title: Child and adult victimization: sequelae for female caregivers of high-risk children.
abstract: Little is known about the effects of child versus adult victimization or about the effects of victimization on physical health or social support. Mental and physical health outcomes among 890 female caregivers were examined utilizing data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). The study examined whether victimized women (compared to nonvictimized women) would endorse higher rates of depression, lower levels of social support, and poorer recent health. Differences between subgroups of victimized women defined by when victimization occurred (child only, adult only, and both child and adult) were also examined. Women with any victimization and women with victimization during both time periods had the worst outcomes. Child-only victimization effects, however, did not differ significantly from adult-only victimization. This study suggests added vulnerability for women victimized during both childhood and adulthood. Clinicians should carefully assess lifetime experiences of victimization; approaches to such assessment should be refined through further research.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. cweisbart@peds.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Cindy E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Weisbart
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelaez-Merrick
authors.forename: Jeongeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Traci
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wike
authors.forename: Ernestine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Diana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dubowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires