Children in group interventions after exposure to violence toward a caregiver : Experiences, needs, and outcomes

This thesis consists of three empirical studies, all part of the same research project, with a general aim to explore interventions for children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). Because witnessing violence toward a caregiver is associated with negative impact on children’s health and development, effective interventions for children exposed to IPV are necessary. The aim of Study I was to elucidate young children’s experiences of participating in group interventions for children exposed to IPV. Nine children, aged 4 to 6 years, were interviewed after participating in group programs designed for children exposed to IPV. The interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five master themes embracing the children’s experiences were identified: joy; security; relatedness; talking; and competence. The aim of Study II was to investigate young children’s accounts of their abused parent. Interviews were conducted with 17 children between 4 and 13 years old who had witnessed IPV. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: coherent accounts of the parent; deficient accounts of the parent; and parent as a trauma trigger. Study III was an effectiveness study investigating the outcomes of two group interventions for children exposed to IPV and their non-offending parent: one psycho-educative community-based intervention (CBI) and one psychotherapeutic treatment intervention. The study included 50 children between 4 and 13 years old and their mothers. Child and maternal mental health problems and trauma symptoms were assessed before and after treatment. The results indicate that although children benefited from both interventions, symptom reduction was larger in the psychotherapeutic intervention. Despite these improvements, most of the children’s mothers still reported child trauma symptoms at clinical levels post treatment. Both interventions, however, significantly reduced maternal post-traumatic stress. The results showed that children generally appreciated and benefited from both interventions studied, but most still showed symptoms at clinical levels post treatment and a possible need for additional and/or different support and interventions. These results indicate not only the need for continuous and post-treatment assessment of children’s symptoms in routine clinical practice, but also the value of including children as informants in research.Att som barn bevittna våld mot en förälder är förknippat med negativ påverkan på barns hälsa och utveckling, vilket medför att det finns ett behov av verksamma interventioner för barn som exponerats för våld mot en förälder. Denna avhandling innehåller tre empiriska studier som alla är del av ett sammanhållet forskningsprojekt. Det övergripande syftet är att undersöka interventioner för barn som exponerats för våld mot en förälder. Studie I syftade till att belysa små barns upplevelser och erfarenheter av att delta i gruppinterventioner riktade till barn som bevittnat våld mot en förälder. Nio barn, 4 till 6 år gamla, intervjuades efter att de deltagit i gruppverksamhet för barn som bevittnat våld i sina familjer. Intervjuerna analyserades med interpretativ fenomenologisk analys, och fem huvudteman identifierades: glädje, trygghet, att vara i relation, att prata och kompetens. Syftet med studie II var att undersöka hur barn berättar om en våldsutsatt förälder. Intervjuer genomfördes med 17 barn mellan 4 och 13 år som bevittnat våld mot en förälder. Tematisk analys identifierade tre huvudteman: sammanhängande berättande om föräldern, bristfälligt berättande om föräldern och föräldern som trigger för traumareaktioner. Studie III var en utfallsstudie som undersökte utfallet av två olika gruppinterventioner för barn som bevittnat våld mot en förälder, en psykoedukativ och en psykoterapeutisk. Studien inkluderade 50 barn mellan 4 och 13 år och deras mammor. Symtom på psykisk ohälsa och posttraumatisk stress skattades före och efter interventionerna. Resultaten tyder på att barnen drog nytta av båda interventionerna, men förbättring av symtom var störst för de barn som deltagit i den psykoterapeutiska gruppinterventionen. Trots symtomförbättringarna rapporterade en majoritet av barnens mammor kvarstående symtom på klinisk nivå efter interventionerna. Mammorna visade signifikant lägre nivåer av egna symtom på posttraumatisk stress efter båda interventionerna. Resultaten tyder på att barnen uppskattade och drog nytta av båda de studerade interventionerna, men en majoritet uppvisade symtom på klinisk nivå även efter behandling och ett möjligt behov av kompletterande och/eller alternativt stöd och behandling. Dessa resultat tydliggör såväl behovet av rutiner för att bedöma barns symtom under och efter behandling som värdet av att inkludera barn som informanter i forskning

Outcomes of psychotherapeutic and psychoeducative group interventions for children exposed to intimate partner violence

Witnessing violence toward a caregiver during childhood is associated with negative impact on children's health and development, and there is a need for effective interventions for children exposed to intimate partner violence in clinical as well as in community settings. The current effectiveness study investigated symptom reduction after participation in two established group interventions (one community-based psychoeducative intervention; one psychotherapeutic treatment intervention) for children exposed to intimate partner violence and for their non-offending parent. The study included 50 children—24 girls and 26 boys—aged 4–13 years and their mothers. Child and maternal mental health problems and trauma symptoms were assessed pre- and post-treatment. The results indicate that although children showed benefits from both interventions, symptom reduction was larger in the psychotherapeutic intervention, and children with initially high levels of trauma symptoms benefited the most. Despite these improvements, a majority of the children's mothers still reported child trauma symptoms at clinical levels post-treatment. Both interventions substantially reduced maternal post-traumatic stress. The results indicate a need for routine follow-up of children's symptoms after interventions

Child health care nurses’ experience of language screening for 2.5-year-old children : A qualitative study

Aim: To investigate the experience of Child Health Care Nurses (CHCNs) using language screening for 2.5-year-old children. Design: An exploratory qualitative design with an inductive approach. Method: Data were collected through semi-structured, interviews with Swedish CHCNs who regularly performed language screening for children. The interviews were analysed by thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were identified: ‘The difficult visit’, ‘Explanations for language delay’, ‘Language screening across cultures’ and ‘Language screening with children exposed to adverse life events’. Patient or Public Contribution: Our findings suggest that in routine care a modified procedure is used for the language screening of children aged 2.5 to secure the child’s cooperation and to preserve an alliance with the parents. Consequently, the validity of the screening is called into question, particularly when it comes to children from families with origins outside the dominant culture and children exposed to adverse life events.

iRiSk II : Utveckling av bedömningsinstrument och stödinsatser för våldsutsatta barn - rapport fråm två delprojekt

iRiSk- Insatser och Risk/skyddsbedömningar för våldsutsatta bar