Konijn Carolien, Colonnesi Cristina, Kroneman Leoniek, Liefferink Noortje, Lindauer Ramón J L, Stams Geert-Jan J M
Spirit Youth Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2020 Jun 17;11(1):1756563. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1756563.
Foster children, mostly maltreated in their birth families, may be fostered by parents who know little about the impact of traumatic experiences.
The present study investigated whether the training for foster parents can break the negative circle of traumatic stress. The hypothesis was that improvement in parents' knowledge on trauma and mind-mindedness would be associated with a reduction of their parenting stress, children's post-traumatic stress symptoms, and behaviour problems.
Forty-eight foster parents ( = 35) participated in a pre-test (T1), post-test (T2), and follow-up (T3) assessment. Questionnaires on knowledge on trauma, parenting stress, child post-traumatic stress symptoms, the child's behaviour, and the evaluation of the training were administered. Parents' mind-mindedness was assessed using the describe-your-child interview.
Foster parents highly appreciated the training, their knowledge on child trauma increased at T2 and this growth persisted at T3. The parents who gained most knowledge experienced a small decrease in parenting stress at T2. Although the general mind-mindedness did not significantly change, foster parents' mind-mindedness with positive valence substantially increased at T2 and T3, while their mind-mindedness with neutral valence decreased. Foster parents' report on child PTSS declined at T3 compared to T2, but not compared to T1. No changes were found in children's behaviour as reported by the foster parents. The proportion of foster children receiving trauma-focused treatment increased at T2 and T3.
This study provides evidence that training in trauma-informed parenting can be effective in improving foster parents' knowledge on the impact of traumatic experiences and in increasing a positive mental representation of their foster child as well as in reducing children's post-traumatic symptoms.
寄养儿童大多在原生家庭中遭受过虐待，可能会被对创伤经历影响了解甚少的父母收养。
本研究调查了对寄养父母的培训是否能打破创伤应激的恶性循环。假设是父母在创伤和心理-mindedness方面知识的提高将与他们的育儿压力、孩子的创伤后应激症状和行为问题的减少相关。
48名寄养父母（平均年龄 = 35岁）参与了前测（T1）、后测（T2）和随访（T3）评估。发放了关于创伤知识、育儿压力、儿童创伤后应激症状、儿童行为以及培训评价的问卷。使用描述孩子的访谈来评估父母的心理-mindedness。
寄养父母对培训评价很高，他们在T2时关于儿童创伤的知识增加，且这种增长在T3时持续。在T2时，获得知识最多的父母的育儿压力略有下降。虽然总体心理-mindedness没有显著变化，但寄养父母具有正性效价的心理-mindedness在T2和T3时大幅增加，而具有中性效价的心理-mindedness则下降。与T2相比，寄养父母在T3时报告的儿童创伤后应激症状有所下降，但与T1相比没有变化。寄养父母报告的孩子行为没有变化。在T2和T3时，接受以创伤为重点治疗的寄养儿童比例增加。
本研究提供了证据，表明创伤知情育儿培训在提高寄养父母对创伤经历影响的认识、增加他们对寄养儿童的积极心理表征以及减少儿童创伤后症状方面是有效的。
