Social Work Commons^™

The Voices Of Survivors Of Suicide : Experiences With Forms Of Support After A Suicide Loss, Nicole Dietze

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to identify forms of support available to and utilized by survivors of suicide, to identify barriers to receiving support, and to gather suggestions and/or critiques regarding survivors’ experiences with the supports they received. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 individuals who had lost a loved one to suicide at least one year prior to the interview. The interviews explored the participants’ experiences with accessing resources, formal and informal supports, negative experiences, and resource recommendations for other survivors of suicide. The findings from this study emphasized how coping with such a profound loss …

Provider Perceptions Of People Who Inject Drugs And Harm Reduction Approaches, Ciara Devozza

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

People who use injection drugs (PWID) continue to face high rates of death and disease, further exacerbated by the ongoing opioid epidemic. Research indicates that stigma toward this population is high among health care providers, which is shown to result in poor health outcomes and ostracize these high-risk patients from treatment. In the U.S., the dominant substance treatment model is abstinence-based, despite evidence from around the world supporting use of harm reduction interventions which focus on goals to reduce the harmful impacts of drug use to individuals and communities. This quantitative study examined nurses’ attitudes toward PWID and nurses’ receptivity …

Experiences Of First Generation College Students, Eleanor Grace Stulting Bradley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The fact that a significant number of first-generation students drop out of college within the first year speaks to the unique struggle that these students face. Although previous studies have looked at this phenomenon, not many have purposefully explored the experiences of the students themselves. This study sought to change that by interviewing 12 first-generation students on their experiences of college and what they believe has helped them to thrive. Several themes emerged throughout the study, including: 1) the idea of shared experiences and peer contact providing a sense of understanding as well as community; and 2) the idea of …

Identified Social Supports For Women Previously Incarcerated And Avoiding Recidivism, Isabelle Scott

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study focused on the social supports women recently incarcerated perceived as promoting future success and aid in avoiding recidivism. The literature review describes available programs pertaining to women's reentry and gender responsive treatment. The main objective of this study is to understand what women recently released from incarceration need for a successful reentry as well as barriers, challenges, and motivations for staying out of prison and being productive members of society. The study considered variables such as trauma, substance use, mental health issues and children impact women’s perceived needs. Findings in this study found the correlation between enduring specific …

Do Characteristics Of Children And Families Influence Reported Caregiver Burden? : A Secondary Data Analysis Of The 2009-2010 National Survey Of Children With Special Health Care Needs, Chelsea Davies

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) make up 15% of U.S. children 18 and under. They require increased specialized care, which may pose unique challenges to families. Prior research suggests families from historically disenfranchised groups may experience greater burden due to systems of structural oppression. This quantitative secondary data analysis of the 2009-2010 National Survey of CSHCN (N=40,242) uses a cross-sectional design, testing whether family characteristics (race/ethnicity, caregiver’s gender or education level, and number of CSHCN in the home) or a child’s functional difficulty (chronic pain, behavior, anxiety/depression) are significantly associated with caregiver burden. Results suggest significantly greater time, …

Social Climate In Social Work Training : The Influence Of The Learning Environment On The Emerging Social Worker's Professional Identity As An Agent Of Social Justice, Tatiana MartíNez

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In Master of Social Work programs, one of the objectives of the field practicum is the development of a professional self. A field placement agency may encourage, discourage, and/or limit the student’s ability to implement social justice interventions in their work with clients which may impact their development of a professional identity as it relates to social justice. In this exploratory study, qualitative data was obtained through eight semi-structured interviews. The findings confirm that the social climate of a field placement agency influences the student’s ability to develop aspects of their professional identity dedicated to engaging in social action activities. …

The Translation Of Anti-Racism Values From The Professional Into The Personal For White Social Workers Who Have Lived In North Or West Philadelphia, Lauren Hope Newman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research explores how white social workers who were exposed to anti-racism values during their social work education, execute these values while living in the gentrifying neighborhoods of North or West Philadelphia. Twelve white social workers participated in semistructured interviews in which they described their anti-racism education/training, their motivation for moving to North or West Philadelphia, and how they felt they translated the antiracism values that were learned or reinforced for them in their education into their lives in their gentrifying communities. The findings display the importance in equipping people with the tools to engage within their community and guide …

You Don't Know How Strong You Are Until Being Strong Is Your Only Option : Examining Resiliency In Survivors Of A Parent Or Caregiver's Suicide, Haley A. Rice

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Suicide is a prevalent public health issue in the United States as it intimately effects many Americans annually. This study explored the bereavement and coping processes as well as strength and resiliency of adult children who lost their parent to death by suicide. Twelve adult children were recruited for this study through social media and suicide support groups. Participants were interviewed by phone and interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive approach. The following themes were identified: intensity of the loss, secondary trauma of suicide, feelings of stigma, solace in talking about their parent, researching mental illness, attending grief …

Unequal Treatment : Sociocultural Identities And Their Effects On Eating Diorder Treatment Access And Efficacy, Hannah NoëL Smith

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore ways in which eating disorder treatment can be made not only more accessible, but more effective for clients who identify as people of color, lower-socioeconomic status (SES), trans and gender nonconforming, and people whose Body Mass Index (BMI) normal or higher at the time of treatment.

Data was collected using a survey, which was completed by 28 participants recruited through Facebook eating disorder recovery groups and Instagram. Participants were asked to describe their racial identity, gender identity, SES, and BMI, then reflect on the experience of seeking eating disorder treatment.

The findings …

"As If" : An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Clincians' Theoretical Orientations And Their Conceptualizations Of Patient-Generated Metaphors In Psychotherapy, Joe Berlin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The present qualitative study explored the relationships between psychotherapists’ theoretical orientations, phenomenological understandings of their own clinical practice, and the metaphoric language used by patients in psychotherapy. This study is based upon interviews with 12 Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers who are presently practicing psychotherapy. This sample was selected using a quota method, whereby three distinct psychotherapy theoretical orientations were represented in the sample: psychodynamic, narrative, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

The findings suggest that psychotherapists actively consider the metaphors patients use in therapeutic dialogue, and that these clinicians regularly draw upon their theoretical knowledgebase in doing so. This study finds that …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment For Refugees In Maine : An Exploratory Study, Hayley Fitzgerald

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers refugees face when it comes to accessing mental health treatment in Maine. Research suggests that refugees underutilize mental health services throughout the United States, despite equal to higher rates of mental health symptoms when compared to the general population. To acquire data, eight refugees were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Participants were asked to share about their perceptions of mental illness and mental health treatment, discuss coping mechanisms that they find useful, and offer suggestions for providers working with refugees. Major findings included that stigma, fear, language, and cultural …

"Translating The Language Of The Body" : Engaging Individuals Who Self-Harm In Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Dani Kowalski

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a deeper understanding of how individuals who self-harm develop ways of communicating about self-harming experiences in therapy. The study used semi-structured interviews with twelve participants to gather qualitative data about their experiences, with a focus on identifying what aspects of therapy were helpful to them, and what was difficult about engaging in therapy.

Participants spoke about the therapeutic encounter as one among many socio-cultural contexts in which changes of self-injury occurred. Findings suggest that engaging individuals who self-harm in therapy involves an understanding of self-harm as a communication of distressing experiences, …

"They Don't Say It Up Front" : Immigrant-Origin High School Students' Experiences Of Disrespect And Racial Microaggressions By Teachers : A Project Based Upon A Group Research Investigation, Leah A. Gold

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study used counter-storytelling methodology from Critical Race Theory to explore 15 racial and ethnic minority immigrant-origin high school students’ experiences of racial microaggressions by teachers. Previous research focuses on overt racism with youth or microaggressions with adults, but has not addressed subtle racism experienced by high school students. The findings suggest immigrant-origin experience teacher disrespect as racial microaggressions, including those that are related to immigrant identity. Though not conclusive, the results indicate that experiences of racial microaggressions and responses may differ for immigrant-origin youth with different generation status. Teachers’ racial sensitivity and school climate were demonstrated to be …

Working With Trauma : A Qualitative And Retrospective Exploration Of The Experiences Of Clinicians Who Work With Trauma, Allyson Rebecca Lent

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The current study explored the gap in understanding the experiences of clinicians who work with trauma given the interesting intersection of high prevalence of trauma and demonstrated lack of training in working with trauma survivors. To this end, this qualitative and exploratory study sought to gain a retrospective understanding of clinicians’ training and career experiences in an effort to glean what has worked well in preparing skilled clinicians to work with trauma. Findings confirmed that clinicians do not feel prepared to do trauma work upon graduating from their degree programs and that they must seek out training opportunities in order …

"A Whole Lot Of Conscious Effort" : Exploring How Protective Factors Contribute To Resiliency In Parents Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events In Childhood, Annelies J. Spykman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this research project is to address the multiple variables that contribute to trauma exposure in childhood and how it manifests in the traumatized person’s later parenting styles. The over-arching research question is: do protective factors provide sufficient supports to parents who were subjected to traumatic experiences in childhood in order to lessen the transmission of trauma to their own children? This qualitative study is an assessment of interviews with 18 participants who identify as parents who have experienced at least one traumatic event in childhood. Findings of this study implicate a high level of resilience that has …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Self Compassion And Burnout : Secondary Traumatic Stress And Compassion Satisfaction Among Providers Who Work With Children And Families Who Have Experienced Trauma, Binlin Xia

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The field of social work education has witnessed a soaring need to help providers cope with the negative emotional impact of working with clients who have experienced trauma. This study explored the association between self compassion and the experience of burn out (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS) and compassion satisfaction (CS) among mental health providers who specifically work with children and youth who have experienced trauma. This quantitative study employed a survey in addition to two open-ended questions in a sample of 60 participants using a convenience sampling process.

The findings suggest that self compassion serves as a strongly correlated …

Gestalt Therapists' Perspectives On Gender In The Therapeutic Relationship : Implications For Anti-Oppressive Practice, Benjamin Philip Borkan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study seeks to explore How does Gestalt therapy training influence therapists in navigating clinical encounters involving gender identity? Gestalt therapists’ responses noted the importance of authenticity, contact, ability to question biases, self-examination, personal responsibility, and the therapist’s sense of their own gender identity privilege and oppression. Gestalt therapy is contrasted with anti-oppressive practice principles, in which there are congruent philosophies between Gestalt therapy and anti-oppressive practice principles. Participants’ and this author’s recommendations for future research include further research on the efficacy of Gestalt therapy training in working with varying identities, as well as gathering perspectives from people of marginalized …

Two-Sided Healing : An Exploration Of Jewish Women Psychotherapists' Experience, Aviva Bellman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the subjective identities of Jewish women psychotherapists, as well as the ways in which they give meaning to their psychotherapeutic practice. Twelve narratives by Jewish women psychotherapists were utilized as secondary data, originally published in an edited book by Greene and Brodbar (2010). The study used a Jewish feminist epistemological stance, an intersubjective understanding of the therapeutic relationship, and an interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenological approach, which led the researcher to self-reflect over the course of the analytical process (Ginsberg, 2002; Lopez and Willis, 2004). Narratives were analyzed for recurrent themes and sub-themes (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009). Implications …

Queer Women's Sexual Experiences After Sexual Violence In A Non-Heterosexual Relationship, Amee Catalano

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative study explores the sexual experiences of queer women after sexual violence perpetrated by a previous intimate partner in a non-heterosexual relationship. Sixty individuals identifying as queer women with a sexual violence experience completed an anonymous online survey consisting of questions related to help-seeking behaviors and sexual distress. The Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) (Derogatis et al., 2008) was adapted to assess levels of sexual distress amongst the sample population.

This study found three themes: 1.) current sexual experiences carry anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms, 2.) sexual violence experience(s) as impacting libido, desire, and behavior, and 3.) current sexual …

Perinatal Depression Screening : Using Antenatal Depression Screens And Patient Demographics To Predict Risk For Postpartum Depression :, Jackson Doyle

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the relationship between antenatal depression and postpartum depression in pregnant women at a family health clinic. The aim was to determine whether antenatal depression screens predicted postpartum depression. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS) was used to screen for depression in 411 pregnant women during the first trimester, third trimester and postpartum phases of pregnancy. Risk factors including patient body mass index, socioeconomic status and marital status were considered predictors of perinataldepression. EPDS scores were analyzed over the three time periods and were compared to body mass index, socioeconomic status and marital status. Results indicated that third …

The Role Of Spirituality In The Reconstruction Of Identity In Older Women, Elin Hardenberg

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examines whether spirituality plays a role in how older women integrate changes in their identity as they age. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) how do women navigate changes in identity in older adulthood; and 2) what role does spirituality play in the reconstruction of a woman’s identity in older adulthood? Erikson’s stages of development are used as a framework for understanding where participants are in their developmental process. The study was conducted by interviewing six women between the ages of seventy and ninety who self-identified as having an opinion about their relationship to spirituality. It …

Looking For Ghosts Everywhere : The Effects Of Vicarious Traumatization On Mental Health Interpreters Who Work With Refugees, Sophie Anna Lembeck

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study aimed to add to the available literature on vicarious traumatization among mental healthcare interpreters who work with refugees. I attempted to further this research by interviewing 12 mental health interpreters who work with refugee clients in order to ascertain their experiences with vicarious traumatization. All participants interviewed presented with physical and/or psychological symptoms associated with vicarious traumatization, although they were unfamiliar with the concept of vicarious traumatization itself. Participants’ reactions to working with traumatized clients manifested in various physical and psychological ways and ranged in severity. Previous literature suggests that symptoms of vicarious traumatization are exacerbated when interpreters …

Exploring The Impact Of Mental Health On Infant Growth In Urban West Bengal, India :: A Retrospective Cohort Study Exploring The Association Of Mental Health Status Of Parents With A Deterioration In Weight For Age Z Score (As An Indicator Of Under-Nutrition) Of Children Under The Age Of 4 In A Cohort Living In An Impoverished Urban Community In West Bengal, India, Noah E.C. Levinson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Underweight malnutrition is considered the underlying contributing factor in 45% of all child deaths worldwide. Employing a retrospective cohort study design, we explored the association of mental illness symptoms of parents with a deterioration in weight for age z score (as an indicator of under-nutrition) of their children under the age of 4 in a cohort living in an impoverished urban community in West Bengal, India. Results, inconsistent with other studies, indicate that the association is not statistically significant among the studied population. The likely explanation is the intensive, multi-faceted nutrition interventions of Calcutta Kids, an organization working for many …

Gender Identity And Childhood Experiences : An Introductory Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Gender Identity And Adverse Childhood Experiences, Liam P. Malone

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

It has been established that individuals with transgender* identities experience abuse and trauma at higher frequencies than individuals with non-transgender identities (Mascis, 2011). Gender dysphoria currently exists as a mental health diagnosis, perpetuating stigma as well as pathologizing gender variance. Clinical social workers have preserved a harmful formulation that gender dysphoria is a disorder caused by trauma. There has been scarce quantitative research to date exploring a relationship between transgender identities and adverse childhood experiences. This study aims to: (1) contribute to a foundation of introductory quantitative research on how childhood experiences interact with gender identity, (2) examine the frequency …

Alexithymia And Comparison Of Alternative Treatments To Talk Therapy For People Who Have A Mental Health Diagnosis, Rebekah Milhoan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research study was a quantitative, descriptive investigation of the relationship between the rate of alexithymia in the mental health population and exploring the helpfulness of alternative treatments compared to traditional talk therapy.

An online based questionnaire, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), a Likert scale used to measure the presence of alexithymia, and an open-ended comment section, was administer anonymously to fifty-four people with a mental health diagnosis. The major areas of interest were levels of alexithymia in the mental health population and finding out about the helpfulness of alternative treatments.

Participants had higher than average scores on the …

From Yellow Peril To Model Minority : ǂB Deconstruction Of The Model Minority Myth And Implications For The Invisibility Of Asian American Mental Health Needs, Lynda Anne Moy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The model minority myth is a racial stereotype imposed upon Asian Americans, often depicting them as a successful and high-achieving monolithic group in the United States. This paper examines sociopolitical functions of the term “model minority” and implications for this broad and diverse racial group by reviewing existing literature and conducting an analysis of qualitative interviews with 12 Asian Americans. The findings of this study suggest that while the model minority myth appears to be a positive stereotype, it may lead Asian Americans to experience distress through (a.) a sense of confinement, (b.) treatment as foreigners, and (c.) …

Clinician Vulnerability : Openness To Influence In Relational Therapy, Christine Powers

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The current study examined how clinicians practicing relational psychotherapy experience their own vulnerability in the therapeutic relationship with clients. The study followed a qualitative, phenomenological research methodology. The researcher interviewed ten experienced clinicians who practice relational psychotherapy. Four major themes emerged as significant findings. First, vulnerability was described as a quality of engagement in the therapeutic relationship that is open, engaged, and resonant. Second, participants expressed a sense of risk associated with mutual vulnerability. Third, participants emphasized the importance of mutual vulnerability for client’s healing. Fourth, participants described vulnerability as a developmental capacity. These findings have significance for the field …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Vicarious Racism, Police Videos, And Their Impact On The Facebook Consumer, Daniel Segundo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative exploratory study used conflictual police videos on Facebook as a marker for vicarious racial trauma on social media to investigate its correlation with trauma symptoms. The literature has yet to examine the impact of vicarious trauma experienced on social media. This study collected data from participants who completed an anonymous online questionnaire reflecting on previous experiences watching conflictual police videos. The findings suggest: a positive correlation between vicarious racial trauma experienced on Facebook with trauma symptoms; that police shooting videos had a stronger correlation to trauma symptoms compared to police arrest videos; and a moderate relationship between negative …

Parenting One's Birth Child After Adoption Plans Dissolve, Elise Trujillo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

I come to this work as someone who as a potential birth mother withdrew from an open adoption plan after giving birth. During my training as a clinical social worker, I have found little literature and research which speaks to the aftermath of the adoption process on the prospective birth parent. For the purpose of this thesis, I am interested in exploring the lasting impacts on birth mothers of creating and withdrawing from an adoption plan after giving birth. I hope through this thesis I will be able explore resources available to potential birth mothers and parents who sever their …

"Without Roofs Are The Houses" : An Exploration Of Ceremonies In Indigenous Communities, A Pathway To Healing And To The Forgotten, Denis C. Vidal

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Settler colonialism is often cited as the foundation for a myriad of social problems such as psychopathological stress in Indigenous communities. This research study explores how culturally syntonic interventions such as sacred ancestral ceremonies can alleviate acute symptoms of anxiety and depression. The experiences of eleven people of Indigenous heritage who live in the Southwest and had participated in sacred ancestral ceremonies were interviewed in an attempt to better understand the potential healing properties of these ceremonies. The participants all self-reported a reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms as measured before and after participating in the ceremonies.