Double jeopardy
The link between child abuse and maternal depression in child and family social work
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12570541 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Sheppard (0000-0002-4250-0666, University of Plymouth, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 91-107 |
| Publication date | 1997-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Child & Family Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1356-7500 • E-ISSN: 1365-2206 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1046/j.1365-2206.1997.00047.x |
| OpenAlex | W2082053281 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 12 |
The link between child care and mental health problems in social work clients has begun to attract some attention. Despite some review articles, research is, as yet, at a very early stage of development. Maternal depression and child care problems in particular appear likely to be closely associated. This paper focuses on the link between maternal depression and the most severe of child care problems: child abuse. The paper shows a significant relationship between maternal depression and child abuse. It explores this relationship by distinguishing three groups: families where no abuse had occurred (non abuse families), families where abuse had occurred but where the mother was not depressed (non depressed‐abuse group) and families where both child abuse and maternal depression were present (depressed‐abuse group). The depressed‐abuse group are shown to be considerably worse off than both the other groups for a range of measures, including indices of deprivation and range and severity of social problems. The depressed‐abuse group were also more chronic users of services and consumed far more resources than the other two groups. Remarkably, there were few differences between the non abuse group and the non depressed abuse group in nature and severity of problems and intervention. Depression in mothers, then, provides the major distinction between families where abuse was an issue compared with families where abuse was not present. Such families are characterized not simply by maternal depression and child abuse, but frequently by abuse of the mother herself, who is often socially isolated. These findings are of major importance for child care practice, indicating that working with the mother’s depression and the social conditions that provide its backdrop, are a major aspect of social work practice
Child abuse · Depression (economics · Domestic violence · Dysfunctional family · Intervention (counseling · Medical emergency · Mental health · Physical abuse · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychological abuse · Suicide prevention · Child Abuse and Trauma · Clinical Psychology · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
The Psychosocial 'Diagnosis' of Depression in Mothers
Depressed Mothers' Experience of Partnership in Child and Family Care
Parenting Assessment in a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit
An Evaluation of Social Support Intervention with Depressed Mothers in Child and Family Care
The education of children in care
The design and development of an instrument for assessing the quality of partnership between mother and social worker in child and family care
The Co-occurrence of Child and Intimate Partner Maltreatment in the Family
Victimization Exposure and Psychosocial Functioning Among School-Aged Children
At the Edge of Care
The Parent Concerns Questionnaire
Double trouble
Assessing Family Problems
| Citations per year | 0.44 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1999 - 2023 (25) |
| Highly cited | No |