Comparing policies for children of parents attending hospital emergency departments after intimate partner violence, substance abuse or suicide attempt

Follow‐up protocol was useful for children whose parents attended emergency departments after partner violence, substance abuse or a suicide attempt

“…However, after the emergency visit, the proportion of families and children not involved with or referred to mandatory or voluntary services were comparable. We found that 17% of the families covered by the Hague protocol in Groningen and 20% of the children in the Amsterdam protocol were not referred to any services because this was not necessary according to the Reporting Centre or outpatient paediatric department, respectively (5). We assume that these families had no problems or minor problems, although it is also possible that their problems were not noticed by professionals.…”

“…Cross‐sectional studies have been performed to evaluate the Hague and Amsterdam protocols . Maltreatment was suspected or confirmed in 51–98% of the children identified after an emergency department visit by their parents . The majority (80%) of the families were referred to various support services .…”

“…Maltreatment was suspected or confirmed in 51–98% of the children identified after an emergency department visit by their parents . The majority (80%) of the families were referred to various support services . Furthermore, children in the Amsterdam protocol did not report more psychosocial problems than control children in the community, although there may have been some underestimation due to selective nonresponses .…”

Psychosocial problems of children whose parents visit the emergency department due to intimate partner violence, substance abuse or a suicide attempt

“…This study is part of a cohort study that evaluates a new hospital policy to identify child maltreatment based on a parental visit to the emergency department. Professional‐reported outcomes of the evaluation of eligible families are described in another paper (Hoytema van Konijnenburg et al ). The current study is a cross‐sectional analysis of participants included prospectively between July 2012 and February 2014 in all six hospitals in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.…”