Mental health conditions have a significant impact and are common. We also know that some mental health issues are associated with experiences from childhood such as maltreatment and abuse.
Child maltreatment includes experiencing physical and sexual abuse and being exposed to domestic violence. The effects are far-reaching, leading to increased risks of mental illness, physical health issues, emotional and relational problems, as well as educational and occupational underachievement.
Interventions such as parenting skills programs have proven successful in reducing the factors which increase the risk of a child being maltreated.
In a new study researchers looked at one evidence-proven program – the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P), a multi-level, multidisciplinary intervention. The program blends various modes of delivery (online or in person) and it is free to parents because it’s funded by the Australian government.
In this research, they did a study conducted in parallel with the statewide implementation of Triple P in Queensland. The research compared intervention communities from poor socio-economic areas with comparison communities in NSW that received standard care and had not yet had exposure to the program.
Data were collected through parent surveys, administrative records from the Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth, and Women and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, comparing notifications and substantiations of child maltreatment both before and after the intervention.
Over a three-year period, the Triple P program reached nearly 6,000 participants, accounting for 13 per cent of the targeted communities. Various organisations, including childcare centres, schools, healthcare providers and sporting clubs helped host the program.
In the intervention communities, the rate of child maltreatment notifications dropped by 10 per cent, while substantiations decreased by 25 per cent. In comparison, communities receiving standard care saw a 54% increase in notifications and a 3% rise in substantiations (though administrative changes in NSW during the study period made it easier to report child maltreatment and may have inflated the notification rate).
While the research design targeted disadvantaged communities more at risk of child maltreatment, these results suggest early referral of parents and children at risk of maltreatment is likely to be beneficial.
Participants and researchers found the flexible delivery of the program fit with the needs of those families who used it and that ought to inform future interventions. Given the strong connection between child maltreatment and adult mental health problems, programs like Triple P can be instrumental in breaking cycles of abuse and fostering healthier communities.
Further information
The impact of childhood trauma: My Doctor
