Pediatric symptom checklist ratings by mothers with a recent history of intimate partner violence: a primary care study

J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2013 Dec;20(4):473-7. doi: 10.1007/s10880-012-9354-8.

Abstract

Screening for psychosocial problems is an effective way to identify children who need further evaluation, and many brief, psychometrically strong measures exist for this purpose. More research is needed, however, about the performance of these measures in special populations who are familiar to primary care settings. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare maternal ratings on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) between low-income, urban mothers who had suffered intimate partner violence (IPV) in the past year (n = 23) and a demographically-matched comparison group of mothers (n = 23). Victims of violence rated their children as having significantly more problems in a number of categories (Total PSC Score, Externalizing, and Internalizing) than did mothers in the comparison group. The PSC shows promise as an adequate screening tool for psychosocial problems in the children of women who have suffered IPV, but more research is needed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Checklist / methods*
  • Checklist / statistics & numerical data
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Pediatrics / methods*
  • Pediatrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Poverty
  • Psychometrics
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology*
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data
  • Young Adult