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Follow-up protocol was useful for children whose parents attended emergency departments after partner violence,
Eva M M Hoytema van Konijnenburg1, Maj Gigengack2,3, Arianne H Teeuw1
1Department of Paediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
The Amsterdam protocol effectively referred families to support services after parental crises. Child well-being remained stable, though ongoing monitoring of support effectiveness is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Family Support Services
- Public Health
Background:
- Families experiencing intimate partner violence, substance abuse, or suicide attempts often require support.
- The Amsterdam protocol identifies families needing intervention after parental emergency department visits.
- Evaluating child well-being in these high-risk families is essential for targeted support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the one-year well-being of children in families referred to support services.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Amsterdam protocol in connecting families with necessary aid.
- To understand the long-term impact of parental crises on child psychosocial development.
Main Methods:
- A one-year follow-up study of families identified via the Amsterdam protocol.
- Data collected from child protective services and parent/child self-reports in two Dutch regions (2012-2015).
- Analysis included 399 children, with 67 families completing the one-year follow-up assessment.
Main Results:
- Children's psychosocial problems did not increase one year after the initial assessment.
- 20% of children experienced no or minor problems.
- Voluntary support services were involved in 60% of cases, and child protective services in 20%.
Conclusions:
- The Amsterdam protocol is effective in referring families to voluntary support services.
- Ongoing monitoring is necessary to ensure the sufficiency and effectiveness of support services for families with persistent issues.
- While child psychosocial problems did not worsen, selective response bias may have influenced results.
Aim:
This was a one-year follow-up of families referred to support services after the parents visited the emergency department due to intimate partner violence, substance abuse or a suicide attempt. Its aim was to evaluate the well-being of any children.
Methods:
Data on families identified a year earlier by the Amsterdam protocol were gathered from child protective services and parent and child self-reports in two Dutch regions from 2012-2015.
Results:
We included 399 children (52%) boys with a median age of eight years (range 1-18) in the study using child protective services data. Of the 101 families who participated in the first measurement, 67 responded one year after the parent's emergency department visit. The results showed that 20% of the children had no or minor problems, voluntary support services were involved in 60% of cases and child protective services were involved in 20%. Compared to their first assessment a year earlier, the children's psychosocial problems had not increased, but this could have been an underestimation due to selective responses.
Conclusion:
The Amsterdam protocol was valuable in referring families to voluntary support services, but given the ongoing problems in some families, professionals need to carefully monitor whether support services are sufficiently effective.
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