Social Work Commons^™

Common Sources Of Anxiety For Students Who Experience Suicidal Ideation, Austin Nystrom, Fabian Ortiz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was conducted to identify what sources of anxiety are most closely associated with experiencing SI among students in a school district in Southern California. Anxiety and suicide rates in youth continue to grow and a need for preventative services is a must. The research design consists of qualitative, biopsychosocial assessments, and qualitative, utilizing the collected data. MSW interns at the district site conducted the assessments and the writers analyzed and reviewed the data to draw out an answer to the research question. Implications for social work practice include gaining a better understanding on the common sources of anxiety …

Mental Health Services For Single Homeless Mothers With Children, Andrea Zermeno, Maria Alejandra Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Single mothers with young children living in poverty often experience various disadvantages, especially when they have mental health issues. They are a vulnerable population and face challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and low paying jobs. Homeless mothers and their children often have difficulty in finding means to survive and obtaining basic needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the quality and availability of mental health resources to homeless mother and their children. Ten participants were chosen outside of a homeless shelter in the City of Riverside. The study was a qualitative design conducted through face-to-face interviews.

This study …

Religion And Mental Health Service Utilization Among Hispanic Communities, Victor Ortega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to describe the relationship between religion and mental health utilization as perceived through Hispanic (Spanish speaking) individuals in religious communities. Previous studies have conducted research on the relationship between utilization of mental health services and religiosity, however there is limited research that describes the relationship between the two variables within the Hispanic population. This study seeks to find what the perception of mental health utilization is within the Hispanic community. Research has been conducted through a qualitative approach by interviews with individuals who have consented to be audio recorded. The data was then transcribed, for the purposes …

Social Work Perspectives On The Constraints Of Managed Care And Mental Health Treatment, Lana Kaissi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Approximately 46.6 million adults in the United States live with a mental illness as of 2017. Therefore, managed care being the system that facilitates access to mental health treatment needs to be addressed. Managed care (such as healthcare plans) seeks to facilitate healthcare service delivery by providing direction and guidance to utilization and prevention of services. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore social work perspectives on the constraints of managed care as it impacts access to mental health treatment. This study conducted qualitative interviews through a non-random sample of professional colleagues of social workers in the in …

Mental Health Services In An Exclusive Latino Community Versus A Diverse Community, Karina Amador, Natalie Salas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined whether Latino immigrants’ community environment influenced perceptions about the meaning of mental health and accessing mental health services. The two environments analyzed in were an exclusively Latino community (primarily Latino members) and a diverse community (composed of different ethnicities including Latinos). The research method used in this study was a qualitative survey design. A semi-structured interview guideline with questions on the meaning of mental health, mental health services access, and community norms on mental health was utilized with 24 respondents. Responses were then analyzed to find themes. Findings from this study found similarities as well as differences …

Outcomes Of Mental Health Crises When Mental Health Professionals Partner With Mental Health Deputies, Melissa Kay Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement has historically been on the frontlines of the mental health crisis. This expected role is difficult as police officers are not trained as mental health professionals. Collaboration between police officers, mental health professionals, and mental health authorities have produced integral models to assist with the mental health crisis. Crisis intervention teams (CIT), mobile crisis units, and street triage models are highlighted to gain understanding of the components of these models. This study desires to examine a collaborative, recently implemented mental health deputy grant program aimed at diverting mentally ill individuals in crisis from contact with the criminal justice …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions To Improve Mental Health And Overall Wellbeing Of College Student-Athletes, Haley Katherine Brock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Athletes have several challenges and demands that increase psychological distress

and disturbances to overall wellbeing. Currently, more research is being done to identify issues that college athletes face by not receiving mental health services. College athletes are now being identified in the literature as a vulnerable population. This pilot study looked at a possible mindfulness-based intervention by incorporating yoga sessions. The research hypothesis proposed that the participants who partake in the yoga sessions have a decrease in depression and anxiety, and overall wellbeing. This increase was measured using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), PHQ-9, and the Behavioral Health Measure …

Social Work’S Contribution To Research Regarding Suicide Among African Americans, Darius Reed

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. Social workers are the largest direct provider of mental health services in the United States. However their valuable person-in-environment perspective has not been incorporated into research to provide insight on ways to decrease incidents of suicide among African Americans. This systematic review examines social work’s contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. The systematic review also examines protective factors specific to African Americans that can be used to mitigate suicide …

Food Insecurity And Mental Health Correlations And Barriers On A College Campus, Alexandria M. Bisson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity is defined by the U.S Department of Agriculture as “the uncertain or limited ability to get adequate food due to lack of financial resources” (Watson, Malan, Glik, & Martinez, 2017, p. 130). It tends to go unnoticed, and the size of the vulnerable population cannot be fully depicted because of stigma in seeking help. One study could only estimate from findings that 14% to 59% of students will be food insecure at some point throughout their college years (Henry, 2017). Food insecurity is affecting students’ social and mental health, diet choices, and physical well-being. Food insecurity is only …

Developing Information On Mental Health And Counseling Services, Katherine Bustamante

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Taylor Farms Center for Learning (TFCFL) is an afterschool program, which is located in East Salinas, serving primarily 76% of Hispanic and Latino children and families. Providing various programs to break down barriers for children to experience success. Every year in the United States, up to 20% of children and youth experience a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder but nearly half of all children receive no mental health services. Due to this few agency-sponsored services address this health issue and TFCFL wants to make sure they are offering the right kind of services for their community. This research project will …

Unseen And Unheard: Exploring The Mental Health Of Mostly Heterosexual College Students, Shannon Pendleton

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Theses and Dissertations

College years have long been understood to be a difficult yet important developmental period in an individual’s life, which may be particularly challenging for sexual minority students who tend to face discrimination on campus, which can undermine their mental health. Research in both college student and non-college student samples has shown that mostly heterosexual is a distinct sexual orientation. However, little is known about the wellbeing of individuals, including college students, who identify as mostly heterosexual. Moreover, among college students, little is known about the intersections between a mostly heterosexual identity and mental health. This study examined the association between …

Lgbt+ Teens, Social Media Use & Depressive Symptoms, Megan Curtis, Danielle Ryder

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Sexual and gender minority youth are statistically more likely to face severe mental health challenges than their cisgender, heterosexual peers; they consistently comprise a disproportionate percentage of youth who report experiencing depression, suicide ideation and attempted suicide in the United States every year (e.g. Abreu & Kinney, 2018). The aim of this study was to fill a gap in the current literature base by investigating the effects of social media use on sexual and gender minority youth mental health. The researchers conducted an online anonymous questionnaire targeted toward American LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, etc.) youth ages 14 to 18, …

A Thematic Analysis Of Adults’ Reflection On Childhood Experiences Being Parented By An Adult With Mental Health Issues, Jennifer Luja, Meg O'Malley

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Children are impacted by their relationships with caregivers. The objective of this research was to develop awareness of the impact on children being cared for by caregivers with mental health issues by examining the experiences of individuals who had a caregiver with severe and persistent mental health issues during childhood. Researchers also gained insight on how social workers can be more supportive to children in these circumstances. The researchers conducted interviews with five participants, the recordings of which were then transcribed and coded to identify themes. Prevalent themes include critiques of available services, resiliency and challenges of family members as …

Perceptions Of Mental Health: Eight Conversations With Mainers From Africa, Teresa Sosa, Emelda Ogweta

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As of 2016, 42 million refugees from around the world had been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, or natural disaster (George & Jettner, 2016). Due to these factors, as well as relocation and resettlement, refugees are at a significant risk for trauma and other mental health issues (George & Jettner, 2016). While the literature consistently validates this heightened risk for mental illness in refugees, more research is needed into refugee's perspectives on mental health. Through analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight refugees from Africa, this phenomenological study investigated refugee's perceptions of mental health and mental illness. …

Veterans' Treatment Courts In Kentucky: Examining How Personal Characteristics And During-Program Occurrences Influence Program Completion And Criminal Recidivism, Monica Lynn Himes

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Military veterans are disproportionately represented in United States (U.S.) jails and prisons, with nearly 10% of current inmates being veterans. Veterans’ criminal justice involvement is often precipitated by underlying mental health and substance abuse that are connected to their military service. Veterans’ treatment courts are the judicial response to a need for more coordinated provision of mental health and substance abuse services to veterans involved in the criminal justice system. Modeled after drug courts and mental health courts, veterans treatment courts are a judicial innovation that aim to honor the service of veterans by providing them an alternative to incarceration. …

Examining Cultural Humility And Intersectionality In Mental Health Treatment, Sandra Y. Herrera-Spinelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cultural awareness is an ethical standard in the social work profession and, as the diversity in the United States continues to grow, it is a social work practice problem when cultural awareness is not implemented in mental health settings. The National Association of Social Workers revised the cultural awareness standards to include cultural humility and intersectionality as practice indicators. The purpose of this action research study was to examine how clinical social workers demonstrated cultural humility and intersectionality in mental health settings. Person-centered theory guided this study and a total of 17 clinical social workers in New Mexico participated in …

The Experience Of Mindful Self-Compassion, Erika Ristok

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Given the benefits seen in the literature with regards to mindful self-compassion, embodiment of positive emotion, and the efficacy of brief interventions, this study sought to advance an understanding of the experience of mindful self compassion. Eight participants were taught a brief self-compassion exercise along with a step that embodies a feeling of comfort. The participants were drawn from a wait-list for counselling services at a Family Health Team site. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format following training and practice with the self-compassion exercise. Qualitative phenomenological analysis was used in order to gain an understanding of the essence …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of The Effects On United States Soldiers Of Multiple Deployments, Cynthia Louise Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military personnel who have served during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn have experienced longer and more frequent deployments than U.S. personnel involved in any previous conflict. These multiple tours in combat zones have resulted in complex psychosocial needs for military personnel. The goal of this action research study was to understand social workers' perceptions and experiences of military personnel who experienced 3 or more deployments in a combat zone. The theoretical foundation for the study was narrative theory. Research questions sought to understand the social workers' perceptions of the psychosocial treatment needs of these veterans, …

Efficacy Of A Va Residential Treatment Program For Co-Occurring Disorders, Kathrin Hohenstern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders among the veteran population can impact numerous aspects of a veteran's life, including self-esteem, relationships, employment, and legal issues. The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) at the Saint Cloud, Minnesota VA Healthcare System is a program that provides residential treatment for this population. Identifying practical and beneficial treatment methods promotes better coping mechanisms for veterans and impacts social change by providing timely and cost-efficient care for veterans, while also leading the way for overall changes and improvements in other VA residential treatment programs. This study identified how …

Increasing Clergy's Knowledge Of Mental Illness, Confidence, And Willingness To Refer, Suzan Mae Davis Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 43 million Americans suffer from mental illness annually with 40% seeking support from clergy (Polson & Rogers, 2007) who claim to be ineffectively prepared (Farrell & Goebert, 2008). This study investigated if mental health training administered to clergy would increase their knowledge of various mental disorders, alter their opinion regarding helpful resources, grow their self-confidence to help individuals experiencing mental health issues, and increase clergy's willingness to refer out. The theoretical basis for this research was attribution theory that attempts to explain social perceptions (Mannarini & Boffo, 2013) and the struggle individuals (i.e. clergy) have regarding the causation of …

Referral Patterns And Service Provision In Child Protective Services: Child, Caregiver, And Case Predictors, Hannah Mead Holbrook

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Child maltreatment, and recurrent maltreatment in particular, occurs at an alarmingly high rate. Frequency of reports to Child Protective Services (CPS) is associated with negative psychological outcomes, and children whose reports are unsubstantiated experience similar risk of behavioral, emotional, and substance use disorders as those whose reports are substantiated. Prior research has demonstrated that children with no CPS reports and children with one CPS report showed no significant differences in rates of maltreatment perpetration or substance use in adulthood, suggesting that prevention efforts after one report may have strong merit in reducing negative outcomes in adulthood. However, patterns and risk …