Parents' perceptions of their children's recovery 5 to 10 years following day-care abuse

A follow-up study of 19 parents whose children had been physically, sexually and psychologically abused in day care 5 to 10 years previously, suggests that as perceived by the parent, over one third of the children remain clinically symptomatic, one third are in the normal symptomatic range, and one third are asymptomatic. Also, parents themselves were still distressed by the event and expressed concern as to their child's future interpersonal relationships. It is recommended that nurses provide brief counseling sessions to parents for management of their children's posttrauma symptoms.