Child, Family and Case Characteristics: Links with Service Utilization in Physically Abused Children

We investigated the relationships between child, familial, and case characteristics and mental health and medical health care service utilization by physically abused children. Participants included 26 parents or caregivers of 37 Medicaid-eligible children who had substantiated cases of physical abuse. Children whose female caregivers reported a greater number of stressors were more likely to receive mental health care. Furthermore, children not living with the maltreating caregiver were more likely to receive medical health care services. Results are discussed in terms of factors that may account for these links, and the similarities of these findings with those of service utilization in general and clinical child samples.