Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Clinical Applications Of Aerobic Exercise With Adolescents Experiencing Depression And Anxiety, Sarah Mergens

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Despite continued growth and improvements in traditional treatments for adolescent depression and anxiety, the rates at which adolescents are experiencing depression and anxiety continue to increase. Current research indicates that physical activity has a positive correlation with mental health. While staying true to the ethics and values that guide clinical social work practice, how can clinicians use aerobic exercise to treat adolescent depression and/or anxiety? This Systematic Literature Review SLR collected and synthesized findings from similar studies in order to identify specific aerobic exercises that have been successful in treating adolescent depression, common strategies for implementation and tools and strategies …

Cyberbullying: Impacting Today’S Youth, Hillary Noll

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Cyberbullying is becoming a major concern surrounding the adolescent population because of the increased use in the internet and social networking sites. Studies show that cyberbullying can cause mental health concerns in adolescents who have been victimized, leaving them feeling lonely, depressed, and rejected. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school students who have been victimized by cyberbullying and to explore the relationship between cyberbully victimization and suicide. An anonymous mixed methods study was utilized and formatted with both quantitative and qualitative questions. The survey was distributed by email to students enrolled in the …

Psychosocial And Academic Implications Of Divorce On Adolescents: A Social Work Perspective, Brianne Wolf

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Adolescents who experience parental divorce often experience several academic and psychosocial implications. The purpose of this project was to understand the overall psychosocial and academic impact of parental divorce on adolescents and the variables that influenced these responses. Using a semi-structured, qualitative interview six school social workers were interviewed regarding their professional experience within the school setting and their work with adolescents experiencing parental divorce. The findings were consistent with the research, which indicated that positive and respectful parental communication throughout all stages of the divorce process was key in regards to the psychosocial and academic implications. However, the data …

Effective Preventative Interventions Of Substance Use, Amanda Logan

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Substance use among adolescents remains a serious problem in most rural communities in part due to the well-documented failure of most prevention programs. Despite these challenges some prevention programs have been deemed both reliable and valid. Three such programs include the:

Adolescent Transitions Program, Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14, and Guiding Good Choices. This paper provides a systemic review of these three programs and offers suggestions to community leaders for successful program implementation.

My Culture, My Voice: The Impact Of Youth Hip-Hop And Spoken Word On Adolescent Participants In Positive Youth Development Settings, Emily M. Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mastering the tasks of adolescence is difficult for all youth, and the journey of African American adolescents and other youth of color is a unique one. This study explored the following research questions: "What is the impact of participation in positive youth development programs that incorporate hip-hop and/or spoken word on youth participants?" and "What components of these programs are important?" Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with youth workers and current or former program participants. This study found that involvement in this type of programming was highly beneficial for youth, particularly youth of color. Participants saw benefits in a wide …

Effectiveness Of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Therapists’ Perspectives, Nichole M. Budahn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Animal-assisted therapy has frequently been used with children who have autism spectrum disorder. This study examined animal-assisted therapists’ perceptions of effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy with children who have DSM-IV mental health diagnoses. The researcher recruited self-identified animal-assisted therapists using social media sites LinkedIn and Facebook. Two therapists completed the fourteen question qualitative survey in full. Three themes were found in this study; comfort, confidence, and benefits. While this study produced definite themes, more research needs to be conducted on animal-assisted therapy and children with DSM-IV mental health disorders. Very few studies have been conducted on the impacts of animal-assisted therapy …