Social Work Commons^™

Secure Attachment Without Bars: Alternatives To Incarceration And Clinical Interventions To Treat The Mother-Infant Relationship, Krista Murphy

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Between 1980 and 2011, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 700% (The Sentencing Project, 2017; 2015). Since The Second Chance Act was passed in 2008, the women’s prison population has grown outpacing men’s, grown while men’s declined, or declined proportionally less than men’s in seventy-percent of states, according to the Prison Policy Initiative (Sawyer, 2018). This paper explores the reasons for this disproportionate growth by outlining public policy developments and pathways women take to incarceration that are intertwined with trauma, mental health, and substance use in ways that men’s pathways are not. Furthermore, since the majority of …

Emotionally Focused Therapy For Couples: A Treatment For Depression And Anxiety, Courtney Reinitz

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This systematic review aimed to examine emotionally focused therapy (EFT) and its effectiveness as a treatment for couples suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were created and databases were searched for relevant literature. Five articles were used as data for this study. Based on the findings, five areas of focus were uncovered that support the claim that EFT may be an effective treatment for couples suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety. More research must be done in order to assert this claim of effectiveness. Practitioners, clients, and researchers would benefit from further research in …

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …