NCJ Number
178393
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 1999 Pages: 152-163
Date Published
1999
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Based on referrals from the public, this study looks at the association between child protection and parental mental health.
Abstract
The hypotheses tested were that the proportion of child abuse referrals that allege mental illness in one or both of the parents will be greater than 16 percent and that the referrals were more likely to be for sexual or physical abuse than those referrals in which there was no mention of mental illness. Data were obtained from the child abuse referrals received from the general public through the Child Protection Helpline of Great Britain's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Four months of referral forms (n=2,084) were selected from the 7,000-plus referrals during the period June 1995 to May 1996, and the information contained on them was coded. In 10 percent of the referrals, a parent or caregiver was reported as having a mental health problem. Mothers were the parent affected in the majority of these cases. The mental health sample differed from the other referrals in an increased concern about emotional abuse and less about sexual abuse, greater levels of violence and discord between parents, and more agency involvement. Issues of potential labeling and therapeutic needs are discussed. 5 tables and 20 references