The changing social profile of mothers whose children are admitted into institutional care in Greece

The study sample consisted of 69 mothers in Greece whose children had been admitted into institutional care at an age of less than 7 years. These mothers were divided into two groups, 32 whose children were aged 2.5–5.5 years and 37 whose children were aged 15.5–17.5 years at the time of study. The mean age of the first group of mothers was 27 years and the second 42 years. Corresponding control groups consisted of 65 mothers, 24 younger and 37 older, in intact families. All the mothers were interviewed using a semistructured interview schedule. Study mothers of both groups were from a lower social class (occupation, education) than controls, had experienced more adversity in childhood and had more health problems. They had left their parental homes and given birth at a younger age and faced more difficulties (financial, housing problems, marital discord and/or divorce). The older group of study mothers more often had their children admitted into care because of financial difficulties or illegitimacy, in contrast with the younger mothers who more often gave the reason of marital breakdown. There were indications that the same kind of adversity that they had experienced themselves as children was the main reason for admission of their children into institutional care.