Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
05:52

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis

Published on: November 21, 2013

Psychiatric outcomes in young children with a history of institutionalization

Karen Bos1, Charles H Zeanah, Nathan A Fox

  • 1Harvard Medical School Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA.

Harvard Review of Psychiatry
|January 22, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Institutionalized children experienced negative mental health effects due to neglect. Early foster care intervention significantly improved attachment, emotional regulation, and psychiatric symptoms, highlighting the benefits of family placement.

Area of Science:

  • Child development
  • Developmental psychology
  • Social deprivation studies

Background:

  • Institutionalized children face extreme social deprivation, impacting health and development.
  • Understanding neglect's effects is crucial for child welfare.
  • Early intervention research is vital for vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review mental health outcomes from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP).
  • To assess the impact of foster care intervention on institutionalized children.
  • To explore factors influencing recovery from social deprivation.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled trial (RCT) of foster care intervention.
  • Analysis of attachment styles, disorders, emotional reactivity, and psychiatric symptoms.
  • Examination of gender, duration of institutionalization, genetics, and brain development.

Main Results:

  • Institutional care is linked to negative mental health sequelae.
  • Foster care intervention demonstrated significant improvements in child mental health.
  • Outcomes varied by gender and length of institutional stay.
  • Genetic and brain development factors influenced individual recovery.

Conclusions:

  • Early institutional care has detrimental effects on child mental health.
  • Foster care provides substantial benefits for institutionalized children.
  • Early family placement is critical for mitigating the impact of social deprivation.

More Related Videos

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study07:30

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder01:30

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

A persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, defiant behavior, or vindictiveness characterizes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Symptoms must occur over at least six months, involve interactions with individuals beyond siblings, and meet specific diagnostic criteria to be clinically significant. The disorder affects emotional regulation, social interactions, and behavior, often manifesting early in life and influencing long-term development and functioning.
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Community Based Intervention01:30

Community Based Intervention

Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.