Help-seeking by foster-carers for their 'looked after' children: The role of mental health literacy and treatment attitudes

Bonfield, Siobain, Collins, Suzanne, Guishard-Pine, Jeune and Langdon, Peter E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7745-1825 (2010) Help-seeking by foster-carers for their 'looked after' children: The role of mental health literacy and treatment attitudes. British Journal of Social Work, 40 (5). pp. 1335-1352. ISSN 1468-263X

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Abstract

Factors that influence the help-seeking steps for looked after children with mental health problems were explored within the context of a help-seeking model, as were foster-carers' Mental Health Literacy (MHL) and help-seeking attitudes. Using a cross-sectional and between groups design, data on variables likely to be related to help-seeking by foster-carers were collected from a sample of 113 foster-carers and 108 looked after children within the East of England. Results demonstrated that although foster-carers had high MHL overall, it did not significantly influence the first help-seeking step of ‘problem detection’. More favourable help-seeking attitudes significantly influenced the second help-seeking step of ‘perceived need’ for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The results from the logistic regression analyses found MHL and help-seeking attitudes, in combination with the presence and impact of a mental health problem, and foster-carer education, to be significant predictors of specific help-seeking. Forty-nine per cent of children were found to have an apparent mental health problem and were not receiving a service from CAMHS. As such, both MHL and help-seeking attitudes have important roles to play in facilitating CAMHS use by this population.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Psychological Sciences (former - to 2018)
Depositing User: EPrints Services
Date Deposited: 25 Nov 2010 11:12
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 09:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/14531
DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcp050

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