The long-term effects of childhood neglect or abuse. Implications for child and family services in the UK

Childhood neglect or abuse is damaging, with lifelong impacts on functioning, clinical and physical health. It can also transmit risk to the next generation. Child abuse is related to social deprivation, a source of family breakup, common in families under stress and is associated with other social ills such as domestic violence, and parental mental health problems. It is therefore costly to society financially, emotionally and in terms of family wellbeing. It is increasingly seen as a major public health issue given its wide prevalence. Contemporary issues in the UK concern not only ongoing neglect or abuse of children, but also the impact of historical abuse, a psychological burden to a significant number of adults. Often untreated, and occurring before adequate child protection policies were in place, the impacts of historical abuse is an ongoing concern both for health and social care services. This paper will describe the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview research findings and application in child and family services. It enables an accurate assessment of historical abuse, and its scoring system can be used on ongoing case files for children for better classification. A social and attachment model are described as explaining how damage from neglect and abuse can extend into later life

Identity Awoken in Second-Generation British Poles in the UK:Personal Journeys

We examine the identity of British Poles born in the UK, whose parents arrived as allied servicemen and their families, seeking asylum following WW2. The two authors are from this community, and here examine their British-Polish identity along with other second-generation Poles in the UK. These individuals grew up in distinct communities exposed to the Polish language and culture but with restricted contact with communist Poland. The themes of response to parents’ trauma experience, Polish identity in childhood and in midlife, Polish language, and visiting family in Poland were explored. Many described parents as secretive about the horrors of war but keen to retain and propagate their Polish identity. Some felt they were not fully Polish, but their identity increased with access to modern Poland as adults. The Polish language was important to identity but linked to feeling inadequacy when not fluent. Visiting family in Poland enhanced identity, was valued, and provided information on family history. European identity was adopted by some to cover both their British and Polish identity. Genealogy and family history are popular and linked to community, and British Poles have a distinct contribution and a voice in showing how identity can emerge out of family trauma

Family history and searching for hidden trauma—a personal commentary [Commentary]

Background: Searching family history is now popular through increased internet access coinciding with a need for understanding identity. Prior unresolved war trauma can help explain impacts on subsequent generations and the need to search for family narrative, particularly in refugee families. This paper explores the search for trauma narratives through personal family history research, with links to community groups. Method: The author’s own Polish family history research provides examples of trauma and loss from World War II in Poland. This is supplemented by quotes from an existing interview study of second-generation Poles to amplify themes and indicate their wider community relevance

Social, family and trauma risk factors for common disorders in Israeli youth

Abstract: Trauma exposure needs to be differentiated from trauma impacts in models of psychological disorder. Early life trauma experience is well established as a risk for psychological disorder in teenage and adult years. However, trauma experience is a broad category including personal (e.g. familial abuse, peer violence) and non-personal such as social deprivation and political violence related trauma. These factors are examined together in the Israeli context to gain understanding of their impact on emotional and behavioural disorders. Method: This study examined self-report trauma experience, psychosocial risks and psychological disorder by questionnaire in 108 Israeli youth (aged 12–16). This comprised an underprivileged group from social services and a comparison group. Standardised questionnaires were used in translation to assess demographics, prior personal trauma, political violence trauma, parental bonding in earlier childhood and emotional and behavioural disorder. The aim was to see how social deprivation, ethnicity, poor parenting and peer problems related to exposure to personal trauma events, and whether this impinged on political violence trauma and psychological disorder. Results: Exposure to a range of personal childhood trauma events was related to peer problems and affectionless control from father and more common in Israeli Arab youth. Exposure to political trauma was more common among those less socially deprived. A dose-effect of political trauma on psychological disorder was supported. Logistic regression showed social deprivation, exposure to political trauma and peer problems provided the best model for conduct disorder and exposure to political violence and peer problems provided the best model for hyperactive disorder. Personal childhood trauma did not add to the models. Discussion: All youth are vulnerable to disorder in conflict situations. Understanding issues of social deprivation, relationship with parents and peers and ethnicity add additional risks for psychological disorder in the Israeli context

Associations between depression and specific childhood experiences of abuse and neglect: a meta-analysis

Background Research documents a strong relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression. However, only few studies have examined the specific effects of various types of childhood abuse/neglect on depression. This meta-analysis estimated the associations between depression and different types of childhood maltreatment (antipathy, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse) assessed with the same measure, the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview. Method A systematic search in scientific databases included use of CECA interview and strict clinical assessment for major depression as criteria. Our meta-analysis utilized Cohen's d and relied on a random-effects model. Results The literature search yielded 12 primary studies (reduced from 44), with a total of 4372 participants and 34 coefficients. Separate meta-analyses for each type of maltreatment revealed that psychological abuse and neglect were most strongly associated with the outcome of depression. Sexual abuse, although significant, was less strongly related. Furthermore, the effects of specific types of childhood maltreatment differed across adult and adolescent samples. Limitations Our strict criteria for selecting the primary studies resulted in a small numbers of available studies. It restricted the analyses for various potential moderators. Conclusion This meta-analysis addressed the differential effects of type of childhood maltreatment on major depression, partially explaining between-study variance. The findings clearly highlight the potential impact of the more “silent” types of childhood maltreatment (other than physical and sexual abuse) on the development of depression

ANXIETY AND HOSPITALIZATION IN ADOLESCENCE: RELATIONS TO ATTACHMENT STYLE AND PARENTAL SUPPORT

This exploratory study examined attachment style and state/trait anxiety in adolescents - 30 recently hospitalized psychiatric patients, and 49 school controls. All were aged 13-18, with the majority (67%) female. The attachment style interview (ASI, Bifulco et al. 2002) was administered, together with the Recent Life Events questionnaire (Brugha & Cragg 1990) and the STAI anxiety questionnaire (Spielberger et al. 1983). Results showed the hospitalised group to have significantly more negative interactions with parents and poorer support than the comparison group. They had significantly more insecure attachment style (96% s 37%). Among the hospitalized adolescents, both the Anxious and the Avoidant attachment style group had higher anxiety scores on the STAI-trait scores than on the STAI-state scores assessed during the first days of hospitalisation. This suggests adolescents, even those with Avoidant attachment feel less anxious after admission. Implications for assessing attachment style in adolescent patients to aid with care planning is discussed

ANXIETY AND HOSPITALIZATION IN ADOLESCENCE: RELATIONS TO ATTACHMENT STYLE AND PARENTAL SUPPORT

This exploratory study examined attachment style and state/trait anxiety in adolescents - 30 recently hospitalized psychiatric patients, and 49 school controls. All were aged 13-18, with the majority (67%) female. The attachment style interview (ASI, Bifulco et al. 2002) was administered, together with the Recent Life Events questionnaire (Brugha & Cragg 1990) and the STAI anxiety questionnaire (Spielberger et al. 1983). Results showed the hospitalised group to have significantly more negative interactions with parents and poorer support than the comparison group. They had significantly more insecure attachment style (96% s 37%). Among the hospitalized adolescents, both the Anxious and the Avoidant attachment style group had higher anxiety scores on the STAI-trait scores than on the STAI-state scores assessed during the first days of hospitalisation. This suggests adolescents, even those with Avoidant attachment feel less anxious after admission. Implications for assessing attachment style in adolescent patients to aid with care planning is discussed