Bibliographic information
Recommendation
Health care providers should be alert to the clinical features associated with child maltreatment and associated risk factors and assess for child maltreatment without putting the child at increased risk.
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Very low
Notes and Remarks
Inquiry into child maltreatment should occur in the context of case finding anddiagnostic assessment by clinicians competent to do so, and should be followed byinterventions, referral and/or follow up, where appropriate. Inquiry and followingactions should take into account the availability of interventions, such as caregiverskills training, and services. The strategies, including reporting and follow-up of theassessment should be culturally sensitive and should not allow violation of children’sbasic human rights according to internationally endorsed principles. The opportunityto refer a child once identified varies depending on the setting, as well as theavailability of resources. The evidence profile can be accessed here:http://www.who.int/mental_health/mhgap/evidence/resource/child_q15.pdf?ua=
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Update of the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guidelines for mental, neurological and substance use disorders, 2015