Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and the Reported Effects of Psychosocial Interventions.

Using a repeated measures design posttraumatic stress (PTS), psychological and behavioral problems significantly decreased following intervention in children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), with use of traditional group analyses. Analyses using the reliable change index (RCI), however, revealed that few children were improved or recovered, implying that interventions in common use should be evaluated for their significant impact on the individual level in addition to group level statistics. Positive changes in children's behavioral problems were related to the mother's improvement of their own mental health. Direct victimization by the perpetrator was not associated with treatment changes but with higher symptom levels at study entry. Amount of contact with the perpetrator was neither related to symptom load nor to changes following treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]