Psychiatric Disorders of Parents of Physically Abused Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 227295
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 273-281
• Author(s): Sandra J. Kaplan; Suzanne R. Sunday; Victor Labruna; David Pelcovitz; Suzanne Salzinger
• Date Published: July 2009
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): RO1-MH43772; R01-MH602642
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined psychiatric disorders in a sample of parents of adolescents who were documented as physically abused during adolescence compared to sample of parents of non-abused adolescents.

Abstract

Findings of the study indicate elevated psychopathology in parents of physically abused adolescents, similar to previous study findings. The result underscores the importance of addressing this issue when attempting to enhance the functioning and well-being of abused adolescents. In addition, comorbidity of psychiatric disorders was found in over 40 percent of the study's abuse-group parents. This is an important finding since co-occurring mental disorders have been found to be associated with longer durations of psychiatric disorders and increased severity of impairment. The significant association found between parents' diagnoses of depressive, substance abuse/dependence and anxiety disorders and being the parent of a physically abused adolescent suggests that increased recognition and treatment of parental psychiatric disorders could function to prevent the onset of adolescent maltreatment, and to reduce the high recidivism rates of maltreatment once the physical abuse is detected. This study assessed psychiatric disorders of 142 parents of adolescents who were physically abused during adolescence and 168 parents of non-abused comparison adolescents. Tables, figure, and references