Potential mediators of post-traumatic stress disorder in child witnesses to domestic violence.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine variables that might mediate the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in child witnesses to domestic violence. These variables included age, gender, locus of control, self-blame, perception of threat, active versus palliative coping style, maternal emotional health plus aspects of the violence witnessed (intensity, frequency, age of child when first witnessing violence, and time since the last violent episode). METHOD: Following screening for other PTSD inducing experiences, a sample of 20 child witnesses to domestic violence, 15 matched control children, and their mothers were assessed using the following tools: The Straus Conflict Tactics Scale; the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index; the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale; the General Health Questionnaire, and a Screening Questionnaire designed to elicit qualitative information from both children and mothers including data about any other potential PTSD inducing stressor the subject child may have been exposed to. RESULTS: None of the factors under examination were found to contribute significantly to the severity levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in relation to witness status. CONCLUSION: The small sample size of the study necessitates that the results be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless the findings indicate that the impact of witnessing domestic violence, in terms of PTSD, is not mediated by factors such as maternal emotional well-being, age and gender of the child, or the child's style of coping with parental conflict. Evidence that variables specifically related to the violence witnessed did not mediate the impact suggests that all domestic violence may have severe and long-term impact on child witnesses.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in child witnesses to domestic violence.

A sample of children aged 6-12, of whom 20 had witnessed domestic violence and and 15 had not, was examined for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and witness status was found to be a significant predictor of PTSD. Implications for clinical intervention are discussed.

Vibroacoustic-induced fetal movement: two stimuli and two methods of scoring.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the fetal movement response elicited by vibroacoustic stimulation depends upon the vibrator and the method used to judge movement. METHODS: Two methods of obtaining elicited fetal movement responses--maternal perceptions and ultrasound scan observations--were compared using two different vibroacoustic stimuli in 16 low-risk term pregnancies. RESULTS: Analyses of response over trials showed that the percentage of agreement between ultrasound scan observations and maternal perceptions varied (52-96%) across stimuli. The mothers perceived 64% less movement when vibrator 1 was used and 14% less movement response with vibrator 2. Analyses of average movement scores across subjects showed similar results. Vibrator 1 elicited significantly fewer maternal perceptions of fetal movement compared with ultrasound scan observation (an average of 0.8/3 compared with 2.3/3 movements per subject, respectively). For vibrator 2, there were no differences in average movement scores obtained by maternal perception and ultrasound scan observation (an average of 2.4/3 versus 2.8/3, respectively). CONCLUSION: The stimulus used in vibroacoustic stimulation testing influences the reliability of maternal movement perceptions as compared with ultrasound scan observations.