Social Work Commons^™

U.S. Military Veteran Identity And Civilian Adjustment, Darren A. Sosa

Pacific Journal of Health

U.S. military veterans transitioning back into the civilian sector often experience a variety of challenges and need to readjust into non-military environments. In order to examine the psychological challenges involved in the transition and readjustment processes among U. S. active military veterans, a qualitative study was conducted. For 6 months, data was collected from veterans in California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, and New York. Following an IRB approval, semi-structured open-ended self-developed interviews were developed and conducted with sixteen military veterans who have served in 4 branches of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Data and information …

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 …

Therapeutic Gardening For Mental Health In Substance Use Recovery, Stephanie E. Schafer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

As the clinical nurse leader (CNL) in this project, I used the “[CNL]

Essential 1: Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities” (Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice, 2013) and its competencies to focus on designing nursing care for a clinical or community-focused population based on biopsychosocial, public health, nursing, and organizational sciences and to synthesize evidence for practice to determine appropriate application of interventions across diverse populations. With the help of the CNL competencies and collaboration with the healthcare team, we created and implemented a therapeutic garden for residents in a substance use …

Prescribing Music To Forensic Settings: A Literature Review, Sydney A. Bouchard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Though prison is inherently musical, evidence-based forensic music therapy is rather understudied. This thesis critically reviews musical experiences in forensic environments and synthesizes its intersection with inmates' psychological distress. Additionally, the literature explores how forensic music therapy can act as a health and social resource for the incarcerated and their communities. Engaging in this work is vital because healthier correctional systems mean healthier communities (Hopwood, 2021). This review synthesizes relevant literature to inform better practices in music therapy, counseling, and healthcare and seeks to popularize discussion around an otherwise unpopular population, incarcerated folx. Emerging themes include (1) incarceration breeds negative …

Impact Of Industrial Disasters On The Mental Health Of Vietnamese Americans On The Gulf Coast, Vivian L. Duong

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused 200 million gallons of crude oil to spill on the Gulf Coast over a five-month span. About 16,000 miles of coastline, ecosystem and marine life along Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas were contaminated. This disaster and the recovery process caused social, financial, and ecological shocks, resulting in adverse psychosocial and physical health outcomes, health disparities, and socioeconomic inequality. Among the oil spill's most affected and vulnerable populations are the Vietnamese American communities that settled on the Gulf Coast after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The plight of …

Accessibility Of Mental Health Resources In Schools, Zitlaly Lizeth Cruz-Roman, Vianney Consepcion Sandoval

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine parents’ and staff’s perception of the accessibility and awareness of mental health resources in school. Mental health resources are made available in school settings; however, not all families and students are aware of the resources being provided. To address the accessibility of mental health resources, research needs to take place to understand why these resources are not being utilized. Individuals’ mental health will improve by creating awareness of the resources since they will be aware of the resources and use them based on their needs. The research project utilized quantitative research methods and descriptive research …

Protocol For An Ehub As An Systemic Intervention For Homeless Shelter Staff And Resident Psychosocial And Behavioral Needs, Celeste Sangiorgio, Cory Crane, Cassandra Berbery, Caroline Easton

Frameless

This paper includes a proposal and outline for a one- stop, web-based eHub for homeless shelter workers and residents. The shelter eHub is proposed as a one-stop portal for staff and resident skills acquisition, shelter and community resources, and rehearsal of coping skills. The theoretical and empirical support for eHub contents is reviewed, as well as the structure for evidence-based psychological skills building and gamified and virtual skills rehearsal components.

Sources And Types Of Social Supports And Their Association With Mental Health Symptoms And Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults With A History Of Out-Of-Home Care, Rhiannon Evans, Colleen C. Katz, Anthony Fulginiti, Heather N. Taussig

Graduate School of Social Work: Faculty Scholarship

Young adults with a history of out-of-home care report poorer mental health and life satisfaction compared to non-care-experienced peers. Social support is a known protective factor for mental health. There is limited evidence, however, on the relationship between sources (e.g., family members) and types (e.g., information) of social support and mental health symptoms and life satisfaction in this population. Reporting cross-sectional survey data from 215 young adults aged 18–22 years with a history of out-of-home care, the current study conducted descriptive, bivariate, and linear regression analysis to examine the different sources and types of support young adults receive and their …

Youth Mental Health In The Mountain West, Kristian Thymianos, Olivia K. Cheche, Kelliann Beavers, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet explores youth mental health metrics of Mountain West states from the Hopeful Futures Campaign’s 2022 report, America’s School Mental Health Report Card. This study provides state snapshots on school mental health policies and workforce availability for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are considered here.

Cultural Healing Practices: Incorporating Cultural Healers Into Minnesota's Mental Health Care System, Raymond Shoup, Allyson Endersbe, Nayeli Hernandez Moctezuma, Patty Balderas-Johnson

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota’s approach to health and mental health is based on western cultural traditions of illness, help seeking behaviors, healing and wellness. This approach does not work for many of the cultural communities in Minnesota, especially those with a deep history of generational trauma, oppression, and discrimination. We need to make mental health a priority for Minnesotans by expanding the availability of holistic approaches rooted in the cultural traditions of Minnesota’s diverse cultural communities. We must address the impact of generational trauma and work to lessen the harm by incorporating cultural healing practices into our mental health care system, including the …

Continuity Of Care For Adult Offenders With Severe And Persistent Mental Illnesses: An Action Research Study, Lakeshia C. Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, the representation of adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) in the criminal justice system has steadily grown despite public recognition and increased federal implementation of mental health courts and diversion programs. Though more is known about risk factors associated with psychiatric and criminal recidivism among this population, a gap in the literature remains on collaborative interventions and continuity of care between inpatient mental health and criminal justice facilities. Grounded in resilience theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine challenges social workers faced when attempting to facilitate discharge planning between inpatient mental health facilities …

Intersectional Invisibility Of Black Lgbtqia+ Client Strategies For Bias And Discrimination Prevention, Dr. Tonya Y. Griffith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Those who identify as members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities have been victims of bias and prejudicial attitudes. Because LGBTQIA+ people embody all cultures, races, religious convictions, and socioeconomic statuses, this creates additional barriers for some community members who identify as both Black and LGBTQIA+. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social workers’ perceptions of intersectional invisibility when working with Black LGBTQIA+ clients and the strategies that social workers identify as beneficial in averting discrimination and bias when working with this community. Implicit bias theory and intersectionality theory …

Loneliness As A Treatment Focus For Suicide Prevention In Airmen Who Seek Mental Health Care, Jovanna O. Gaines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Department of Defense is challenged to decrease rising suicide rates in all branches of military service. Studies have consistently shown interpersonal risk factors versus intrapsychic factors as strong indicators of suicide risk, yet the practice has not focused on loneliness as a treatment focus for increased risk. This study explored clinical social workers’ view of loneliness as experienced in patients who are active-duty airmen to identify prevention, coping, and treatment strategies for managing suicides. The methodology involved a semistructured interview of 10 active duty licensed clinical social workers with greater than two years of experience working within a mental …

Giving Birth At A Critical Time: Assessing Perinatal Depression Among Syrian Refugees In Low Resource Settings, Nada Alnaji

Theses & Dissertations

Refugee mothers are at an increased risk of suffering from stress and mental health conditions during the first year after giving birth to a child. The objective of this study is to enhance the early identification of treatable mental health conditions among perinatal women living within humanitarian settings. The central hypothesis is that a culturally specific approach can be helpful for the long-term success of mental health efforts. In this study, we use qualitative interview methods to understand the cultural paradigms and predisposing factors for perinatal depression related to being a Syrian refugee in Lebanon during the COVID-19 pandemic. In …

Treatment Access For Dual Diagnosis Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Pedro Banuelos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 2018, of 1.3 million Latinx adults in the United States facing concurrent issues with substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD) 93% remained untreated for either diagnosis. This is concerning since Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data reveals that this population is at greater risk for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. They also face structural barriers such as employment, housing, legal involvement, and insurability that further impede access to treatment.

This study’s purpose was to examine barriers to accessing treatment for Latinx populations confronting co-occurring SUDs and MHDs. This study used a qualitative design …

Mental Health Among The Latinx Population, Jocelyn Mendoza Sierra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health in the Latinx community has been stigmatized for several years. In the Latinx community mental health is disregarded and oftentimes not addressed and overlooked by immediate family members. The purpose of this study is to address the reason why people do not access mental health services. The methods used in this study consisted of a qualitative approach and participants were asked open ended questions. A total of eleven participants (N=11) were gathered and consisted of both female and male participants who identify as Latinxs. The key findings from this research indicate that seeking mental health services was viewed …

Social Worker’S Adjustment And Perception When Dealing With Double-Exposure During A Natural Disaster, Magaly Santos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Limited research captures the perceptions and adjustments of social workers living and providing treatment in the same communities during a disaster. Few studies have captured the stressors and responsibilities put on social workers during an ongoing disaster. This paper reports the findings of the double-exposure captured using a qualitative approach in collecting interviews from nine mental health professionals who continued working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A constructivist paradigm was used to capture each participant’s reality. Participants described the sudden change to remote work as difficult when having to find the balance between work and life demands, providing …

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 …

Investing In A Culturally Diverse Mental Health Workforce In Minnesota, Emma Fuhrman, Teia Kopari, Cody Reinke, Josie Schultz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota’s mental health workforce lacks in both cultural diversity and cultural responsiveness. Each is critical for providing equitable mental health care to Minnesota's increasingly diverse population. Without ensuring that Minnesota’s mental health workforce is culturally diverse, culturally responsive mental health care for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) will not be attainable. Minnesota must broaden, strengthen, and create structures to support a racially and ethnically diverse mental health workforce.

Modeling Cumulative Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial And Socioeconomic Factors For Older Minority Adults, James F. Osborne Iv

LSU Master's Theses

Continued response to the sum consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has disparately affected the physical and mental health of older minority adults in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 created an acute epidemiological crisis of public health coinciding with a chronic pandemic of accentuated psychosocial stress. Biological and socio-economic risk of morbidity and mortality follow a demographic gradient of subjectively constructed social status that disproportionally threatens older adults and minority racial/ethnic communities. Pathways to increased socio-economic and psychosocial vulnerability are multifactorial and complex. Factors of race, socio-economic status, gender, and age, each contribute to individualized profiles of vulnerability to risk exposure.

The …

The Role Of Community Belongingness In The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Black Lgbtq Adults, Keith Justin Watts

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of racial and sexual minority stigma, prejudice, and discrimination on the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQ individuals, respectively, has been well documented in the literature. Research on these relationships for Black LGBTQ individuals who are multiply marginalized due to their position at the social intersections of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity is less common. Belongingness to identity-based communities can protect against the negative impact of these minority stressors for Black and LGBTQ individuals and aid coping processes. However, Black LGBTQ individuals often experience stigma and discrimination in their racial, sexual, and gender minority communities …

The Rise In Use Of Emotional Support Animals By College Students: The Impact Of Parenting Styles, Misty G. Smith, Samantha Ballard, Jill Willis

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

As the generational context of higher education shifts, a rise of Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and mental health concerns are present for students on college campuses. While previous studies have aimed to address the relevancy and controversy of ESAs in higher education as well as their effectiveness in supporting individuals, less research has explored underlying factors that contribute to the use of an ESA. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting behaviors of parents/caregivers of students with ESAs in comparison to parents/caregivers of students without ESAs. An embedded mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Parenting …

Parents Of Non-Binary Children: Stories Of Understanding And Support, Brooks Bull

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Parents of non-binary children undergo profound changes as they learn to first understand and then support their child. In order to provide family therapists with a foundation from which to work with these families, a thorough review of the literature is provided as well as a narrative research study. Chapter one provides an introduction to the topic of non-binary gender and transgender identities, defines the terms non-binary, transgender, and transsexual, and clarifies the conceptual frameworks at use in the dissertation: social constructionism and transfeminism. Chapter two is a review of peer-reviewed literature on therapy with children and adolescents who identify …

Mental Health In College Students: Disclosure & Seeking Support, Abby R. Smargon

Honors Program Theses and Projects

A study was conducted through Bridgewater State University in order to better understand the mental health and help seeking behaviors of college students. The data collected served to provide information regarding what specific types of mental health difficulties are reported by college students.

Historical Trauma Response Scores As A Function Of Unresolved Grief And Substance Use Disorder In American Indian Populations, Andrew R. Saunders

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract

Researchers are interested in the outcomes of interventions, specifically, measuring historical trauma (HT) among American Indian/Alaska Native communities and the long-term distress and substance abuse as a result of historical trauma response (HTR). Previous literature has implicated limitations in the clinical conceptualization of the relationship between intergenerational transfer of HTR and substance abuse. The aim of the current study is to examine treatment efficacy of 50 homosexual, American Indian males randomized to a culturally-adapted juxtaposition of (1) Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), (2) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and (3) Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention (HTUG), or (4) waitlisted on …

Mental Health And Its Wicked Factors, Michael Schuler

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Mental health has long since been an issue in not just our society, but worldwide. While it is difficult to determine exactly what factors affect mental health, there has been significant research done within the past 30 years to show that major factors that affect mental health can be mitigated. Things such as poverty, physical health, and community outreach can all be linked to mental health issues. There are some solutions that will mitigate these factors that can be explored. These solutions can include things like raising awareness for mental illnesses in order to reduce stigma, getting more mental health …

Mental Health Challenges Among Ethnic Minorities College Students, Fiorella G. Valles, Ruben Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored the challenges of mental health-seeking services of college students of color in the San Bernardino area. College students of different ethnicities have unique needs and challenges that contrast with the general student population. Previous research stated that students of color deal with a greater number of unmet mental health needs and indicates a connection between mental health and attaining a college degree (Arria et al., 2013). To increase the utilization of mental health amongst students of color, this study aimed to identify the influencing factors that prevented students from help-seeking. The research design of this research …

Police Social Work In Minnesota: Starting The Conversation, Jenny Ellsworth, Taylor Fish, Alison Niesen, Natalia Pitts

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Even with enhanced police officer training focused on improving responses to mental illness, chemical dependency, and other crisis-related calls, police officers remain ill-equipped to serve as trained mental health professionals. Officers respond to these service-related calls more frequently than crime-related calls, which is why community partnerships between police officers and social workers are needed to promote the safety and well-being of people in crisis.

Experiences And Challenges Of Social Workers Working With Transitioning And Postmilitary Service Members Who Have Mental Health Issues, Joyce M. Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active duty service members, veterans, and their family members are faced with a myriad of problems including mental health issues, substance abuse issues, traumatic brain injury, suicide, family integration issues, and family distress. Understanding the organizational, environmental, and person-centered factors that affect the delivery of mental health care treatment to active duty service members, veterans, and their families is urgent to this unique population for social work practitioners (licensed master, advanced, & clinical). This project explored the experiences and challenges that social work practitioners (licensed master, advanced, & clinical) have in providing effective services for mental health care treatment to …

A Crisis In The Farming Community: A Pathway To Acceptable, Accessible And Available Mental Health Care In Rural Minnesota, Trevor Frybarger, Laura Koch, Kathy Thao, Taryn Wicks

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota relies on farmers to put food on our tables and to help drive our economy. The chronic stressors associated with an unstable farm economy is taking its toll on farm families all across Minnesota. Chronic stress can contribute to marital tensions, domestic violence, work disruption, depression, anxiety, and suicide. Minnesota has only 1 mental health counselor dedicated to doing outreach and crisis counseling to farm families. Many mental health professionals lack competency in working in rural communities, including understanding farm related stressors. Minnesota is doing some things right, like the Minnesota Farm and Rural Help Line. But, it needs …