Hillman Saul, Cross Richard, Anderson Katharine
The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, Kantor Centre of Excellence, London, United Kingdom.
Assessment and Therapy, Five Rivers Child Care Limited, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
Front Psychol. 2020 Mar 19;11:464. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00464. eCollection 2020.
This article explores the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP), a narrative-based measure, for the assessment of internal representations in children between the ages of 4 and 11 years old.
The findings draw upon two samples of children comprising of a sample of looked-after children at Five Rivers Child Care (FR) ( = 42) and a community-based population ( = 42). The FR group identified were suggested to have a higher level of need, as defined by scores obtained from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Relationship Problems Questionnaire (RPQ).
Using the SSAP, the findings indicate the instrument's discriminant validity with strong differences being displayed between the two populations. Consistently children in the FR sample displayed more disorganized, avoidant and negative representations, whilst at the same time having significantly fewer representations characteristic of 'secure' attachment.
The SSAP is successful in differentiating between 'low' and 'high' cohorts of children aged 4-11 years. The study provides strong support for the measure as a way of capturing internal and attachment representations, with further research to explore possible changes in these representations at follow-up being promising and intriguing. Continued research efforts at FR will allow for improved clinical formulations, increased understanding and therefore positive outcomes relating to the children in their care.
本文探讨了基于故事的评估量表（SSAP），这是一种用于评估4至11岁儿童内部表征的工具。
研究结果基于两个儿童样本，一个是来自五河儿童保育中心（FR）的受照料儿童样本（n = 42），另一个是社区儿童样本（n = 42）。根据优势与困难问卷（SDQ）和关系问题问卷（RPQ）的得分确定，FR组儿童的需求水平更高。
使用SSAP进行评估，结果表明该工具具有区分效度，两组儿童之间存在显著差异。FR样本中的儿童始终表现出更多混乱、回避和消极的表征，同时具有“安全”依恋特征的表征明显更少。
SSAP能够成功区分4至11岁儿童中的“低需求”和“高需求”群体。该研究为该量表作为一种捕捉内部和依恋表征的方法提供了有力支持，后续进一步研究探索这些表征可能发生的变化前景广阔且引人入胜。在FR中心持续开展研究工作将有助于改进临床诊断，增进理解，从而为他们所照料的儿童带来积极结果。
