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Jarvers I, Ecker A, Schleicher D, Brunner R, Kandsperger S. Impact of preschool attendance, parental stress, and parental mental health on internalizing and externalizing problems during COVID-19 lockdown measures in preschool children. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281627. [PMID: 36780506 PMCID: PMC9925084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Internalizing problems are common in young children, often persist into adulthood, and increase the likelihood for subsequent psychiatric disorders. Problematic attachment, parental mental health problems, and stress are risk factors for the development of internalizing problems. COVID-19 lockdown measures have resulted in additional parental burden and especially their impact on preschool children has rarely been investigated as of now. The current study examined the impact of sustained preschool attendance, parental stress, and parental mental health on internalizing and externalizing problems during COVID-19 lockdown measures in a sample of preschool children in Germany. METHODS AND FINDINGS N = 128 parents of preschool children filled out a one-time online survey about children's internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and attachment for three time points: before a nation-wide lockdown (T1), during the most difficult time of the lockdown (T2) and after the lockdown (T3). Additionally, parents answered questions about their own depressive and anxious symptomatology for the three time points and parental stress for T1 and T2. Linear-mixed effect models were computed to predict children's internalizing / externalizing behavior. Preschool children showed a significant increase in internalizing and externalizing problems over time, highest at T2 with small decreases at T3. Parental depressive and anxious symptomatology increased significantly from T1 to T2, but also remained high at T3. Parental stress levels were comparable to community samples at T1, but attained average values reported for at-risk families at T2. Linear-mixed effect models identified higher parental stress, parental anxiety, attachment problems, parental education, and less preschool attendance as significant predictors for internalizing and externalizing problems in preschoolers with more specific associations shown in separate models. A limitation is the retrospective assessment for the times T1 and T2. CONCLUSIONS Preschool children's mental health is strongly and negatively influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown measures. Sustained preschool attendance may serve as a protective factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Jarvers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Angelika Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schleicher
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kandsperger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Tierolf B, Geurts E, Steketee M. Domestic violence in families in the Netherlands during the coronavirus crisis: A mixed method study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 116:104800. [PMID: 33218711 PMCID: PMC8447001 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consequences of the coronavirus crisis are considerable for everyone in the Netherlands. Although there were concerns about the many vulnerable families who were forced to stay at home because of the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus in the Netherlands, there has been no increase in the number of reports of domestic violence or child abuse. OBJECTIVE To gain insight by a mixed method study on what has happened during the lockdown within families who were already known to social services. METHODS A quantitative study was performed among 159 families recruited before the coronavirus crisis, and 87 families recruited during the lockdown in the Netherlands through child protection services. Family members (parents, children) completed questionnaires about interparental violence, (historical) child abuse and neglect, and emotional security. In a qualitative study 39 of these respondents and 13 professionals were interviewed. RESULTS No difference was found in violence between families who participated before and after the lockdown. The level of violence is still high in most families. The absence of assistance promoted the self-reliance of children and parents to deal with this difficult period. Professionals found new ways of connecting to families at risk. Every form of support is important to these families because it made children feel seen and heard. Isolation of families where domestic violence and child abuse occurred, remains a risk factor, even outside the coronavirus crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Tierolf
- Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Kromme Nieuwegracht 6, 3512 HG Utrecht, the Netherlands; Section of Clinical Child and Family Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Edith Geurts
- Augeo Foundation, Hoofdstraat 67, Driebergen-Rijssenburg, the Netherlands.
| | - Majone Steketee
- Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Kromme Nieuwegracht 6, 3512 HG Utrecht, the Netherlands; Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Science, Erasmus University, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Crettenden A, Zerk D. Child Protection and Psychology Education in Australian Universities. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-9544.2010.00017.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Crettenden
- Australian Centre for Child Protection, Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia
| | - Danielle Zerk
- Australian Centre for Child Protection, Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia
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Rijbroek B, Strating MMH, Konijn HW, Huijsman R. Child protection cases, one size fits all? Cluster analyses of risk and protective factors. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2019; 95:104068. [PMID: 31301547 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To provide effective tailor made case management in Child Protection Services (CPS) a insight is needed into the specific characteristics of the target group. Using the ecological perspective of maltreatment, this study explored poorly known characteristics of the CPS population. OBJECTIVE To distinguish CPS subgroups based on risk and protective factors enables tailor made case management that fits the specific needs of these subgroups. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING We studied 250 Dutch CPS cases of family supervision by court order that had completed the LIRIK and Action Plan checklists in August 2014-March 2015. METHODS This quantitative study analyzed risk and protective factors for children and parents reported in client files. Subgroups were identified by two-step cluster analyses. Chi-square analyses identified relations between parental risk subgroups and other groups. RESULTS Building on the interplay between risk and protective factors on the levels of child, parent and environment, we found five distinct subgroups in the CPS population. The most vulnerable is parents with multiple problems (31%) or socio-economic problems (13%). Parts of both subgroup have limited protective factors. Parents with major life events (16%) or poor parenting (13%) are characterized by single-level problems. One subgroup (28%), the unaccepted, has no parental risk factors registered. CONCLUSIONS Studying client files can lead to a better understanding of the healthcare needs of the CPS population. To develop and implement more effective case management requires constant dialogue between science, policy, and the experiences of both clients and professional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigit Rijbroek
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Mathilde M H Strating
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Helena W Konijn
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Robbert Huijsman
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Parra GR, Ross JR, Ringle JL, Samson NR, Thompson RW. Evaluation of Boys Town In-Home Family Services with Families Referred by Child Welfare. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 13:401-11. [PMID: 26954360 DOI: 10.1080/23761407.2015.1086715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the Boys Town In-Home Family Services model with families referred by child welfare for issues related to maltreatment. Participants were 135 parents (mean age = 32.15 years, SD = 9.13) who completed intake and discharge assessments. The target child ranged in age from one month to 17 years (M = 4.54, SD = 4.38). We had a high-risk sample (e.g., 57% and 41% of parents reported being victims of physical and sexual abuse, respectively; 24% of parents reported attempting suicide in their lifetimes). The intervention was implemented with a degree of fidelity consistent with model standards. Reduced levels of perceived stressors were found for several domains of functioning with the largest effects observed for family safety, parental capabilities, and environmental factors. Results serve as an important step in building the evidence base of a widely disseminated intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert R Parra
- a Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town , Nebraska , USA
| | - Jordan R Ross
- a Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town , Nebraska , USA
| | - Jay L Ringle
- a Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town , Nebraska , USA
| | - Natalie R Samson
- a Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town , Nebraska , USA
| | - Ronald W Thompson
- a Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town , Nebraska , USA
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van der Kooij IW, Nieuwendam J, Bipat S, Boer F, Lindauer RJL, Graafsma TLG. A national study on the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Suriname. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2015; 47:153-161. [PMID: 25937450 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of child maltreatment in Suriname has never been subjected to a reliable assessment. The only data available include rough estimates of a range of internationally comparable indicators extrapolated from child protection and police corps statistics for offenses against children. This study aimed to provide a reliable estimate of the prevalence of all forms of child maltreatment in Suriname. One thousand three hundred and ninety-one (1,391) adolescents and young adults of different ethnicities completed a questionnaire about child maltreatment. The study sample, obtained by random probability sampling, consisted of students (ages 12 through 22) from five districts in Suriname. A significant proportion of Surinamese children experienced maltreatment. In total, 86.8% of adolescents and 95.8% of young adults reported having been exposed to at least one form of child maltreatment during their lives. Among the adolescents, 57.1% were exposed to child maltreatment in the past year. When the definition of the National Incidence Study was applied, 58.2% of adolescents and 68.8% of young adults had been exposed to at least one form of maltreatment. Among adolescents, 36.8% reported having experienced at least one form of maltreatment in the past year. The results indicate the (extremely) high lifetime and year prevalence of child maltreatment in Suriname. The serious and often lifelong consequences of such maltreatment indicate that a national approach to child abuse and neglect, including the development of a national strategic plan, a national surveillance system and changes to the state's programmatic and policy response, is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inger W van der Kooij
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josta Nieuwendam
- Institute for Graduate Studies & Research, Anton de Kom University, Suriname
| | - Shandra Bipat
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frits Boer
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The Bascule, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ramón J L Lindauer
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The Bascule, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobi L G Graafsma
- Institute for Graduate Studies & Research, Anton de Kom University, Suriname; The Bascule, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Christoffersen MN, Armour C, Lasgaard M, Andersen TE, Elklit A. The prevalence of four types of childhood maltreatment in denmark. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 2013; 9:149-156. [PMID: 24155769 PMCID: PMC3804885 DOI: 10.2174/1745017901309010149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To estimate the prevalence of four types of childhood maltreatment in Denmark while taking into considerations how each of the types of maltreatment vary as a function of gender or child-protection status. METHODS Data were collected from a Danish national study conducted by The Danish National Centre for Social Research in 2008 and 2009. The study used a stratified random probability sample of young people aged 24 years. A sample of 4718 young adults were randomly selected by Statistics Denmark using the total birth cohort of all children born in 1984. The response rate was 63% leaving a total effective sample size of 2980. A structured residential or telephone interview enquired about a range of respondents maltreatment experiences. RESULTS Maltreatment is experienced by a significant proportion of Danish children. The reported prevalence rates were; physical neglect (3.0%), emotional abuse (5.2%), physical abuse (5.4%) and sexual abuse (3.4%). All trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of females compared to males with the exception of physical abuse and all trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of children given child-protection status. CONCLUSIONS Female children and children who are given child protection status are those most at risk for experiencing maltreatment in Denmark. However, variability in prevalence rates of maltreatment across studies is problematic. Methodological variations and variation in abuse definitions may be partly attributable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cherie Armour
- Department of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
| | - Mathias Lasgaard
- National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M,
Denmark
| | - Tonny E Andersen
- National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M,
Denmark
| | - Ask Elklit
- National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M,
Denmark
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Roberts AL, Glymour MM, Koenen KC. Does maltreatment in childhood affect sexual orientation in adulthood? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2013; 42:161-71. [PMID: 22976519 PMCID: PMC3535560 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-012-0021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies find a positive association between physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence in childhood and same-sex sexuality in adulthood, but studies directly assessing the association between these diverse types of maltreatment and sexuality cannot disentangle the causal direction because the sequencing of maltreatment and emerging sexuality is difficult to ascertain. Nascent same-sex orientation may increase risk of maltreatment; alternatively, maltreatment may shape sexual orientation. Our study used instrumental variable models based on family characteristics that predict maltreatment but are not plausibly influenced by sexual orientation (e.g., having a stepparent) as natural experiments to investigate whether maltreatment might increase the likelihood of same-sex sexuality in a nationally representative sample (n = 34,653). In instrumental variable models, history of sexual abuse predicted increased prevalence of same-sex attraction by 2.0 percentage points [95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-2.5], any same-sex partners by 1.4 percentage points (95 % CI = 1.0-1.9), and same-sex identity by 0.7 percentage points (95 % CI = 0.4-0.9). Effects of sexual abuse on men's sexual orientation were substantially larger than on women's. Effects of non-sexual maltreatment were significant only for men and women's sexual identity and women's same-sex partners. While point estimates suggest much of the association between maltreatment and sexual orientation may be due to the effects of maltreatment on sexual orientation, confidence intervals were wide. Our results suggest that causal relationships driving the association between sexual orientation and childhood abuse may be bidirectional, may differ by type of abuse, and may differ by sex. Better understanding of this potentially complex causal structure is critical to developing targeted strategies to reduce sexual orientation disparities in exposure to abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Roberts
- Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, School of Public Health, Harvard University, Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115;
| | - M. Maria Glymour
- Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, School of Public Health, Harvard University, Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115;
| | - Karestan C. Koenen
- Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, School of Public Health, Harvard University, Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115;
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
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Ronan KR, Feather JS. Child maltreatment: Introduction to the Special Issue. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/00050060903153743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R. Ronan
- Institute of Health and Social Science Research, Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
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