Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T02:44:16.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dyads and triads of abuse, bereavement and separation: a survey in children attending a child and family centre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Declan Sheerin
Declan Sheerin*
Affiliation:
Child and Family Centre, Dublin Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency with which abuse, parental separation and bereavement occur on their own or together in children attending child psychiatry services and to assess the relationship between these traumas and attendance and outcome.

Method: A review of all case notes over a 12 month period (n = 435) was conducted and a proforma completed. Information was gathered on clinical presentation, rate of attendance, the presence of sexual abuse, non-sexual abuse including bullying, bereavement and parental separation and a measurement of outcome by subjective assessment was made.

Results: Fifty-nine per cent of the children had experienced at least one of the specified traumas; 13% had experienced two and 2.5% had experienced three. The children who had been abused or bereaved were more likely to require fairly long-term work; those who were adjusting to parental separation required less intervention over time. The children who had been sexually abused had, relatively, the poorest outcome in contrast to those adjusting to bereavement where 87% were considered to have made significant improvement.

Conclusions: Bereavement, abuse and parental separation are common in children referred to the child psychiatric services and these children often require long-term intervention. Increased resources will be required in order to continue to provide adequate intervention and treatment for these children.

Keywords

Child psychiatryLife eventsBereavementChild sexual abuseBullyingEmotional abuseNeglectPhysical abuseParental separation
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , December 1998 , pp. 131 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Rutter, M, Cox, A, Tupling, C, Berger, M, Yule, W. Attainment and adjustment in two geographical areas: 1. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder. Br J Psychiatry 1975; 126: 493–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Aronen, E. The effect of family counselling on rhe mental healrh of 10-11 vear-old children in low- and high-risk families: a longitudinal approach. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1993; 34: 15–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Kaufman, J, Birmaher, B, Brent, D, Dahl, R, Bridge, J, Ryan, ND. Psychopathology in the relatives of depressed-abused children. Child Abuse and Neglect 1998; 22:171–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.George, C, Main, M. Social interaction of young abused children: approach, avoidance and aggression. Child Devel 1991; 50: 306–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Haskett, ME, Kistner, JA. Social interactions and peer perceptions of voung physically abused children. Child Devel 1991; 62: 979–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Howes, C, Eldridge, R. Responses of abused, neglected, and non-maltreated children to the behaviors of their peers. J App Developmental Psychol 1985; 6: 261–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Jacobson, RS, Straker, G. Peer interaction of physically abused children. Child Abuse and Neglect 1982; 6: 321–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Klimes-Dougan, B, Kistner, J. Physically abused preschoolers responses ro peer distress. Developmental Psychol 1990; 26: 599–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Byrne, B. Coping with bullying in schools. Dublin: Colour Books Ltd, 1994.Google Scholar
10.Olweus, D. Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1993.Google Scholar
11.Reid, K. Retrospective and persistent school absenteeism. Ed Res 1983; 25: 110–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.McClure, M, Shirataki, S. Child abuse in Japan. J Am Acad Child Adolescent Psychiat 1989;28:488–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Olweus, D. Annotation: bullying at school: Basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1994, 35: 1171–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Dawkins, J, Hill, P. Bullying: another form of abuse. In: David, TJ (ed). Recent advances in pediatrics 13. London: Churchill Livingstone, 1995.Google Scholar
15.Beitchman, JH, Zucker, KJ, Hood, JE, DaCosta, GA, Akman, D, Cassavia, E. A review of the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect 1992; 16: 101–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Runtz, M, Briere, J. Adolescent ‘acting-out’ and childhood hisrory of sexual abuse. J Interpersonal Violence 1986; 1: 326–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Bernstein, GA, Garfinkel, BD, Hoberman, HM. Self-reported anxiety in adolescents. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 384–6.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Williamson, JM, Borduin, CM, Howe, BA. The ecology of adolescent maltreatment: a multilevel examination of adolescent physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. J Con Clin Psychol 1991; 59: 449–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Kendall-Tackett, KA, Meyer, Williams L, Finkelhor, D. Impact of sexual abuse on children: a review and synthesis of recent empirical studies. Psychol Bull 1993; 113: 164–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Browne, A, Finkelhor, D. Impact of child sexual abuse: a review of rhe research. Psychological Bulletin 1986; 99: 66–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Watkins, B, Bentovim, A. The sexual abuse of male children and adolescents: a review of current research. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1992; 33: 197–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Emery, RE. Marriage, divorce, and children's adjustment. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1988.Google Scholar
23.Hodges, WEInterventions for children of divorce. New York: John Wilev, 1986.Google Scholar
24.Amato, PR, Keith, B. Parental divorce and the well-being of children: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 1991; 110: 26–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Fergusson, DM, Lynskey, MT, Horwood, LJ. The effects of parental separation, the timing of separation and gender on children's performance on cognitive tests. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1994; 35: 1077–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Rutter, M. Children of sick parents: an environmental & psychiatric study. Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley monograph no. 16. London: Oxford University Press, 1966.Google Scholar
27.Brown, GW, Harris, T. Social origins of depression. London: Tavistock, 1978.Google ScholarPubMed
28.Elizur, E, Kaffman, M. Children's bereavement reactions following death of the father: II. J Am Acad Child Psychiat 1982; 21: 474–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Balk, DE. Adolescents' grief reactions and self-concept perceptions following sibling death: a study of 33 teenagers. J Youth Adolescence 1983; 12: 137–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Dyregrov, A. Childhood bereavement: consequences and therapeutic approaches. ACPP Review & Newsletter 1994; 16: 173–82.Google Scholar
31.Cohen, Yet al.Physical and sexual abuse and their relation to psychiatric disorder and suicidal behaviour among adolescents who are psychiatrically hospitalised. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1996; 37: 989–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Weiselberg, M. Classification and epidemiology. In: Black, D, Cottrell, D (eds). Seminars in child and adolescent psychiatry. London: Gaskell, 1993.Google Scholar
33.Achenbach, TM. Manual for the Child Behaviour Checklist/4-18 and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University ol Vermont Department of Psychiatry, 1991.Google Scholar
34.Adams, J, Adams, M. The association among negative life events, perceived problem solving alternatives, depression, and suicidal ideation in adolescent psychiatric patients. J Child Psychol Psychiat 1996; 37: 715–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed