New research has found that being in the out-of-home care system increases the likelihood of having multiple ambulance attendances for alcohol, drug, mental health or self-harm among Victorian children.
As part of the study, researchers from Turning Point and Monash University examined the patient records of ambulance attendances for 27,565 Victorian children between January 2017 and June 2023.
The study found children with an identified history of out-of-home care had significantly more complex needs and were much more likely to experience substance-related harms, violence, self-harm, suicide ideation and attempts, developmental or intellectual disabilities, and mental health conditions.
The data was sourced from the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS) and included a total of 49,035 ambulance attendances.
The research is published in the December edition of Child Abuse & Neglect. The full paper can be accessed here
