The Prevalence of Mental Disorders Among Care Leavers

Objective: Formerly out-of-home placed young adults (i. e., care leavers) were exposed to a variety of cumulative psychosocial stress factors during their childhood. However, the knowledge about the prevalence of mental disorders among care leavers in German-speaking countries is scarce. This article addresses the prevalence of mental disorders among care leavers and discusses the implications for care systems. Method: Mental disorders, including personality disorders, were assessed using structured clinical interviews among 175 Swiss care leavers (mean age = 26.53 years, 32.00 % women). Descriptive information was presented as absolute and relative frequencies, and correlations and group comparisons were calculated using t-tests and chi 2-tests. Results: 58.29 % of participants met the diagnostic criteria for at least one mental disorder, with substance use disorders (37.71 %), personality disorders (35.43 %), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (19.43 %) being the most common diagnoses. In comparison, women were more likely to have anxiety disorders and Cluster C personality disorders, while men were more likely to have alcohol use disorders. Conclusions: Our results indicate that approximately half of the Swiss care leavers meet the criteria for the diagnosis of at least one mental disorder in young adulthood. Young adulthood thus represents a sensitive phase for care leavers regarding mental disorders - similar to their peers in the general population. This poses a challenge for residential care institutions and psychiatric care systems to design and further expand preventive services for care leavers with high mental health burdens throughout the transition to adulthood.