Maternal Mental Health after Custody Loss and Death of a Child: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linkable Administrative Data.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The objective was to compare mental illness diagnoses and treatment use among mothers who lost custody of their child through involvement with child protection services and those seen in mothers dealing with the death of a child.

Methods

We studied mental health outcomes of a cohort of women whose first child was born in Manitoba, Canada between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2015. Of these women, 5,792 had a child taken into care, and 1,143 mothers experienced the death of a child (<18 y old) before 31 March 2015. Adjusted relative rates (ARR) of 3 mental health diagnoses and 3 mental health treatment use outcomes between these 2 groups were examined.

Results

Mothers with a child taken into care had significantly greater ARR of depression (ARR = 1.90; 95% CI, 1.

SUBMITTER: Wall-Wieler E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5912297 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature