Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 35
The toxic triad: childhood exposure to parental domestic violence, parental addictions, and parental mental illness as factors associated with childhood physical abuse
- Authors:
- FULLER-THOMSON Esme, SAWYER Jami-Leigh, AGBEYAKA Senyo
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(17-18), 2021, pp.NP9015-NP9034.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Childhood physical abuse can result in serious behavioral, mental health, and physical health conditions. There is a need for improved strategies to identify households in which childhood physical abuse occurs. This article explores three potential correlates of childhood physical abuse: childhood exposure to parental domestic violence, parental addictions, and parental mental illness. Secondary analyses were conducted using the regionally representative 2010 Brief Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) of adults (n = 9,241 men, n = 13,627 women) and the analyses were replicated in the 2012 BRFSS (n = 11,656 men, n = 18,145 women). Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Approximately one-quarter of the sample was Hispanic and/or Non-White. In 2010, 78.3% of men who had been exposed to all three of these early adversities reported that they had experienced childhood physical abuse compared with 7.5% of males who did not experience these adversities. Women reported similar levels of childhood physical abuse (66.9% for those reporting all three factors, 5.9% for those with zero risk factors). The 2012 BRFSS analyses resulted in comparable findings. Domestic violence, even in the absence of parental addictions and mental illness, was associated with a high prevalence of childhood physical abuse (between 34% and 38%). Currently, the World Health Organization cautions against routine screening for child abuse due to the high rate of false positives. We propose a two-step strategy to improve targeting: first, identifying households in which two or more adversities exist, and subsequently screening children in these households. Our findings will help improve the targeting of screening and outreach efforts to children most at risk, thereby minimizing the risk of false positives. Our data provide support for universal screening for childhood physical abuse in cases of domestic violence, particularly for those families where parental addictions and/or parental mental illness also exist. (Publisher abstract)
Filicide and parental separation and divorce
- Authors:
- BROWN Thea, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 23(2), 2014, pp.79-88.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper discusses the findings of a ten-year study of filicide in Victoria, Australia, using the data from selected case files held in the Victorian coroner's office for the period 2000–09. The study sought to examine whether separation is a factor in filicide cases, as well as the role of other factors, such as domestic violence and mental illness. Also, the study sought to identify whether filicide perpetrators had contact with support services, including family and friends, general practitioners, mental health services and child protection services, in order to ascertain how these services might more appropriately identify those families most at risk prior to the filicide. The study found that while separation was a factor identified in a significant number of cases, more cases analysed showed evidence of mental illness, mainly depression. These findings suggest the need for improved strategies in preventing filicide by identifying risk factors and improving service responses for victims prior to these tragic events. Key Practitioner Messages: Filicide is uncommon but does occur; Perpetrators fall into three main groups and a different scenario is associated with each group; Associated (risk) factors were found to be mental illness (especially depression), separation, domestic violence and substance abuse; Any client/patient with mental illness and partner separation should be probed for thoughts of harm and Engagement with services is a protective factor. (Edited publisher abstract)
Who kills children? re-examining the evidence
- Authors:
- PRITCHARD Colin, DAVEY Jill, WILLIAMS Richard
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 43(7), 2013, pp.1403-1438.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Violent children's deaths have become a surrogate indicator of effective child protection but can those who kill children be better identified? A decade-long study of child homicide assailants (population of 2.5 million) is re-examined in the context of nineteen Western nations' child mortality rates and child-abuse-related deaths, correlated with four international measures of relative poverty, focusing on income inequality. Child mortality rates of the nineteen countries were ranked and correlated with levels of poverty. Child mortality and poverty strongly correlated but, unexpectedly, child-abuse-related deaths did not. Child homicide assailants are extremely rare, but three distinct within-family assailant categories can be identified: mentally ill parents, mothers with a child on the Child Protection Register and men with previous convictions for violence. Mentally ill parents were the most frequent assailants, but violent men killed over five times the rate of mentally ill parents. The juxtaposed results indicate that the assailants' problems are essentially psycho-criminological, especially violence, rather than socio-economic, although poverty worsens most situations. Despite the dangers of ‘false positives’, children's services need to give greater weighting to the child protection–psychiatric–violence interface to assist front line staff in improving risk assessment and contribute to reducing the impact that parental mental illness can have on the child. (Publisher abstract)
Child abuse and neglect in the UK today
- Authors:
- RADFORD Lorraine, et al
- Publisher:
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 203p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report presents new research findings from the NSPCC on child maltreatment in the United Kingdom. The research aimed to provide up to date information on the prevalence and impact of child maltreatment, and to compare rates of childhood experiences reported by young adults interviewed in 2009 with rates reported in an earlier NSPCC study in 1998-9. The study looked at children’s and young adults’ experiences of childhood maltreatment at home, in school and in the community. This first report presents the findings from this research on the prevalence, impact and severity of child maltreatment. The study involved interviews with a random probability sample of parents, young people and young adults about their experiences of child abuse and neglect. The sample consisted of: 2,160 parents or guardians of children aged under 11 years; 2,275 young people aged 11-17 years with additional information from their parents or guardians; and 1,761 young adults aged 18-24 years. The findings show that the rates of child maltreatment reported by young adults aged 18–24 are lower in 2009 than in 1998. However, significant minorities of children and young people in the UK today are experiencing severe maltreatment and this is associated with poorer emotional wellbeing, self-harm, suicidal ideation and delinquent behaviour.
Childhood maltreatment among Norwegian drug abusers in treatment
- Authors:
- RAVNDAL Edle, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 10(2), April 2001, pp.142-147.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article reports on the investigation of the correlation between the European Addiction Severity Index and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire among 102 Norwegian drug abusers admitted to treatment. The aim of the study is to explore how different types and levels of childhood trauma and social and psychiatric factors, medical situation and experienced family history are interrelated. Concludes that more research, and especially prospective studies, is needed to clarify the importance of parents' substance abuse and psychiatric problems in childhood/adolescence compared with trauma in the client's childhood and the client's current psychiatric status.
Adult psychiatry - a missing link in child protection network: comments on Falkov's 'fatal child abuse and parental psychiatric disorder' (DOH, 1996)
- Authors:
- REDER Peter, DUNCAN Sylvia
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 6(1), March 1997, pp.35-40.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Discusses the Falkov report, the work of Falkov a child psychiatrist, which is primarily a statistical review of 'Part 8 Review' cases with the aim of identifying the prevalence of mental health problems in parents who abuse their children.
Recall of childhood neglect and physical abuse as differential predictors of current psychological functioning
- Authors:
- GAUTHIER Lisa, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 20(7), July 1996, pp.549-559.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The differential effects of neglect and physical abuse on psychological functioning are not well understood. Examines the relationship between reported neglect and physical abuse and symptomatology and attachment styles in a sample of male and female undergraduates. In contrast to physical abuse, which must involve some parental involvement in a child's life, neglect is characterised by a lack of parent-child interaction. As such, it was hypothesised that childhood neglect would be more predictive of symptomatology and dysfunctional attachment styles than would physical abuse. Results confirmed the expected relationship between neglect and more severe psychological problems and anxious attachment styles. Implications of these results point to the need to focus both empirically and theoretically on neglect and physical abuse as potentially separate moderators of psychosocial functioning.
Parental absence, child victimization, and psychological well-being in rural China
- Authors:
- CHEN Mengtong, CHAN Ko Ling
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 59, 2016, pp.45-54.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Using cross-sectional data regarding 793 rural children aged 10–16 in Sichuan Province of China, the present study examined the preceding-year rates of seven forms of child victimisation (physical assault, property crime, peer/sibling victimisation, child maltreatment, sexual victimisation, witnessing family violence, and exposure to community violence) and poly-victimisation, and found children’s victimisation experiences increased as the degree of parental absence increased (from the presence of two biological parents, to parental migration and parental separation and divorce). Elevated levels of depression were also found among left-behind children and children of separated or divorced parents, compared to children living with both biological parents; and child poly-victimisation added to the risk of child depression. Certain demographic characteristics (being a boy and younger) and parental factors were associated with child victimisation in rural China. This study highlights the need for child protection in rural China, and in particular for parent-absent children. (Edited publisher abstract)
Parents with a mental health problem: learning from case reviews
- Author:
- NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN
- Publisher:
- NSPCC
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Place of publication:
- London
This briefing highlights risk factors and key learning for improved practice from case reviews where the mental health problems of parents was a key factor. It is based on case reviews published from since 2013. The briefing identifies the following risk factors for practitioners to be aware of: disclosure of suicidal feelings; threats to kill; stress factors; domestic abuse; drug or alcohol misuse; and lack of engagement with services. Pointers to improve practice include: giving better consideration of the impact of mental health issues on parenting capacity; the need for children's services and adult services to work together and think of the whole family; listening to parents; having the confidence to question and challenge; and ensuring assessment is a shared task between children's social workers and adult mental health. (Edited publisher abstract)
Effects of the child–perpetrator relationship on mental health outcomes of child abuse: it's (not) all relative
- Authors:
- KISER Laurel J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 38(6), 2014, pp.1083-1093.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The present study was conducted to better understand the influence of the child–perpetrator relationship on responses to child sexual and physical trauma for a relatively large, ethnically diverse sample of children and youth presenting for clinical evaluation and treatment at child mental health centres across the United States. This referred sample includes 2,133 youth with sexual or physical trauma as their primary treatment focus. Analyses were conducted to ascertain whether outcomes were dependent on the perpetrator's status as a caregiver vs. non-caregiver. Outcome measures included psychiatric symptom and behaviour problem rating scales. For sexual trauma, victimization by a non-caregiver was associated with higher posttraumatic stress, internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems, depression, and dissociation compared to youth victimized by a caregiver. For physical trauma, victimization by a non-caregiver was also associated with higher posttraumatic symptoms and internalizing behaviour problems. The total number of trauma types experienced and age of physical or sexual trauma onset also predicted several outcomes for both groups, although in disparate ways. These findings are consistent with other recent studies demonstrating that perpetration of abuse by caregivers results in fewer symptoms and problems than abuse perpetrated by a non-caregiving relative. Thus, clinicians should not make a priori assumptions that children and adolescents who are traumatized by a parent/caregiver would have more severe symptoms than youth who are traumatized by a non-caregiver. Further exploration of the role of the perpetrator and other trauma characteristics associated with the perpetrator role is needed to advance our understanding of these findings and their implications for clinical practice. (Edited publisher abstract)