title: Parental intimate partner homicide and its consequences for children: protocol for a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The loss of a parent due to intimate partner homicide has a major impact on children. Professionals involved have to make far-reaching decisions regarding placement, guardianship, mental health care and contact with the perpetrating parent, without an evidence base to guide these decisions. We introduce a study protocol to a) systematically describe the demographics, circumstances, mental health and wellbeing of children bereaved by intimate partner homicide and b) build a predictive model of factors associated with children's mental health and wellbeing after intimate partner homicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study focuses on children bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide in the Netherlands over a period of 20 years (1993 - 2012). It involves an incidence study to identify all Dutch intimate partner homicide cases between 1993 and 2012 by which children have been bereaved; systematic case reviews to describe the demographics, circumstances and care trajectories of these children; and a mixed-methods study to assess mental health, wellbeing, and experiences regarding decisions made and care provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical experience and initial research suggest that the children involved often need long-term intensive mental health and case management. The costs of these services are extensive and the stakes are high. This study lays the foundation for an international dataset and evidence-informed decision making.
authors.affiliation: Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, 21 Alliance Lane, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia. eva.alisic@monash.edu.|Psychotrauma Centre Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands. eva.alisic@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alisic
authors.affiliation: Psychotrauma Centre Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands. a.groot-3@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Arend
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Groot
authors.affiliation: Psychotrauma Centre Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands. hannekesnetselaar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hanneke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Snetselaar
authors.affiliation: Psychotrauma Centre Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands. tielkestroeken@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tielke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stroeken
authors.affiliation: Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands. e.vandeputte@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van de Putte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009426:Netherlands; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012747:Sexual Partners; D055815:Young Adult