The use of and satisfaction with health and care services for children and adolescents with a history of maltreatment

Background

Childhood maltreatment is associated with long-term adverse health outcomes and impairment across important areas of daily functioning. Many affected individuals will need life-long use of health and care services.

Objective

To examine the use of and satisfaction with health and care services in a sample of Norwegian children and adolescents (ages 5–18 years) with a history of maltreatment.

Participants and setting

This study relied on caregiver-reported data for 457 children and adolescents (ages 5–18 years) who attended the Stine Sofie Center, which offers play and learning in a safe environment following child maltreatment.

Methods

Pearson Chi-squared tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to analyze contact with services, satisfaction with each service, and service coordination within the past year.

Findings

Caregivers reported moderate satisfaction with the services, averaging 6.2 out of 10 (SD = 3.2), with notably lower satisfaction for service coordination (4.7, SD = 3.2). Low satisfaction (≤3 out of 10) was associated with a lower mean number of appointments (8.4 vs. 12.4, p = .002) within the past year. Only 53 % of caregivers reported that their child received help according to their needs. Not receiving the needed help was associated with lower satisfaction with service coordination (2.86 vs. 6.35, p < .001).

Conclusion

Children and adolescents who have experienced maltreatment extensively engage with multiple health and care services. The perceived low satisfaction with the coordination of services highlights a need for improvement to ensure that victims of maltreatment receive the necessary support to prevent the development of more extensive difficulties later in life.