Alterations of hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in mother-infant-dyads with maternal childhood maltreatment.

Background: Child maltreatment (CM) has severe effects on psychological and physical health. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the major stress system of the body, is dysregulated after CM. The analysis of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in scalp hair presents a new and promising methodological approach to assess chronic HPA axis activity.

Maltreatment and mental health in institutional care--comparing early and late institutionalized children in Tanzania.

Research has shown the harmful potential of institutional care on young children; however, little is known about the consequences of institutional care on infants in Sub-Saharan Africa. We compared 35 Tanzanian children who were institutionalized at birth to 4 years of age with a matched group of 35 children who were institutionalized at 5 to 14 years of age. We examined adverse childhood experiences over the course of their entire lives, in their family of origin and in institutional care, and mental health problems at primary school age, such as depressive symptoms, aggressive behavior, and internalizing and externalizing problems.

Narrative exposure therapy for 7- to 16-year-olds: a randomized controlled trial with traumatized refugee children.

The authors examined the effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy for children (KIDNET) in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugee children living in exile. Twenty-six children traumatized by organized violence were randomly assigned to KIDNET or to a waiting list. Significant treatment by time interactions on all PTSD-relevant variables indicated that the KIDNET group, but not the controls, showed a clinically significant improvement in symptoms and functioning.

Beyond individual war trauma: domestic violence against children in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

To date, research on the psychosocial consequences of mass trauma resulting from war and organized violence on children has primarily focused on the individual as the unit of treatment and analysis with particular focus on mental disorders caused by traumatic stress. This body of research has stimulated the development of promising individual-level treatment approaches for addressing psychological trauma. In contrast, there is virtually no literature addressing the effects of mass trauma on the family and community systems.