Publications
Please find in this section all scientific publications resulting from the R&D work performed in SERENA
​Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent, and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action Countries: a scoping review of the literature
Pre-Print SERENA - Assessing and Improving Access to Health and Social Care Services for Children Rendered Vulnerable by Abuse: Protocol for a Cross-Sectoral Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods, Multi-Country Study Using Nationwide Data in Europe
Hospitalisations for physical abuse in infants and children less than 5 years, 2013–2021: a multinational cohort study using administrative data from five European countries
The paper presents a multinational cohort study of hospitalisations for child physical abuse in children under five across Denmark, England, France, Ireland, and Wales between 2013 and 2021. Using validated algorithms on administrative health databases, it analyses incidence rates, hospitalisation proportions, age-specific trends, and coding differences across countries. Results show that infant hospitalisations for physical abuse remained stable over time but increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while rates in children under five were lower but followed a similar pattern. The study demonstrates the feasibility of comparing temporal trends across countries and underscores the value of hospital data for child physical abuse surveillance, contributing to evidence generated within the EURO-CAN Cost Action and SERENA project.
SERENA – Evaluating and Improving Access to Health and Child Protection Services for Children Made Vulnerable by Maltreatment: Protocol for a Multinational, Intersectoral, Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study Using National Data Across Europe
​This article presents the protocol of the SERENA project. Its objective is to examine the health and social trajectories of children before and after the identification of child maltreatment, assess its consequences on their health and well-being, and estimate the associated social costs. The protocol outlines the different studies and stages that make up the project, which aims to develop practical recommendations for relevant stakeholders in order to improve the detection and management of child maltreatment across Europe.