Quality of life of mothers whose children work on the streets of São Paulo, Brazil / Qualidade de vida de mães de crianças trabalhadoras de rua da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil / La calidad de vida de las madres de niños trabajadores en las calles de São Paulo, Brasil

The present study evaluated the perceived quality of life of the mothers of street children and investigated the association with their history of childhood violence, the occurrence of current domestic violence, their current mental states and that of their children, and family functioning. The applied instruments were as follows: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, WorldSAFECore Questionnaire, Instrument for the Assessment of Quality of Life of the WHO, Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The sample of convenience consisted of 79 low-income mothers who raised their children alone, and most of whom had a positive screening for mental illness. The multiple regression analysis showed that the perception of quality of life of these women was associated with the presence of psychopathology either in themselves or their children and family dysfunction. Thus any program aimed at improving the quality of life of such mothers should consider addressing their mental problems as well as those of their children, besides offering educational and psychotherapeutic approaches to these families to improve the social environment.

Avaliamos a percepção da qualidade de vida de mães de crianças em situação de rua e investigamos a sua possível associação com os antecedentes maternos de abuso e violência na infância e vitimização atual, sintomas emocionais delas e de seus filhos e com o funcionamento familiar. Foram aplicados os seguintes instrumentos: Instrumento para a Avaliação da Qualidade de Vida da OMS - versão abreviada, Questionário de Capacidades e Dificuldades, WorldSAFECore Questionnaire, Escala de Avaliação Global de Funcionamento nas Relações Familiares, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire e um questionário sociodemográfico. Nossa amostra de conveniência foi constituída por 79 mães, a maioria delas com rastreamento positivo para doença mental. Aplicamos um modelo de regressão múltipla que encontrou associação entre a percepção de pior qualidade de vida com a presença de psicopatologia nelas e em seus filhos e com pior funcionamento familiar. Dessa forma, qualquer programa voltado para a melhora da qualidade de vida de mães nessa condição deve considerar a abordagem de problemas mentais nelas e em seus filhos, além de oferecer recursos educacionais e psicoterapêuticos para as famílias, visando à melhora das condições socioambientais.

Se presenta aquí una evaluación de la calidad de vida percibida por madres de niños en las calles, y se investigó la posible asociación con antecedentes maternos de abuso y violencia en la infancia y victimización actual, los síntomas emocionales de ellos y de sus hijos y el funcionamiento familiar. Se aplicaron los Instrumentos para la Evaluación de la Calidad de Vida de la OMS - versión abreviada, Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades, WorldSAFECore Questionnaire, Escala de Evaluación Global de Funcionamiento en las Relaciones Familiares, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. La muestra incluyó a 79 madres, la mayoría de ellas con una detección positiva para la enfermedad mental. La percepción de calidad de vida se asoció con la presencia de psicopatología en ellos y sus hijos y el funcionamiento familiar. Por lo tanto, cualquier programa destinado a mejorar la calidad de vida de las madres en esta condición debe considerar el enfoque de los problemas mentales en ellos y sus hijos y ofrecer trabajo educativo y terapéutico a esas familias.

Lack of association between the 5-HTTLPR and positive screening for mental disorders among children exposed to urban violence and maltreatment

Objective: To ascertain whether genetic variations in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR 44-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism) influence an increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents exposed to high levels of violence. Methods: Saliva samples were collected from a group of children who were working on the streets and from their siblings who did not work on the streets. DNA was extracted from the saliva samples and analyzed for 5-HTTLPR polymorphism genotypes. Results: One hundred and seventy-seven children between the ages of 7 and 14 years were analyzed (114 child workers and 63 siblings). Data on socioeconomic conditions, mental symptoms, and presence and severity of maltreatment and urban violence were collected using a sociodemographic inventory and clinical instruments. There was no positive correlation between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and presence of mental symptoms in our sample, although the children were exposed to high levels of abuse, neglect, and urban violence. Conclusions: Despite previous studies that associated adult psychiatric disorders with the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and a history of childhood maltreatment, no such association was found in this sample of children at risk. .

Exposure to maltreatment and urban violence in children working on the streets in São Paulo, Brazil: factors associated with street work

Objective: To quantitatively study the exposure to childhood maltreatment and urban violence in children from families with at least one child working on the streets and to investigate the relationship between these factors and street work. Methods: Families who participated in a nongovernmental organization (NGO) program to eliminate child labor were included. Data concerning sociodemographic characteristics, punishment methods used in the family environment against the children, five types of abuse and neglect perpetrated by the caregivers, urban violence exposure and family functioning were collected. Results: The sample included 126 children who were working on the streets and 65 siblings who were not working on the streets. Caregivers reported high levels of severe physical punishment. The children reported high levels of abuse and neglect, and high levels of urban violence exposure. The families showed a predominance of dysfunctional and unsatisfactory relationships. A multiple logistic regression model showed that age older than 12 years and severe physical punishment at home were associated with street work. Conclusion: Interventions to decrease the risk of child street work should be family-focused and should aim to reduce violence in the family environment. .