Child Abuse and Pediatric Social Illness - An Epidemiological Analysis and Ecological Reformulation

• NCJ Number: 106145
• Journal: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1986) Pages: 589-601
• Author(s): E H Newberger; R L Hampton; T J Marx; K M White
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): OCD-CB-141; T01 MH155117
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: A revised version of a paper submitted to the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry in July 1985

Annotation

Children under 4 years old hospitalized at Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, between July 1975 and April 1977 for child abuse, domestic accidents, failure to thrive, and ingestions were matched with controls admitted for comparably acute medical conditions to determine any case-control differences.

Abstract

The final sample consisted of 209 cases and 209 controls. Interviews with the mothers obtained data on family circumstances, parents' childhoods, child characteristics, and the mother's perception of her child's temperament. Discriminant analysis suggested interrelationships among the case groups, and cluster analysis identified three cohesive groups according to symptom severity. Case children differed from control children not only in presenting symptoms but in a variety of ecological characteristics. Families of children with a social illness were experiencing more stress than families of children with nonfatal acute medical conditions. The clusters identified in this study provide a matrix for organizing data from families whose children suffer pediatric social illnesses. This will facilitate focusing on specific aspects of family functioning that require therapeutic attention. 5 tables and 24 references.