States, 1986 and 1997. In R. W. Manderscheid & M. J. Henderson (Eds.), Mental health, United States, 2002 (DHHS Publication No. SMA04-3938; pp. 314-326). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
25.
Pottick, K.J., Warner, L.A., & Yoder, K.A. ( 2005). Youths living away from families in the US mental health system. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research , 32, 264-281.
26.
Riddle, M.A., Kastelic, E.A., & Frosch, E. ( 2005). Pediatric psychopharmacology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(1), 73-90.
27.
Roberts, R.E., Attkisson, C.C., & Rosenblatt, A. (1998). Prevalence of psychopathology among children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry , 155, 715-725.
28.
Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Dulcan, M.K., Davies, M., Piacentini, J., Schwab-Stone, M.E., et al. (1996). The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 2.3 (DISC-2.3): Description, acceptability, prevalence rates, and performance in the MECA Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 865-877.
29.
Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Lucas, C., Dulcan, M., & Schwab-Stone, M. (2000). NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): Description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry , 39, 28-38.
30.
Stroul, B. ( 2002). Issue brief-System of care: A framework for system reform in children’s mental health. Washington, DC : Georgetown University Child Development Center, National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health.
31.
Stroul, B., & Friedman, R. ( 1986). A system of care for children and youth with severe emotional disturbances (rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center, National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health.
32.
Tabachnick, B.G., & Fidell L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education .
33.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ( 1999). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General-Executive summary. Rockville, MD: Author.
34.
Vaughn, M.G., Ollie, M.T., McMillen, J.C., Scott, L., & Munson, M. ( 2007). Substance use and abuse among older youth in foster care . Addictive Behaviors, 32, 1929-1935.
35.
Weiner, D.A., Abraham, M.E., & Lyons, J. ( 2001). Clinical characteristics of youths with substance use problems and implications for residential treatment. Psychiatric Services, 52(6), 793-799.
36.
Whittaker, J.K. ( 2004). The re-invention of residential treatment: An agenda for research and practice. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of North America, 13, 267-278.
37.
Zito, J.M., Safer, D.J., dosReis, S., Gardner, J.F., Madger, L., Soeken, K., et al. (2003). Psychotropic practice patterns for youth: A 10-year perspective. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 17-25.
