Social Work Commons^™

Stress And Social Support Of Parents With An Adult Mentally Retarded Child, Nancy Patricia Kropf

Theses and Dissertations

Parent-child caregiving is the most basic caregiving situation. However, parents who continue to provide care to an adult mentally retarded child have been an unexamined group of caregivers. This study compared stress levels and social support constellations among these caregivers and two other groups of parents.

The study tested two major hypotheses. Parents who were caregivers for an adult child with mental retardation were predicted to report higher stress levels and smaller social support constellations than the other groups. Two comparison groups were included in the study. One group was parents of an mentally retarded child who did not live …

Experience Of Stigmatization And Discrimination Of Former Psychiatric Inpatients, Amy Rappaport

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In our culture as well as other cultures, there are social norms that are prescribed and expected to be followed. If an individual does not act in accordance with these social norms, there are often consequences. In Edgerton's (1971) article, "Anthropology, Psychiatry, and Man's Nature," he states, "Sometimes, of course, the sanctions against deviant behavior are supernatural, consisting of immediate and horrible punishment by gods, spirits, ancestors or the like" (p. 45). In present day culture in the United States, the researcher contends that there are both traditional and modern belief systems that serve to ostracize the stigmatized deviant.

Quality Of Life For Persons With Disabilities, Akiie H. Ninomiya

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The praxis of Christian social work in Japan needs to find a new direction due to social changes such as industrialization and technological development. Liberation theology has been responding to the critical stance toward the existing order and identifying with new movements for emancipation and justice. This paper analyzes the ethics of liberation theology and adapts it to the real life situation of people with disabilities in Japan. Chapter I deals with liberation theology and its ethics concerned with disabilities. It defines the measurement of ethics as a quality of life, so that the ethics can be examined in context. …

Housing And Social Support For Current And Former Psychiatric Patients: A Process And Outcome Evaluation Of Supportive Community Living, Janice E. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the current era of deinstitutionalization, community-based residential programs for people with chronic psychiatric disabilities have mushroomed in Canada and the United States. While many researchers have documented the beneficial effects of supportive housing programs on resident’s work productivity and length of community tenure, few evaluations have included an examination of resident’s housing environment and the quality of life in the community, particularly from the perspective of the residents themselves. This paper describes such an evaluation. The study’s first objective was to ascertain those housing environment characteristics that are most strongly related to residents’ perceived quality of life. To accomplish …

Leisure Lifestyle And Perceived Social Support Of Older Adults In A Rural Environment, Elizabeth Dow Pittaway

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the leisure lifestyles of rural older adults and specifically to determine whether a relationship existed among leisure lifestyle, perceived social support, and well-being. Control variables included socio-demographic factors, value of leisure, satisfaction with life domains, length of residency, ethnicity, religion, and personal and structural barriers. The theoretical framework included social exchange theory and social support perspectives. A descriptive correlational research design was utilized and a mail survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to people 55 and older. Rural older adults spent more time on indoor leisure compared to outdoor …