Young people with out of home care (OHC) experience face multiple health, social and socioeconomic disadvantages in their late teens and early twenties, according to new UCL research.
Warning: this article discusses self-harm and suicide
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the research shows that one in four 17-year-olds (26%) who have lived in foster or residential care, and one in five (21%) with other relatives, have tried to end their own life. This is compared to one in 14 (7%) teenagers with no care experience.
Co-author, Professor Ingrid Schoon (UCL Social Research Institute) said: “Our research shows that while care experience can be a life-changing positive experience for some, it can also deepen the trauma experienced by individuals. Alarmingly, adolescents who have been in care face extremely high rates of mental ill health, self-harm, and attempted suicide.”
Researchers from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies analysed data from more than 10,000 people born across the UK in 2000-02 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. They examined information about study participants’ family life and living arrangements over the course of their lives. The researchers then looked at data on their mental and physical health reported at age 17 and 20/21. At age 17, 98.5% reported no OHC experience, 0.5% had foster or residential care experience and 1% had lived with other relatives.
Around half of teenagers with OHC experience had recently self-harmed (56% who had lived in foster or residential care, 45% who had lived with other relatives), compared to a quarter (24%) with no OHC experience. They were also more likely to have high levels of depression (39% in foster or residential care and 29% in kinship care, compared to 16% with no OHC experience).
In addition to these mental health difficulties, teenagers with OHC experience were more likely to have a longstanding illness (47% and 31%) than their peers who had not experienced OHC (18%).
Greater proportions of young people who had OHC experience were also more likely to engage in risky behaviours and substance use. For example, more had first had underage sex and experienced a pregnancy, first tried alcohol at a young age, had used cannabis and harder drugs. More than twice as many teenagers who had lived in foster or residential care had tried cocaine compared to those with no OHC experience (16% vs 6%).
Of further concern was that one in four teenagers with foster or residential care experience (26%) were not in education, employment or training (NEET) at age 17, compared to one in 17 (6%) with no OHC experience. Half of those with foster or residential care experience also lived in the most deprived neighbourhoods of the UK compared to just a fifth of teenagers without care experience.
Mental health inequalities persisted into their early 20s. More than four in 10 study members with foster or residential OHC (43%) or kinship care (39%) experience reported high levels of psychological distress compared to around 1 in 4 (23%) with no OHC experience at age 20/21.
Building on their study published in 2023, the researchers also found that emotional and behavioural difficulties were far more prominent among children of mothers who had OHC experience than those whose mother had no OHC experience. However, the findings indicated that it was the socioeconomic and personal characteristics associated with OHC experience that played a critical role in the increased risk. The observed disadvantages stem largely from inequalities in education, housing, and maternal health and wellbeing.
Professor Schoon added: “The findings are significant because they reveal the enduring impact of care experience across generations, highlighting a cycle of disadvantage that is often overlooked. While it may seem obvious that early adversity can have long-term effects, our study provides hard evidence of how deeply this disadvantage persists across generations. These realities call for a family-focused approach, ensuring support remains available throughout a young person’s life. The current “cliff edge” where support abruptly ends must be removed.”
Co-author, Dr Sam Parsons (UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies) said “The MacAlister review, published in 2022, described care experience as “the civil rights issue of our time,” calling for it to be made a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. This has not happened yet. Our research adds compelling evidence to that call, showing the severe adversity, social exclusion and discrimination faced by young people with care experience. Recognising care experience as a protected characteristic and maintaining lifelong support are essential steps to break the vicious cycle.”
If you are affected by the issues in this research and need support:
Whether you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one, you can find local NHS urgent mental health helplines and a list of mental health charities, organisations and support groups offering expert advice, on the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/.
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
Media coverage of this research
The Guardian – One in four UK teenagers in care have attempted to end their lives, study says
Further information
Digging Deeper – Further examination of the association between OHC experience and poor outcomes, focusing on mental health and wellbeing by Dr Sam Parsons and Professor Ingrid Schoon is available to read on the CLS website.
Ryan Bradshaw
Editorial Content Manager
Phone: 020 7612 6516
Email: r.bradshaw@ucl.ac.uk
Centre for Longitudinal Studies
UCL Social Research Institute
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London WC1H 0AL
Email: clsdata@ucl.ac.uk
