Children in care ‘up to 5 times more likely to suffer mental health issues’

Children in State care are up to five times more likely to suffer from mental health issues than their peers, a leading psychiatrist has claimed.

Fiona McNicholas, professor of child psychiatry at University College Dublin, also said the mental health issues became more obvious the longer a child remained in State care.

Prof McNicholas, one of the key speakers at today’s National Healthcare Conference in Dublin, is a keen supporter of the Children’s Bill, which is set to change the culture of child protection in Ireland.