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Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Taking The Perspective That A Depressive State Reflects Inflammation: Implications For The Use Of Antidepressants, Jill Littrell
Taking The Perspective That A Depressive State Reflects Inflammation: Implications For The Use Of Antidepressants, Jill Littrell
SW Publications
This paper reviews both the evidence that supports the characterization of depression as an inflammatory disorder and the different biochemical mechanisms that have been postulated for the connection between inflammation and depression. This association offers credible explanation for the short term efficacy of antidepressants, which have short term anti-inflammatory effects. Evidence for those anti-inflammatory effects is discussed. Evidence of the contrary long-term effects of antidepressants, which increase rather than decrease inflammation, is also reviewed. It is argued that this increase in inflammation would predict an increase in chronicity among depressed patients that have been treated with antidepressants drugs, which has …
Grandmother Kinship Care Providers: Predictors Of Elevated Psychological Distress, Deborah M. Whitley
Grandmother Kinship Care Providers: Predictors Of Elevated Psychological Distress, Deborah M. Whitley
SW Publications
Most children in kinship care with grandmothers in the U.S. have been abandoned or maltreated. The challenges these caregivers encounter often include poverty, social isolation, and diminished health. These factors may hinder the grandmother’s ability to provide a supportive family environment. The purpose of the present study was to determine levels of psychological distress in African American caregiving grandmothers and identify predictors of increased distress in African American custodial grandmothers. We hypothesized that diminished grandmother health, family resources and support, as well as increased child behavior problems, will predict psychological distress.
Controversies In Psychiatry And Dsm-5: The Relevance For Social Work (Occasional Essay), Jill Littrell, Jeffrey R. Lacasse
Controversies In Psychiatry And Dsm-5: The Relevance For Social Work (Occasional Essay), Jill Littrell, Jeffrey R. Lacasse
SW Publications
This essay addresses recent controversies surrounding the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5—the first major revision of the DSM since 1994), as well as questions regarding the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications discussed in the public domain. Mental health professionals across a wide range of professions have signed a petition to the DSM-5 Task Force protesting changes in the new edition, and critiques of psychiatric medications are increasingly disseminated in the media. These issues have particular relevance for children in foster care, who receive diagnoses and medication at high rates. The general …
Is There Evidence For The Bipolar Spectrum And The Safety Of Pharmaceutical Interventions?, Jill Littrell
Is There Evidence For The Bipolar Spectrum And The Safety Of Pharmaceutical Interventions?, Jill Littrell
SW Publications
Social workers constitute a high proportion of mental health professionals and a high percentage of social workers provide mental health care. Thus, psychiatric diagnoses and pharmaceutical interventions are relevant for many social workers. This paper reviews the rise in the diagnoses of Bipolar spectrum disorders for both children and adults. It considers the safety of antipsychotic medications, a mainstay of treatment for children and adults, which, in addition to other well-documented negative side effects, have recently been shown to decrease brain volume by a significant percent. These issues are particularly relevant for children in the foster care system.
Voucher Users And Revitalized Public Housing Residents Six Years After Displacement, Fred Brooks, Terri Lewinson, Jennifer Aszman, Jim Wolk
Voucher Users And Revitalized Public Housing Residents Six Years After Displacement, Fred Brooks, Terri Lewinson, Jennifer Aszman, Jim Wolk
SW Publications
Six years after displacement by a HOPE VI project this research examines residents who returned to the redeveloped community and residents who decided to keep their vouchers and were living in private sector housing. Respondents were compared on the following variables: application process and decision to move back, satisfaction with housing, material hardships, and perception of economic well-being. The study employed a static group comparison research design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 56 respondents through five focus groups. Residents who moved back to the revitalized public housing were highly satisfied with their housing, had significantly fewer material hardships, …
The Controversy Over Antidepressant Drugs In An Era Of Evidence-Based Practice, Jill Littrell, Jeffrey Lacasse
The Controversy Over Antidepressant Drugs In An Era Of Evidence-Based Practice, Jill Littrell, Jeffrey Lacasse
SW Publications
Questions regarding the efficacy of antidepressant drugs have been a recent focus of attention in the national news both in print and in the television media. Many clients will have questions regarding what they can believe and how they can address mood problems. Social workers constitute a greater percentage of the mental health work force than any other profession. Thus, social workers will probably be asked by clients about these issues. This article presents information on the efficacy of antidepressants for both the short and long term. It covers adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms. Clients' self-determination should be honored. However, …
Can A Diagnosis Be Epidemic, With Therapeutic Efforts The Catastrophe?, Jill Littrell
Can A Diagnosis Be Epidemic, With Therapeutic Efforts The Catastrophe?, Jill Littrell
SW Publications
The diagnosis of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BSD) given for office visits has risen 40 fold for children and has risen dramatically for adults as well. Some of the growth may have been fueled by re-categorization of individuals who would previously have received diagnoses of major depression along with the widening of diagnostic criteria for BSD. Concomitant with the rise in BSD diagnoses, the number of adults and children receiving atypical antipsychotics has increased dramatically. Recent evidence finds that atypical antipsychotics cause considerable reduction in brain volume. It is thus imperative to ensure that those with diagnoses comprising BSD—Bipolar I, Bipolar …
Social Service Barriers Experienced By Low-Income Extended-Stay Hotel Residents, Terri Lewinson, Carol S. Collard
Social Service Barriers Experienced By Low-Income Extended-Stay Hotel Residents, Terri Lewinson, Carol S. Collard
SW Publications
This article presents findings from a qualitative study of 14 individuals residing in extended-stay hotels after housing displacement. Framed in ecosystems and structuration theory, the purpose of this study was to understand social service barriers experienced by help-seeking residents. Participants were engaged in in-depth interviews and asked about challenges faced when they reached out for assistance to prepare for stable housing. Reported barriers included negative interactions with social service personnel, cumbersome agency processes, and insufficient/inappropriate resources. Hotel residents identified guidance, compassion, and advocacy as interventions practitioners can use to support client transitions to stable housing.
Exploring “Home” At An Assisted Living Facility: Looking Through Residents’ Lenses With Photovoice, Terri Lewinson, Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, Kathryn W. Grant
Exploring “Home” At An Assisted Living Facility: Looking Through Residents’ Lenses With Photovoice, Terri Lewinson, Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, Kathryn W. Grant
SW Publications
An increasing number of older adults are moving into assisted living facilities when living independently becomes difficult. These facilities afford older adults a home-like environment with opportunities for social activity and a minimal level of professional care, although relocation can negatively impact well-being. Because it is important to study home environments of aging adults, 10 residents of an assisted living facility were engaged in Photovoice to explore perceptions of the facility as home. Through photographic expression, residents identified environment enhancements for home at an assisted living facility. Findings of this study have implications for program planning at long-term care facilities.
Children In Foster Care And Excessive Medications, Jill L. Littrell
Children In Foster Care And Excessive Medications, Jill L. Littrell
SW Publications
Children in foster care system are more likely to receive diagnoses of major mental illness and to be medicated with powerful medications such as antipsychotic drugs. Reasons for the increased risk of the actual mental illnesses and for the diagnoses of illness among children in foster care are reviewed. The reliabilities of various diagnoses are considered. The legitimacy of the rationale for early medications to prevent later disability is discussed. The very real hazards of medicating with antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants, mood stabilizers and antidepressants are reviewed. A discussion of advocacy efforts occurring around the United States on behalf of medicated …