Psychological interventions can reduce child abuse and neglect

[HuckleB]

Psychological interventions can reduce child abuse and neglect

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=22092

"A preliminary study has determined that psychological treatments are effective in reducing the cognitive and psychosocial injuries that arise from child maltreatment, and enhancing parenting skills among these children's caregivers.

Experts in the field have been at odds over whether treatments for child abuse and neglect are valuable, says Dr. Elizabeth A. Skowron, assistant professor of counseling psychology in Penn State's College of Education. This study, the most comprehensive analysis of interventions for child maltreatment to date, suggests that these treatments are helpful in reducing cognitive, psychosocial injuries that result from child abuse and neglect.

"We found that the majority of studies we examined included family members in the treatments along with the abused child, and these proved to be among the most effective," Skowron notes."On the other hand, we found no conclusive evidence that treatments can or can not prevent future recurrence of abuse or neglect."

The researchers analyzed 21 of the most rigorously conducted studies of interventions for child maltreatment, targeting approximately 1,000 clients, and compared clients, both mandated and volunteer, who had received psychological treatment with those who had not. On average, individuals involved in a counseling or therapeutic program were better off than 71 percent of those who did not experience treatment -- in terms of various psychological, cognitive and behavioral outcomes (e.g. anxiety, depression, aggressiveness, etc.).

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1. thank goodness somethimg can help (nt)