The general objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge on the approach of the Dutch CPA*s. More specific objectives of this research are: 1. To determine the course of the mental health and quality of life of abused children from 5 to…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Personality disorders and disturbances in behaviour
- Family issues
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Primary study parameters are:
- For children:
mental health, measured using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL parent
version, YSR child selfreport and TRF, teacher report) and quality of life
using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ)
- For adults:
quality of life, measured using the Rand-36
Secondary outcome
Some major independent variables will also be taken into account:
- stress, measured by the NOSI-K for parents and the MUSIC for children
- social support, measured by the SSL for parents and an adjusted SSL version
for children
- coping, measured by the CISS for parents and the Kids Cope for children
- self esteem will only be measured for children, using the CBSK/CBSA
Parents will, in addition to the questionnaires mentioned above, be asked to
fill out:
- the VMG (Vragenlijst Meegemaakte Gebeurtenissen) to get an overview of recent
life events
- the Neighborhood Disorder Scale
- the FGRS/MGRS about gender specific stress experiences
- the AUDIT to measure alcolhol use
Background variables such as gender, age, ethnical background, education level,
living situation and social demographical characteristics will also be taken
into account
Background summary
Evidence is accumulating on the relation between child abuse and the (future)
presence of mental health problems. Recently two Dutch studies have been
published, in which it was estimated that in the Netherlands between 107.000
and 160.000 children are abused in one way or another on a yearly basis. Like
most other western countries, the Netherlands has developed a system through
which suspected cases of child abuse can be reported with an agency, both by
professionals and by non-professionals. Such a report can be crucially
important for a child when investigation of the agency shows that the child has
indeed been abused and the subsequent interventions lead to the end of the
abuse situation and care for child and family. Although these Advies- and
Meldpunten Kindermishandeling (AMK, or CPA*s in English) have been in place for
over 30 years, the results and effects of their work have not been determined
in an evidence-based manner. Given the seriousness of the extent and the
consequences of child abuse, the success of the current approach to limit this
problem in the Netherlands must be made clear.
Study objective
The general objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge on the
approach of the Dutch CPA*s.
More specific objectives of this research are:
1. To determine the course of the mental health and quality of life of abused
children from 5 to 16 years old in the two years after they have been reported
at a CPA.
2. To determine the effects of a new procedure in which abused children from 8
to 16 years old participate as active informants in the CPA investigation
3. To map the costs and benefits of this new procedure by means of an economic
evaluation
Study design
To answer the first research question, a prospective study will be used in
which 278 parent-child dyads will be studied shortly after the initial report
at the CPA, and subsequently four times over the course of the two following
years.
To answer the second research question, a randomized controlled trial will be
used, in which 164 parent-child dyads will be divided randomly between a
control and experimental condition. Follow-up will be six months. The control
condition consists of the care as usual, the standard investigation method of
the CPA's after a child abuse report. Adults, such as the parents, general
practitioner and teachers are the informants for the CPA investigation. In the
experimental condition this procedure will be used as well, but it will be
complemented with the abused children as active informants.
For the third question the additional cost and benefits of the experimental
condition will be compared to the costs and benefits of the control condition.
Intervention
For researchquestion 2 and 3 an intervention will be used: Talking with Children
Experimental condition: The new innovative CPA approach in which maltreated
children of 8 years and older are included as active informants in the CPA
investigation process, by interviewing them to supplement the CPA investigation
process.
There is research evidence showing that maltreated children can provide highly
reliable and accurate information on their situations.
Control condition: Care as usual: CPA investigation process with standard
informants; the parents, general practitioner, teachers and other grown ups
that are connected to the child.
Study burden and risks
The participants in the prospective research will complete questionnaires on 5
different occasions, once directly after the child has been reported at the
CPA, and subsequently four more times in the two years following the initial
report. Participants in the RCT will complete questionnaires on 3 occasions,
once directly after the child has been reported at the CPA, and subsequently 3
and 6 months later. All assessment moments will take about 1 hour.
Participants are not expected to be at any risk. Participation is entirely
voluntarily and all participants are allowed to end their participation at any
time, without any explanation. The questionnaires will be filled out together
with a researcher.
Da Costakade 45
3500 AS Utrecht
Nederland
Da Costakade 45
3500 AS Utrecht
Nederland
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Age of the child is 5 years or older;
Expected time of residence in the Netherlands is at least a year, and there are no plans to leave the country;
Meeting the *classical* definition of child maltreatment including child physical or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical or emotional neglect;
Sufficient verbal and cognitive capacities to participate in a study which requires an oral interview;
A higher likelihood than average of child maltreatment as estimated by the CPA investigator at the initial stage of CPA investigation
Exclusion criteria
Participants not meeting the aforementioned criteria;
Participants who can be considered as *additional* children in the reports, comprising siblings of the maltreated child considered as being of less concern, as estimated by the CPA investigator;
Participants of whom the maltreatment is too questionable at the stage of inclusion
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL23743.097.09 |