1. Maternal Demographics
Parenting Needs of Women Seeking Intimate Partner Violence Services
Raquel Vargas-Whale MD1,2, Kristine A. Campbell MD, MSc1,2, & Lenora M. Olson PhD, MA1  
University of Utah, 1Department of Pediatrics, 2Center for Safe and Healthy Families
BACKGROUND
RESULTS
LIMITATIONS
Survey Respondents
The study reflects collaborative work with a longstanding community partner to identify needs of women and children seeking services to end intimate partner violence (IPV).
Women and children living with IPV suffer impaired mental & physical health
This may negatively impact parenting & parent/child wellbeing, placing children at risk for subsequent maltreatment
Physical and behavioral healthcare needs of children identified by mothers trying to end IPV are not well understood
To support efforts to meet the needs of children with exposure to IPV, we deployed a self administered survey. This survey described maternal perceptions of parenting stress & child physical & behavioral health at the time of seeking services for intimate partner violence
Design: Cross-sectional study design using self administered survey
Timeline: Fall 2013
Location: Urban community center working with women, men, and children who have experienced family violence
Inclusion Criteria: English or Spanish speaking mothers presenting to IPV walk-in center (COMMUNITY) or living in an IPV shelter (SHELTER) with children between 3-11 years
Survey: Validated instruments & researcher-developed questions
Measures
Parenting stress: Parenting Stress Index-Short Form
Child behavioral health: Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire
Child physical health: Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener
Analysis
Comparison between COMMUNITY and SHELTER sample
Comparison between TOTAL SAMPLE and POPULATION norms
Small, community-based cross-sectional survey
- does not account for changes over time among children in shelter
Current analysis does not account for maternal clusters
-children within family may share health and behavior problems
Maternal distress may be generate over-reporting of child problems
- but maternal perceptions are critical to parent-child interactions
Children of mothers actively seeking services to end IPV have significantly more behavior problems of clinical importance, as well as healthcare needs, than the population at large
These children are being parented by mothers who reports clinically significant levels of parenting stress as compared to general population
Community agencies providing IPV services to women should provide resources to address child health needs & parenting challenges at times of family crisis
Analysis of covariates to identify contribution to outcome measures
Work with IPV service organizations to identify & refer children for needed health services
The investigators thank the YWCA Utah and the Family Justice Center and the women who participated in this this project for their time and willingness to share their experiences.
The authors have documented that they have no financial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose
Funding source K23 HD & Research resource support through 1ULTR001067
43 mothers, average age 33 years
92 children, average age 7 years
Maternal Demographics
All
n=43
Shelter
n=25
Community
n-18
Minority race
19%
20%
17%
Hispanic ethnicity
60%
61%
Did not complete high school
50%
44%
35%
Married or partnered
26%
24%
28%
Living with IPV over 1 year
73%
64%
88%
Depressive symptoms (PHQ-2)
55%
41%
Low self-perception of social status (MacArthur Ladder)
67%
76%
53%
CONCLUSIONS
OBJECTIVES
Child Experiences
Child Health Care
METHODS
All
n=92
Shelter
n=57
Community
n-35
Visits with mother’s abusive partner
28%
23%
36%
Witnessed police response to IPV
54%
59%
47%
Witnessed parent arrest related to IPV
32%
21%
History of CPS involvement
34%
41%
26%
History of out-of-home placement 3% 4%
All
n=92
Shelter
n=57
Community
n-35
Need for medical appointment
45%
49%
38%
Need for behavioral health appointment
60%
58%
63%
Usual source of pediatric care
87%
86%
88%
Currently uninsured
19%
24%
13%
IPV discussed with pediatric provider
28%
23%
36%
NEXT STEPS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OUTCOMES
Parenting Stress *
Behavior Prob. *
Special Healthcare Needs *
DISCLOSURES
* difference between normative population and study sample all p<0.05; difference between shelter and community samples all p>0.05