Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment when delivering family-based treatment for eating disorders: A framework
Melissa Kimber1, Jill R McTavish1, Candice Luo2
1Offord Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, MIP 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
Insights
Practitioners report negative experiences when reporting child emotional abuse and child exposure to intimate partner violence to child protection services. Additional training is needed for mental health professionals to effectively handle these sensitive cases.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Social Work
Background:
- Evidence-based guidelines increasingly involve parents in treating child psychiatric disorders.
- Lack of best practice guidelines for reporting child maltreatment to child protection services (CPS) is a concern.
- Undetected child maltreatment can worsen mental health issues in young people.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore family-based practitioners' experiences reporting child emotional abuse (CEA) and child exposure to intimate partner violence (CEIPV) to CPS.
- To understand the challenges faced by practitioners in identifying and reporting these forms of maltreatment.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interviews with 30 family-based practitioners across five countries.
- Deductive framework analysis of interview transcripts.
- Utilized constructs from a meta-synthesis of mandatory reporting experiences.
Main Results:
- Practitioners reported negative experiences with CPS when reporting CEA and CEIPV.
- CPS responses to reports were variable.
- A need for enhanced training for mental health practitioners in recognizing and reporting CEA and CEIPV was identified.
Conclusions:
- Managing CEA and CEIPV within family-based treatment requires further investigation.
- Improved training and support for practitioners are crucial for effective child protection.
- Addressing these issues is vital for the well-being of youth with mental illness.
Background:
Increasingly, evidence-based treatment guidelines emphasize the role of parents in first-line treatment approaches for child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. Yet there are no best practice guidelines for practitioners on the identification and reporting of suspicions and disclosures of child maltreatment to child protection services (CPS) in these circumstances. This is particularly concerning given that undetected and unreported child maltreatment may exacerbate the vulnerabilities of youth with mental illness.
Objective:
The objective of this study is to describe family-based practitioners' experiences of reporting child emotional abuse (CEA) and child exposure to intimate partner violence (CEIPV) to CPS.
Participants And Setting:
Data from 30 practitioners based in five countries were included in this study.
Methods:
We use deductive framework analysis of qualitative interviews with practitioners providing family-based treatment to youth diagnosed with eating disorders. Interviews for the primary study elicited participants' perceptions and experiences of identifying and responding to CEA and CEIPV in practice. All transcripts were analysed by two authors using constructs identified by a qualitative meta-synthesis of mandatory reporting experiences among service providers.
Results:
Three participants identified as male, 27 as female. Practitioners described negative experiences when reporting CEA and CEIPV to CPS, as well as variable CPS responses to their reports. Findings confirm the need for additional training for mental health practitioners to recognize and report CEA and CEIPV.
Conclusions:
Management of CEA and CEIPV while delivering family-based treatment remains an important area of practice that requires further inquiry.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Binge Eating Disorders
01:18Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
02:47Protein Families
02:47Protein Families
01:57Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
01:57Gene Families