Table 4

Risk of comorbid mood and substance-related mental and behavioural disorders for children by level of child protection involvement

CharacteristicMood (affective) disorder*Substance-related mental and behavioural disorder†Mood and substance-related mental and behavioural disorder
UnivariateMultivariateUnivariateMultivariateUnivariateMultivariate
HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡
Child protection involvement§
 No InvolvementReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
 Unsubstantiated allegation3.18 (2.83 to 3.57)2.21 (1.92 to 2.54)3.92 (3.55 to 4.34)1.92 (1.68 to 2.19)4.54 (3.75 to 5.51)2.52 (1.97 to 3.22)
 Substantiated allegation3.81 (3.31 to 4.40)2.56 (2.16 to 3.03)4.23 (3.71 to 4.82)1.95 (1.64 to 2.31)6.45 (5.17 to 8.04)3.60 (2.73 to 4.73)
 Substantiated allegation and entered out-of-home care4.05 (3.38 to 4.86)2.20 (1.75 to 2.77)8.59 (7.54 to 9.77)2.71 (2.26 to 3.26)8.80 (6.86 to 11.29)3.03 (2.14 to 4.31)
Substantiated allegation§
 NoReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
 Yes3.59 (3.20 to 4.03)2.10 (1.82 to 2.43)5.13 (4.66 to 5.65)1.96 (1.71 to 2.23)6.39 (5.38 to 7.58)2.78 (2.19 to 3.53)
CharacteristicStress-related disorders*Substance-related mental and behavioural disorder†Stress and substance-related mental and behavioural disorder
UnivariateMultivariateUnivariateMultivariateUnivariateMultivariate
HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡HR (95% CI)HR (95% CI)‡
Child protection involvement§
 No involvementReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference Reference
 Unsubstantiated allegation3.75 (3.49 to 4.03)2.61 (2.39 to 2.84)3.62 (3.25 to 4.03)1.83 (1.59 to 2.11)5.14 (4.40 to 6.00) 2.54 (2.07 to 3.12)
 Substantiated allegation4.72 (4.32 to 5.16)3.23 (2.90 to 3.59)3.98 (3.46 to 4.57)1.86 (1.56 to 2.23)6.48 (5.36 to 7.83) 3.34 (2.62 to 4.27)
 Substantiated allegation and entered out-of-home care6.29 (5.70 to 6.94)3.24 (2.85 to 3.69)6.35 (5.43 to 7.41)1.97 (1.60 to 2.44)14.06 (11.81 to 16.75) 4.61 (3.57 to 5.94)
Substantiated allegation§
 NoReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference Reference
 Yes4.82 (4.50 to 5.15)2.67 (2.44 to 2.91)4.35 (3.91 to 4.84)1.68 (1.45 to 1.94)7.90 (6.90 to 9.04) 3.12 (2.57 to 3.78)
  • *Excludes comorbid substance-related mental and behavioural disorders.

  • †Excludes mood (affective) disorders.

  • ‡All other covariates included (aboriginality, gender, socioeconomic status, parent marital status at birth, maternal age at birth, paternal age at birth, maternal mental health (MH) contact, maternal substance-related contact, paternal MH contact, paternal substance-related contact).

  • §Separate Cox regression models, second model compares all children with substantiated allegations (including those who entered out-of-home care) to all children without substantiated allegations (including no contact or only unsubstantiated allegations).