Social Work Commons^™

Integrating Neuroscience Knowledge Into Social Work Education: A Case-Based Approach, Marcia Egan, Terri Combs-Orme, Susan L. Neely-Barnes

Social Work Publications and Other Works

New knowledge from the rapidly growing field of neuroscience has important implications for our understanding of human behavior in the social environment, yet little of this knowledge has made its way into social work education. This article presents a model for integrating neuroscience into instruction on human development, the bio psychosocial model, psychopathology, and social work theory. Key concepts such as critical periods of brain development, neural plasticity, memory, cognition, and the impact of stress and trauma are discussed. Case studies and discussion questions are used to demonstrate the integration of neuroscience knowledge into social work education. We argue that …

New Mothers’ Psychological Experience And Behavioral Interactions With Their Infants In The First 12 Months, Timothy Page, Terri Combs-Orme, Daphne S. Cain

Social Work Publications and Other Works

We examined the psychological dimensions of parents’ perceptions of their infant children and their own abilities as parents at two observation points in a racially and socio-economically diverse sample of 174 mothers. Parenting perceptions and life circumstances were hypothesized to predict interactive behavior observed in the home. Baseline assessments were conducted in hospital, within 36 hr of delivery. Follow-up assessments were conducted in their homes when the children were 6 to 12 months old. Of five major psychological constructs studied, only parents’ perceptions of children, represented particularly by empathic responsiveness and absence of role-reversal, predicted the quality of behavioral interactions …

Resilient Parenting: Overcoming Poor Parental Bonding, W. Travis, Terri Combs-Orme

Social Work Publications and Other Works

This study identified groups of mothers with varying patterns of adaptive functioning and bonds with their own parents. These patterns were related to mothers' parenting of their own children to understand how some mothers avoid repeating the cycle of poor parenting. Data from 210 new mothers were analyzed before hospital discharge about bonding with their caregivers during childhood and six to 12 months later about adaptive functioning, life circumstances, and parenting. Latent cluster analysis identified four distinct groups of mothers with regard to parental bonds and adaptive functioning: positive-adaptive mothers (good bonding and good adaptive functioning), positive-maladaptive mothers (good bonding …

Poverty And The Daily Lives Of Infants, Terri Combs-Orme, Daphne S. Cain

Social Work Publications and Other Works

It has been amply demonstrated that poor children suffer disadvantages as compared to their more advantaged peers. This paper examines important aspects of infants’ daily experiences in a southeastern city in the United States in order to illustrate differences between poor and non-poor infants. ‘‘Poor’’ infants were compared to their ‘‘non-poor’’ counterparts on the quality of parenting they received; quality of their home environments; relative health and safety; stability, structure, and predictability of their daily lives; and exposure to diverse experiences in the community. Findings reveal that poor infants are at a consistent disadvantage across all domains when compared to …

Do Maternal Concerns At Delivery Predict Parenting Stress During Infancy?, Terri Combs-Orme, Daphne S. Cain, Elizabeth E. Wilson

Social Work Publications and Other Works

Objective: In a previous study,we found that newmothers could andwould express concerns about their parenting, including concerns about maltreatment and poor care. In this study,we examine the utility of early maternal concerns for predicting parenting stress in the first year. Parenting stress is important because it has been shown to be related to maltreatment and poor parent-child relationships.

Method: A sample of 246 mothers were interviewed shortly after delivery in a publicly funded hospital about their parenting concerns, and 93% were reinterviewed in their homes about their parenting when the infants were 6 to 12 months old. Standardized measures with …

Predicting Birth Weight: Relative Importance Of Sociodemographic, Medical, And Prenatal Care Variables, Terri Combs-Orme, Christina Rtisley-Curtiss, Ronald Taylor

Social Work Publications and Other Works

This study uses the 1980 National Natality Study to examine the relative importance of sociodemographic factors, medical-risk factors, and prenatal care in predicting birth weight. Findings indicate that both sociodemographic and medical-risk factors are important in predicting birth weight, with medical risks accounting for slightly more variance (after accounting for social variables) in birth weight. Although prenatal care accounts for only 1 percent of the variance, a statistical interaction between prenatal care and labor complications accounts for an additional 1 percent.

Health Effects Of Adolescent Pregnancy: Implications For Social Workers, Terri Combs-Orme

Social Work Publications and Other Works

Adolescent pregnancy carries significant risks to the health of the pregnant adolescent and her child. These risks, which include pregnancy complications, low birth weight, and infant mortality, are due in large part to the behavior of the adolescent and her socioeconomic circumstances. Early and consistent use of health care can minimize risks by permitting the detection and management of serious problems. Human service professionals should use every opportunity to encourage good prenatal care, while keeping in mind the developmental and personal needs of the pregnant adolescent.

Infant Mortality And Social Work: Legacy Of Success, Terri Combs-Orme

Social Work Publications and Other Works

Although it is not widely known, social workers have had a substantial part in the impressive reduction in infant mortality achieved in the United States during this century. This article reviews that contribution, noting a decline in interest in infant mortality in the profession beginning in the 1950s. Recent trends are noted that seem to suggest a renewal in the profession's interest in this important subject.