Citation

Kinard EM. Child Maltreat. 1996; 1(3): 272-283.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559596001003009

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Offending mothers of maltreated children were compared twice, one year apart, with nonoffending mothers of maltreated children on measures of social support, self-worth, and depressive symptoms. Offending mothers generally did not differ from nonoffending mothers on perceived social support or self-worth. The two groups did not differ on depressive symptoms at the first interview (Time 1), but depressive symptoms decreased more over time for nonoffending mothers than for offending mothers.
Perceptions of low social support from family and friends were the strongest predictors of more negative perceptions of self-worth and greater depressive symptomatology at Time 1. At Time 2, support from friends remained a significant independent predictor of self-worth and depressive symptoms, but support from family was no longer significant. Mothers whose children experienced a repetitive pattern of maltreatment and mothers who were not offenders had more depressive symptoms at Time 1. Single mothers experienced more depressive symptoms at Time 1, while lower education was associated with increased depressive symptoms at Time 2. The findings have important implications for planning interventions with maltreating families.

Language: en