Discussion
In this sample of teens in NSCAW II, the prevalence of MH problems is high regardless of whether placement was at home,or in foster care or kinship care. Almost half (42.7%) of teens or
their caregivers report at least one MH problem, and of those
almost 20% report three or more MH problems. These data also
show that teens aged 12e14 years, girls, and those teens who had
a prior out-of-home placement were more likely to indicate
a MH problem such as suicidality, depression, and substance use.
Further, older teens have higher rates of substance use than
younger teens, but rates in both groups are high.