Case Scenario 4-Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC)-Nursing Paper Examples

Daubert

The case study data was analyzed using the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) and Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) tools which meet the Daubert standards. The standards require assessment tools used by forensic psychologists to be peer-reviewed, contain known error rates, be widely accepted across the scientific community, and be supported by a tested theory. The TSCYC and CAPI are widely accepted across the scientific community, with researchers affirming their reliability and accuracy during forensic assessment (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Besides, Stanley and Stanley (2021) conducted a study on the psychometric properties of TSCYC and confirmed that it is a reliable assessment scale for diagnosing trauma in children between 3-5 years. Similarly, Liel et al. (2019) also confirmed the validity of the brief version of CAPI through a study investigating the validity of the BCAPI among potential German fathers and mothers. They found that the tool has a good internal consistency with valid concurrent validity in determining the risk of child abuse among the parents (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples). 

Interview Information (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples)

The interview information indicates that Alberta exhibited normal intellectual functioning. The patient also exhibited maladaptive social functioning and required peer affiliation or teacher reassurance to enhance concentration. The child also showed signs of anxiety and hyper-arousal, resulting in consistent misbehavior in school. Consequently, the interview information can inform the patient’s risk assessment and treatment intervention. For instance, the TSCYC scale indicates that the child has higher scores for depression (DEP, T= 65) and elevated anxiety levels (ANX, T= 80), indicating the need for immediate counseling intervention (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Finally, the CAPI results show a higher potential that the child suffered potential abuse (Abuse, T=73) and has problems with themselves (T=68) and others (T=61). The experiences of abuse likely contributed to the child’s antisocial tendencies, hence the need for immediate therapeutic interventions. The child has an increased risk of disorganized attachment, attributed to the neglect and abuse experienced in childhood (Choe & Yu, 2022). Additionally, the child has a higher risk of developing self-destructive and suicidal behaviors. Moreover, due to a lack of care for themselves or others (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Collateral Information

The collateral information indicates that the child remained frequently punished for bad behavior by the sitter. Also, Alberta and the family were previously involved in a car accident that likely affected the child’s neurological development. The severe punishment in the home environment likely contributed to the child’s problematic social development. Additionally, the child’s consistent abuse and neglect under the care of the house sitter resulted in the child’s antisocial behavior, with the TSCYC scale indicating higher dissociation scores (Dis, T=60) and aggression scores (ANG, T=70) (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Furthermore, according to Choe and Yu (2022), children subjected to child abuse and neglect tend to exhibit antisocial behaviors. In addition, aggression, hence making it challenging to interact with their peers effectively. Such children exhibit high-risk behaviors and a higher potential of involvement in misdemeanor offenses (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Recommendations

The child’s antisocial behaviors and consistent problems with themselves and others indicate a higher risk of misdemeanor offenses like assault and drug abuse, hence should be subjected to a long-term rehabilitation process. The rehabilitation should incorporate a parental figure to compensate for the child’s lost sense of love and care (Edin et al., 2019). Besides, the child’s support should incorporate empathy and encouragement to help model trust and build self-esteem (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Additionally, the child should be subjected to regular mental health assessments to ascertain the extent of mental deterioration and the efficacy of any therapeutic intervention implemented. Rocchio (2020) argues that regular psychological assessment results can inform the treatment process, such as areas that should be improved. For example, suppose the child is enrolled in cognitive behavioral therapy. In that case, the process should emphasize the aspects of the child’s mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and self-esteem development (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Furthermore, Nastasi et al. (2002) explain that the child’s assessment results should remain confidential, and the psychologists should maintain the child’s right to informed consent to enhance the efficacy of the treatment interventions implemented. The information should not be disclosed to third parties, such as the child’s classmates, to eliminate potential humiliation from friends. They should also be informed about the importance of the treatment process. Moreover, enhances their compliance and coping strategies for treatment (Scholten et al., 2021) (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Ethical Guidelines

The American Psychological Association (APA) has established regulations guiding psychologists in providing psychological care to children. For instance, the guidelines require psychologists to demonstrate competency in evaluating and implementing appropriate treatment interventions for the child (Rocchio, 2020). Reynolds et al. (2021) observe that psychologists should overcome any biases, like racism. More so, which can impair their objectivity and comprehension of the extent of the child’s trauma to enhance the assessment and evaluation of the child’s condition. Besides, they should ensure confidentiality and seek informed consent from the child’s parents before conducting any psychological evaluation (Owen et al., 2020) (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

Child protection issues often infringe on the child’s and their family’s privacy, hence the need for psychologists to maintain confidentiality and consent before assessing the child’s condition or disseminating the assessment results to third parties. Moreover, APA guidelines require psychologists to observe the principle of justice by eliminating harm to the child during treatment (Owen et al., 2020). It involves full disclosure of the assessment results and recommendations to help inform the intervention process. It also includes incorporating parental figures in the rehabilitation process to help increase coping with the intensity of the treatment process (Trauma Symptom Checklist-Nursing Paper Examples).

References

 Choe, C., & Yu, S. (2022). The effect of child abuse and neglect on trajectories of depressive symptoms and aggression in Korean adolescents: exploring gender differences. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(10), 6160. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106160

Edin, K., Nelson, T. J., Butler, R., & Francis, R. (2019). Taking care of mine: Can child support become a family‐building institution? Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12324

Liel, C., Meinck, F., Steinert, J. I., Kindler, H., Lang, K., & Eickhorst, A. (2019). Is the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAPI) a valid measure of child abuse potential among mothers and fathers of young children in Germany? Child Abuse & Neglect, 88, 432-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.11.008

Nastasi, B. K., Hart, S. N., & Naser, S. C. (Eds.). (2020). International Handbook on child rights and school psychology. New York, NY: Springer. ISBN: 978-3-030-37119-7

Owen, E. A., Maddux, J. A. & Javier, R. A. (2020). Assessing Trauma in Forensic Contexts. Germany: Springer International Publishing. ISBN: 9783030331061

Reynolds, C. R., Altmann, R. A., & Allen, D. N. (2021). The problem of bias in psychological assessment. In Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory and Methods (pp. 573-613). Cham: Springer International Publishing. ISBN: 978-3-030-59455-8

Rocchio, L. M. (2020). Ethical and professional considerations in the forensic assessment of complex trauma and dissociation. Psychological injury and law, 13(2), 124-134.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-020-09384-9

Scholten, M., Gather, J., & Vollmann, J. (2021, February). Equality in the informed consent process: competence to consent, substitute decision-making, and discrimination of persons with mental disorders. In The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine (Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 108-136). US: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmp/jhaa030

Stanley, L. H., & Stanley, C. T. (2021). The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children: A Psychometric Review. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 18(3), 323-339.https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2020.1799892