Table 3

Risk of mental health (MH) diagnosis types for children by level of child protection involvement

CharacteristicOrganic mental disorderSubstance-related mental and behavioural disorderSchizophrenia and psychosesMood (affective) disorder
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Univariate OR (95% CI)Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Child protection involvement†
No involvementReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
Unsubstantiated allegation2.12 (1.54 to 2.92)1.61 (1.09 to 2.38)4.09 (3.74 to 4.47)2.05 (1.83 to 2.31)3.18 (2.42 to 4.18)1.93 (1.37 to 2.72)3.48 (3.15 to 3.85)2.29 (2.02 to 2.58)
Substantiated allegation2.61 (1.76 to 3.88)2.35 (1.50 to 3.68)4.71 (4.21 to 5.27)2.29 (1.98 to 2.65)4.59 (3.41 to 6.18)2.82 (1.94 to 4.10)4.40 (3.90 to 4.96)2.81 (2.43 to 3.25)
Substantiated allegation and entered out-of-home care5.80 (4.12 to 8.17)4.25 (2.64 to 6.83)8.98 (7.98 to 10.11)2.87 (2.43 to 3.38)8.40 (6.17 to 11.42)3.03 (1.93 to 4.75)5.09 (4.40 to 5.89)2.43 (2.01 to 2.94)
Substantiated allegation†
NoReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
Yes3.69 (2.83 to 4.82)2.85 (2.03 to 4.01)5.50 (5.05 to 5.992.16 (1.92 to 2.42)5.43 (4.34 to 6.78)2.56 (1.87 to 3.50)4.23 (3.85 to 4.66)2.28 (2.01 to 2.58)
CharacteristicStress-related disorderPersonality disorderDisorders of childhood and psychological development
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Univariate
OR (95% CI)
Multivariate
OR (95% CI)*
Child protection involvement†
No involvementReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
Unsubstantiated allegation3.99 (3.73 to 4.26)2.62 (2.41 to 2.84)4.44 (3.66 to 5.39)3.07 (2.43 to 3.87)4.00 (3.74 to 4.28)2.82 (2.59 to 3.06)
Substantiated allegation5.04 (4.65 to 5.46)3.29 (2.98 to 3.62)5.22 (4.14 to 6.59)3.40 (2.56 to 4.50)4.14 (3.78 to 4.54)2.95 (2.64 to 3.29)
Substantiated allegation and entered out-of-home care7.46 (6.84 to 8.14)3.52 (3.14 to 3.96)12.63 (10.26 to 15.55)6.82 (5.12 to 9.08)7.16 (6.57 to 7.80)3.72 (3.30 to 4.19)
Substantiated allegation†
NoReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReferenceReference
Yes5.35 (5.04 to 5.68)2.77 (2.56 to 3.01)6.83 (5.81 to 8.04)3.64 (2.94 to 4.52)4.84 (4.53 to 5.16)2.64 (2.42 to 2.87)
  • *All other covariates included (aboriginality, gender, socioeconomic status, parent marital status at birth, maternal age at birth, paternal age at birth, maternal 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).