pregnancy

Growing up in Scotland: maternal mental health and its impact on child behaviour and development

Longitudinal surveys afford a unique opportunity to study change over time for the same individuals and to explore the impact of prior circumstances on long-term outcomes.

Using longitudinal data over four sweeps of the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study, this report explores the impacts of poor maternal mental health on children’s emotional, cognitive and behavioural development and on their relationships with peers at ages three to four.

Parental substance misuse and the effects on children

This guidance has been developed for practitioners in Newcastle working with children and families and/or adults who have care of children where substance misuse is a factor, which affects their lives. It has been produced in response to the increasing problem of substance misuse and particularly the rising number of children who are referred into the child protection arena due to parental substance misuse.

Growing up in Scotland: a study following the lives of Scotland's children - sweep 1 overview report

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is a longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond. Funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department, its principal aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties.

Sally : Drugs : Case Narrative

This short training scenario was originally used in the context of introductory child protection training. It gives brief information from which participants are asked to identify what they are concerned about and what they would do next. Sally uses drugs and is pregnant. She has a history of local authority care.

Looking beyond risk. Parental substance misuse: scoping policy

Parental substance misuse can result in a considerable number of negative effects on the family. However, it is incredibly hard to calculate how many children and other family members might be affected. There is also growing evidence that some children appear to be more resilient than others to the negative impact of parental substance misuse. There is a need to investigate how these general statements relate to parental substance misuse across Scotland, a topic that has been given priority status by the Scottish Executive, and other key organisations.