Social Work Commons^™

Returning To School After A Pandemic: K-12 School Mental Health Practitioners’ Perspectives Returning To School In Regard To Mindset, Behavior, Performance, And Social Connections, Viridiana Benitez Esparza

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine K-12 school mental health practitioners’ perceptions of their experiences working with students following the 2-year educational/social/emotional trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to the mental health practitioners’ mindset, behavior, performance, and social connections. Methodology: The researcher conducted a phenomenological study examining particular experiences of participants to understand their perspective during a phenomenon (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006). This qualitative study interviewed 12 school mental health practitioners who served in K-12 public schools after the pandemic in Los Angeles County, California. Semi-structured interview questions were used for data collection and aligned …

The Impact Of School-Based Support Services On Mental Health And Academic Performance, Joshua A. Kent

2023 Symposium

Background: There has been a continued presence of mental health issues among high-school aged youth. As a result, many have a diminished ability to be successful in school. It is a societal problem as discussed in the literature. Legislation within the last 23 years has created more access for students but there is still a gap in services. This gap is mostly seen by not having enough personnel to address the amount of students that need assistance. There is also an inconsistent use of school-based health centers and other school-based interventions. Too many schools are using different interventions and …

Combatting Rising Healthcare Costs For Healthier Adults, Alejandra Muñoz-Rivera

Social Policy Institute Research

In 2020, healthcare expenditures averaged $12,530 per person, up 9.7% from 2019. In 2018, 19% of U.S. households had medical debt with $2,000 being the median amount owed. Over half of adults between 18 to 64 years of age are estimated to experience some form of medical financial hardship including medical bills or debt, stress about medical bills, and delaying or forgoing treatment specifically due to cost. In a 2022 survey of 140 Medicaid and Marketplace members by researchers from the Social Policy Institute (SPI) and the Centene Center of Health Transformation, one-third of respondents reported having unpaid medical bills. …

Social Workers’ Perceptions In Working With Children With Medical Complexities, Elia Galicia, Rosa Espinoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This research study reviewed some of the challenges that foster care children with medical complexities encounter. The number of children with medical complexities in the foster care system has significantly increased in the last few years. However, little is known about the perceptions of social workers who have worked or will work with this specific population during their careers. This research explored social workers’ knowledge about care and the designed protocols in working with foster children with medical complexities. Variables including social workers’ classification, education level, degree’s background, experience, and completion of training were considered in this study. This …

Can Social Workers Provide Access To Healthier Food Choices To Low-Income Families With Urban Farming, Nayely Chairez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Low-income communities have higher rates of being food insecure at some point in their lives which can lead to chronic illnesses and have an impact on mental health. Objectives: This research aimed to explore the following: (1) the impact of urban farming in low-income communities and (2) the roles social workers have in addressing food insecurity through urban farming. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative method of collecting data. Data was collected through one-on-one interviews with board members, volunteers, and community members from an urban farm organization. Interviews were conducted and recorded through the online platform …

Linking Critical Consciousness And Health: The Utility Of The Critical Reflection About Social Determinants Of Health Scale (Cr_Sdh), Liliane Cambraia Windsor, Alexis Jemal, Jacob Goffnett, Douglas Cary Smith, Jesus Sarol Jr.

Publications and Research

Introduction: Critical consciousness (CC) theory has been proposed as a framework to inform health interventions targeting a wide variety of health conditions. Unfortunately, methodological limitations have made it difficult to test CC as a mediator of health outcomes. Specifically, standardized and widely accepted measures of health- related CC are needed. The goal of this study was to develop and test a measure of critical reflection on social determinants of health (SDH). This measure focused on critical reflection, an essential dimension of CC.

Methods: Community-based participatory research principles and a mixed methods design were used with three samples: (1) experts in …

Understanding The Process Of Health Goal Achievement Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) In Chicago: An Exploratory Qualitative Study, Anthony Johnson

Dissertations

Background: Over the last 30 years, Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS while accounting for only approximately 1% of the population of the United States. The majority of research with Black MSM has focused on HIV infection risk factors, but very little attention has been given to their overall health and well-being. The breadth of HIV-health related research that includes Black MSM tends to demonstrate high levels of racial, environmental, and economic disparities that need to be addressed. However, more research must be conducted to explicate the process of exercising strength and …

Exploring The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults In Accessing A Trans Knowledgeable Primary Care Physician, Shanna K. Kattari, Jarrod Call, Brendon Holloway, Leonardo Kattari, Kristie L. Seelman

SW Publications

Transgender and gender diverse individuals face a variety of barriers when attempting to access healthcare, from discrimination to lack of access to lack of knowledgeable providers. Using data from the 2015 United States Trans Survey (N = 27,715), this study looks at the differences within the TGD population regarding having seen a doctor in the past year, having a primary care provider, and having a primary care provider who is knowledgeable about trans health. Logistic regressions indicate that even within an all transgender and gender diverse sample, a variety of identities and experiences are related to increased or decreased likelihood …

Testing A Wellness Indicators Measure For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Matthew Bogenschutz, Michael Broda, Sarah Lineberry, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background and Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have health and wellness issues that are not as good as people without disabilities. States are required to monitor health and wellness for people with IDD who use many disability services. However, there are few ways to monitor wellness between states or at different points in time. In this study, we share a new model that states may use to monitor wellness of people with IDD.

Methods: We used data from a survey called the National Core Indicators (NCI) to develop this model. First, we developed the model using …

The Effects Of Sociodemographic Characteristics, Caregiving Practice Patterns, Coping Mechanisms, And Social Support On The Health Of Asian American Ethnic Groups And Asian American Caregivers, Suryadewi Edi Nugraheni

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Asian American family caregivers came from various ethnic groups with different sociodemographic characteristics and culturally specific values. However, cultural practices were often overlooked because researchers often combined all Asian Americans under one umbrella. Objective: The purpose of the study was two-fold. First, the study investigated the study sample of Asian Americans participating in the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2009 comprised of multiple Asian American ethnic groups. By utilizing the study sample, the research aimed to investigate 1) the associations between caregiving and self-rated health (SRH) and hypertension and 2) the associations between heterogeneity of Asian American ethnic groups …

Educator Wellbeing During Covid-19: Caregivers Vs. Non-Caregivers, Elizabeth Larsen, Judy Gagnon, Yana Davis, Nicole Hudson

Thinking Matters Symposium

The phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the format of public education, putting stress on the educational system and its teachers. This research study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the role of teachers in Maine, specifically focusing on the added responsibility that parents may experience while simultaneously meeting professional obligations. Researchers posed the question: “What is the relationship between caregiving responsibilities and emotional wellbeing of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic among public school teachers in Maine?” Participants from K-12 public schools around the state were recruited through direct contact or via building administrators who distributed …

Family-Based Caregiving: Does Lumping Asian Americans Together Do More Harm Than Good?, Suryadewi E. Nugraheni, Julia F. Hastings

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Asian American family caregivers have gained increased attention due to the need to provide life-sustaining aid at home given the rising numbers of older adults. This article reflects upon caregiving-related research studies that have overlooked the circumstances Asian American caregivers bring to the home-care context. Policies written to address community needs tend to omit the social circumstances many Asian American caregivers must face when trying to take advantage of programs and services. For example, the eligibility requirements fail to recognize distinctive cultural values embedded within the caregiving processes. Further, most Asian American data is aggregated. Aggregating data by ethnicity limits …

Mental Health Group For Elementary-Aged Children, Rachel Greene

MSW Capstones

Children learn many skills during their time in elementary school. One important area that is not sufficiently addressed in curricula is student mental health. Allowing students to address their mental health needs in the classroom improves their overall outcomes. This intervention is a short weekly group completed within the classroom by the classroom teacher and the school’s counselor. Implementing this low-cost, short mental health group in classrooms can help to address this gap in student learning. In this group, the children will have the opportunity to gain a stronger relationship with an adult and learn to cope with loss. The …

Food Insecurity Among Those Living With Mental Illness In Massachusetts

The Graduate Review

No abstract provided.

The Social Construction Of Happiness: A Mixed-Methods Research Study In Mexico, Oscar A. Martínez-Martínez, Margaret Lombe, Ana María Vázquez-Rodríguez, Javier Reyes-Martínez, Araceli Ramírez-López

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study analyzes how happiness is built in Mexico in a context of concentrated poverty. The study uses a mixed-methods approach and incorporates two techniques of data analysis. The first analysis employs an ordinal logistic model with data from the Self-Report Well-being Survey (N=44,518), while the second draws upon semi-structured interviews in four Mexican states (N=247). The results show that six important categories influence the level of happiness in Mexico: (1) emotional life; (2) self-perception of health (the health status of family members and close friends); (3) religiosity and religious affiliation, or both; (4) having the freedom to decide and …

Addressing The Needs Of African American Grandparents: An Intersectionality Perspective, Dorothy Smith-Ruiz, Kendra Jason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study seeks to demonstrate the intersecting structural and compounding challenges African American custodial grandparents experience collectively, rather than as separate non-competing factors, which has been modeled in prior studies. Using a mixed-method research design, the study explored the challenges faced by African American and white custodial grandparents. These challenges included difficulties attaining different types of support, respite care, and programs for teens and special needs grandchildren. Results showed that caregiving challenges among African Americans were more pervasive than their White counterparts. These findings have significant implications for the development of intervention programs for custodial African American grandmothers and their …

Mental Health And Weather Extremes In A Southeastern U.S. City: Exploring Group Differences By Race, Lisa Reyes Mason, Bonita B. Sharma, Jayme E. Walters, Christine C. Ekenga

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The connection between mental health and weather extremes is a public health concern, but less studied to date than physical health. This exploratory study examines the mental health impacts of two kinds of weather extremes increasingly linked to climate change—summer heat waves and extreme winter weather—in a low-to middle-income population in the Southeastern U.S. The distribution of mental health impacts, and potential pathways to them, are examined with a focus on race. Data are from a random-sample survey of 426 participants and are analyzed with bivariate statistics and path analysis. Self-reported mental health impacts, in both seasons, were common in …

Socio-Psychological Impacts Of Hydraulic Fracturing On Community Health And Well-Being, Mehmet Soyer, Kylen Kaminski, Sebahattin Ziyanak

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

At the core of the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) debate is the level of perceived risk involved with extractive industries, such as the release of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, increased population growth, and truck traffic. However, industry supporters of fracking acclaim the benefits of oil and gas drilling, such as energy independence and economic gains. In this study, we examine the perceived impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on community health and well-being based on interviews with anti-fracking activists in Denton, Texas who were active in the “anti-fracking” community organization, Frack Free Denton (FFD). Emergent from the interviews, we discuss the socio-psychological …

"Most Importantly, I Hope God Keeps Illness Away From Us": The Context And Challenges Surrounding Access To Health Care For Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Cindy A. Sousa, Bree Akesson, Dena Badawi

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The influx of 1.5 million Syrians into Lebanon has created an increased demand for health services, which is largely unmet, due to cost, a highly fragmented and privatised system, and crises around legal documentation and refugee status. The aim of this study was to use a constant comparison analysis of qualitative data to explore how Syrian refugees living in Lebanon describe their experiences accessing healthcare (N = 351 individuals within 46 families). Pervasive fear, lack of confidence in the medical system, and high costs all hinder access to healthcare for Syrians in Lebanon. Findings demonstrate the need for attention …

Salud A La Salud Mental (A Toast To Mental Health), Arturo Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Joven Noble is a youth-development and leadership enhancement curriculum within Sequoia High School in Watsonville, Ca. that recognizes adolescents need for guidance during their physical, emotional and spiritual development into adulthood by engaging them in conversations regarding topics such as teen pregnancy and substance abuse. One of the deficits of the program is the lack of discussion centered around mental health. Youth are more likely to experience mental health challenges during their adolescence that can impair their long term development. In Santa Cruz County, 5 per 1,000 children ages 5-19 were hospitalized for mental health crisis treatment in 2016; rates …

Healing Policies For Black Boys And Young Men In St. Louis: Priorities In 2019, Sean Joe, Robert Motley, Alexandra Ivory, Alyssa Finner, Janet Frederick

Center for Social Development Research

What policy reforms are needed to remove the structural barriers that make it difficult for Black boys and young men to thrive in St. Louis?

Presenting findings from research with social service providers, this Brief Report from the Race and Opportunity Lab’s HomeGrown STL project seeks to inform policy decisions, advocacy efforts, and collective impact strategies in order to improve outcomes for Black boys and young men in the St. Louis region.

Life Satisfaction And Healthcare Utilization Among Immigrants To The United States, Merritt Christian Rachel Harrelson

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research suggests a relationship between life satisfaction and healthcare utilization or HCU (Habibov & Afandi, 2016; Kim, Park, Sun, Smith, & Peterson, 2014). However, no study was found that examined this relationship among elderly American immigrants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether life satisfaction is linked to HCU for this population. The researcher of the current study applied binary logistic regression to data taken from the Health and Retirement Survey to determine whether changes in life satisfaction could be linked to variance in HCU across seven domains, including hospitalization, overnight nursing home stays, doctors visits, dentist …

Unveiling The Mask:Sexual Trauma's Impact On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Self-Identity, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Sarah Kitchens, Lacey Ricks

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Sexual trauma is an unfortunate but a common and often masked experience for many students in America. While sexual trauma in itself is not a mental health disorder, it can become a risk factor for many academic and mental health problems. Trauma-informed schools can play an important role in helping students deal with the aftercare of a traumatic experience.

Don’T “Just Call The Social Worker”: Training In Structural Competency To Enhance Collaboration Between Healthcare Social Work And Medicine, Margaret Mary Downey, Joshua Neff, Kate Dube

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this short paper, we argue that providing in-depth structural competency training to both social workers and physicians has the potential to promote a deeper collaboration between these two fields—to the benefit of patients as well as providers. We describe structural competency’s evolution as a pedagogical and practical framework in medicine and social work, then discuss three overlapping ways in which structural competency can enhance collaboration between physician and social work practitioners and educators. First, training in structural competency can fill gaps in both medical and social work education and training—namely a lack of curricula that consistently attend to the …

Durkheim’S Greatest Blunder, Stephen M. Marson, J. Porter Lillis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In describing fatalism in Suicide, Durkheim executes two blunders. The first can be categorized in errors of commission while the second should be included in errors of omission. In the error of commission area, he hypothesizes two platforms for existence of fatalistic suicide. Without employing theory-embedded data, he contends that infertility is a catalyst for fatalistic suicidal. Later, he asserts that slavery is fertile soil for fatalistic suicide. Although there is suicidal data in these two arenas, a closer inspection demonstrates that these are not characteristics of fatalistic suicide. For errors of omission, he failed to systematically observe …

Violence Exposure And Pathways To Hiv Risk Behaviors In Black And White Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Donald Robert Gerke

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

HIV remains a critical public health issue facing men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Young MSM (YMSM) ages 13-34 years account for the greatest number of new HIV infections in MSM, with Black YMSM bearing the highest burden of disease. Sexual risk behaviors (e.g. unprotected sex) continue to be the leading transmission mode for HIV among all YMSM and studies have indicated that these behaviors are associated with a number of psychosocial and environmental factors, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), exposure to violence, substance use, and mental health problems. Moreover, recent studies based on the …

Household Financial Assets Inequity And Health Disparities Among Young Adults: Evidence From The National Longitudinal Study Of Adolescent To Adult Health, Shiyou Wu, Xiafei Wang, Qi Wu, Kathleen Mullan Harris

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Research has established a strong relationship between financial resources and health outcomes. Yet, little is known about the effects of assets disparities on health outcomes, especially during the critical period when adolescents transition to adults.

Methods: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,861), this study investigated the relationships between three household total assets value groups (low, moderate, and high assets) and three net worth groups (negative, neutral, and positive) on young adults’ general health, obese, and depression.

Results: Both assets and debts were related to young adults’ health status, …

Exploring Patient Satisfaction Among Transgender And Non-Binary Identified Healthcare Users: The Role Of Microaggressions And Inclusive Healthcare Settings, Stevie Forbes-Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of quality of healthcare delivery. Transgender and non-binary (TGNB) people regularly report experiencing discrimination when in healthcare settings and few TGNB-inclusive services are available. Researchers have not examined how discrimination and access to TGNB-inclusive services are associated with patient satisfaction among TGNB healthcare users. Among a convenience sample of TGNB people (n = 146) from Canada and the United States, I examined the relationship between patient satisfaction, experiencing microaggressions from primary healthcare providers, and receiving care in a TGNB-inclusive healthcare setting.

The results from a multivariable linear regression suggest that experiencing microaggressions is …

Nh-Me Lend: Advancing Health Equity For Children And Youth With Asd/Ndd And Their Families Through Continuous Quality Improvement, Betsy Humphreys, Susan Russell, Rae Sonnenmeier, Alan Kurtz

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades NH and Maine have experienced rapid growth of racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority populations. New Hampshire’s foreign-born population was 5.7% in 2013, while Maine’s foreign-born population was 3.4% during the same time period (American Immigration Council, 2017). In addition, NH and Maine are designated refugee resettlement areas. NH is now home to refugees from over 40 countries (NH DHHS, 2010) and Maine is home to refugees from over 30 countries (Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services, 2015).

The Impact Of A Civic Service Program On Biopsychosocial Outcomes Of Post 9/11 U.S. Military Veterans, Monica M. Matthieu, Karen A. Lawrence, Emma Robertson-Blackmore

Social Work Faculty Publications

Volunteering as a health promotion intervention, improves physical health, mental health, and social outcomes particularly in older adults, yet limited research exists for veterans. We conducted a preliminary study to explore whether volunteering impacts a variety of biopsychosocial outcomes, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, among returning military veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A survey enrolling a prospective cohort of United States (U.S.) veterans who served in the military after 11 September 2001 and who participated in a national civic service program was conducted. A total of 346 veterans completed standardized health, mental health, and psychosocial self-report …