Psychopathological assessment of child-abusing, neglecting, and normal mothers

The authors attempted to differentiate groups of abusing, neglecting, and normal mothers on the basis of clinically familiar dimensions of psychopathology. Using the Current and Past Psychopathology Scales (CAPPS), two psychiatrists conducted standardized interviews and blindly assessed 60 subjects. Although the current section of the CAPPS failed to discern more psychopathology in the maltreating parents, a multiple discriminant analysis of 18 past summary scales significantly distinguished the three groups and correctly reclassified 63.3 per cent of the mothers. The neglect group obtained high ratings on the Neurotic Childhood scale, whereas abusers showed greater disturbance on Disorganized and Anger-Excitability.