Child welfare clients represent a high-risk group for delinquency and adult criminality, but also for future suicidal behavior. This study examined associations between delinquency and suicidal behavior in a national child welfare population in Sweden. This register-based cohort study is based on data for all Swedish former child welfare clients born between 1972 and 1981 that experienced interventions before their adolescent years.
After examining over 27,000 participants with a history of child welfare and juvenile justice, they found that child welfare experience—specifically of out-of-home care—in combination with delinquency is a potent risk factor for suicidal behavior among young adults.
The study can be found here.
