Etiology of Loss Among Parents Falsely Accused of Abuse or Neglect

Zeman, Laura Dreuth

doi:10.1080/15325020490890624

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Loss was the overarching theme presented by Zeman (2004); the pain of the "physical separation", "the loss of fantasy that they could protect their child", and "the loss of the sense that their parenting experience had been normal" [23]. These findings align with our categories; Severance from their infant opening an abyss and Persistent worry for the child out-of-reach and Grieving for the lost time with the child and damaged attachment.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…Mistrust in seeking health care is often described after a medical error [43]. In the study by Zeman (2004), falsely accused parents' "loss of fantasy of their faith in the system" was found to be another of the four losses [23]. Our participants felt betrayed by the system, describing it as being like an earthquake in a reality that they had trusted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…To our knowledge, only one study has examined experiences of loss among parents whose children were in child protective services because of false allegations of abuse or neglect. The results describe four themes of loss: the physical separation, their ability to protect their child, their faith in the system, and their confidence in their parenting ability [23]. The US lawyer, Diane Readleaf, has reported on a series of cases where parents are struck, as if by an earthquake, when they have been accused of shaking their babies [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parents’ experiences of seeking health care and encountering allegations of shaken baby syndrome: A qualitative study

et al. 2020

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Objectives To explore parents' experiences of seeking health care for their children and instead being accused by healthcare professionals of Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT), being reported to Social Services, undergoing judiciary processing, and the impact of these events on family (dis)integration. Methods Design: A qualitative study based on qualitative content analysis. Participants: Twelve parents in Sweden, mothers and fathers, seeking health care for their infants, encountering allegations of SBS/AHT, losing custody of their infants, and being subjected to a judiciary process, and finally regaining custody of their children. Data collection: In-depth interviews. Results An overarching theme 'Fighting for protection of their child after being trapped by doctors' and four sub-themes were developed to reflect the parents' experiences, reactions and interpretations. The first sub-theme, 'Being accused of injuring the child', illuminated the shock experienced when seeking care and instead being accused of being a perpetrator. The second, 'Chaos and powerlessness', refers to the emotions experienced when losing custody of the child and being caught in the enforcement of legislation by the authorities. The third,´The unified fight against the doctors' verdict´, illustrates the parents' fight for innocence, their worry for the lost child, and their support and resistance. The fourth, 'The wounded posttraumatic growth', describes the emotions, grief, panic, anxiety, and challenges in reuniting the family, but also the parents' reflections on personal growth. Unanimously, they had experienced the authorities' inability to reconsider, and expressed a deep mistrust of paediatric care.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parents’ experiences of seeking health care and encountering allegations of shaken baby syndrome: A qualitative study

et al. 2020

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“…Parents who lose contact with their minor children are also vulnerable to grief, desperation, and loss of self-respect (Miranda, Siddique, Der-Martirosian, & Belin, 2005; Sands, Koppelman, & Solomon, 2004; Schen, 2005; Zeman, 2005). Fortunately, restoration of regular, nonconflictual parent-child contact can substantially alleviate emotional distress (McWey & Mullis, 2004; Waterman, 2001), even in late childhood or adolescence (Stewart, 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

When Parents With Severe Mental Illness Lose Contact With Their Children: Are Psychiatric Symptoms or Substance Use to Blame?

Jones

Macias

Gold

et al. 2008

Journal of Loss and Trauma

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This study compared parental psychiatric symptom severity, and the absence or presence of severe substance abuse, as predictors of contact with minor children for a representative sample of adults with diagnoses of serious mental illness (N = 45). Child contact and psychiatric symptom severity were measured during regularly scheduled 6-month research interviews over a total 30-month period following each participant's entry into the project. Severe substance abuse was documented as present or absent for the 6-month interval preceding each interview. Results revealed that incidence of severe substance abuse was repeatedly associated with less frequent parent-child contact, even after controlling for psychiatric symptoms, diagnosis, gender, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Neither psychiatric diagnosis nor symptom severity predicted frequency of child contact when substance abuse was taken into account. Mental health agencies offering parenting classes for adults with serious mental illness should incorporate substance use interventions to reduce loss of child custody and strengthen parent-child relationships.Children who are separated from their parents in childhood often experience traumatic and lingering feelings of rejection or desertion (Webb, 2006), regardless of whether separation is

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“…Other changes included rejection of altruism and no longer wanting to help people 29 and becoming hostile and mistrustful. 15 Along with changes in personality, participants also experienced various other losses related to their sense of self, for example loss of dignity and credibility, 31 loss of image of the self as a doting parent 32 and loss of hope and purpose for the future. 15 The consequence of the various personality changes and losses appeared to summate as a sense of loss of the pre-accusation self.…”

Section: Change In Self-identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offences: A systematic literature review

Brooks

Greenberg

2020

Med Sci Law

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Being wrongfully accused of criminal offences can lead to serious negative consequences to those wrongfully accused and their families. However, there is little research on the psychological and psychosocial impacts of wrongful accusations. We conducted a systematic literature review to collate the existing literature, searching four electronic literature databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Data were extracted from 20 relevant papers, and thematic analysis was conducted on the data. Eight main themes were identified: loss of identity; stigma; psychological and physical health; relationships with others; attitudes towards the justice system; impact on finances and employment; traumatic experiences in custody; and adjustment difficulties. The psychological consequences of wrongful accusations appear to affect the lives of those accused seriously, even after exoneration or overturning of convictions. Strategies for improving public perception of wrongful convictions should be explored, and specific mental-health systems should be established to support those who are wrongfully accused.

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Etiology of Loss Among Parents Falsely Accused of Abuse or Neglect

Cited by 15 publications

References 7 publications

Parents’ experiences of seeking health care and encountering allegations of shaken baby syndrome: A qualitative study

Parents’ experiences of seeking health care and encountering allegations of shaken baby syndrome: A qualitative study

When Parents With Severe Mental Illness Lose Contact With Their Children: Are Psychiatric Symptoms or Substance Use to Blame?

Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offences: A systematic literature review

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