Digital Commons Network^™

Perception Of Parentification: A Qualitative Study Of Hispanic Families In Southern California, Kaylin Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Previous research has not thoroughly studied parentification in California. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring how is child parentification is perceived among Hispanic families in the High Desert region of California. Guided by the premises of Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory and utilizing a qualitative approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with six Hispanic Americans residing in California’s High Desert area (N = 6). Thematic analysis of the data generated six major themes: (1) children as a resource in the household, (2) parentification requires parental consent, (3) parentification depends on child’s age, (4) parentification …

Averting Educational Disruptions For Migrant Children, Natalie Elisarraraz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Migrant children entering the United States face unique challenges when being introduced to the country’s public education system. Not properly addressing the adversities migrant children and families face and their effective resources and strengths when navigating a new educational system can cause a detrimental delay to their potential academic success. This study sought to investigate the educational disruptions experienced by migrant students. This study also explored the relationship between the unique strengths migrant students possess and their use by school staff to the interventions utilized. This study utilized a qualitative design of primary data collected on the experiences of six …

The Impact Of Implicit Bias On The Overdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Ace Ogbebor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2017), Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and less likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder in compassion to their White counterparts presenting with the same symptoms. To address mechanisms of implicit bias and the implications for mental health practice, it is imperative to investigate the diagnostic process of students who will enter the field of mental health.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, 80% of MSW graduates work in positions providing micro-level direct service to individuals, families, and groups (CSWE, 2019). Moreover, 80% of MSW graduates …

Perceived Social Worker Competency For Addressing Loss Among Children, Adriana Lopez Cota, Catalina Herrera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers provide services in an array of settings which greatly include providing supportive services and resources to children and families. Studies have shown that although social workers are generally trained for comprehensive services, grief and loss have been seemingly left out of social work education and training, leaving many social workers incompetent to address clients presenting with grief/loss (Boss, 2006, Griese et al., 2017, Murty et al., 2015). Unfortunately, this leads to inadequate social work services for many children presenting with grief/loss (Lenhardt, 1997). This study will take a quantitative approach to gather information on the perceived competence of …

College-Aged Student’S Perspective Of Sexual Violence Via Social Media Usage, Emily Bautista, Marijane Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual violence is of significant concern on college campuses. Concurrently, college aged students regularly use social media platforms as socializing agents. Little is known concerning the influence of social media usage on the way college students perceive sexual violence. Feminist theories were used to conceptualize ideas involving perceptions of sexual violence. This research used quantitative measures to examine the influence of social media usage on college-aged students’ perspectives of sexual violence as measured by consent attitudes. Data was obtained from Reddit users. Correlation analysis found a relationship between hours spent per day on social media and positive attitudes toward establishing …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Needs Assessment Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Exploration of Needs

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) worked with the Nebraska Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to conduct a needs assessment. The team leveraged: (1) administrative data, primarily from the Nebraska Department of Children and Family Services’ Human Resource department (DCFS-HR); (2) formal surveys of child welfare staff and supervisors; (3) QIC-WD team expertise; and (4) subjective perceptions and expertise from the Nebraska Workforce Project Team members.

DCFS-HR data included metrics and processes related to recruitment, hiring, and retention; culture and climate; and other workforce processes and initiatives, such as onboarding, mentoring, supervision, …

A Systematic Review Of Studies Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Horticultural Therapy For Increasing Well-Being And Decreasing Anxiety And Depression, Claudia Andrea Lasater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a systematic review of published research on the effectiveness of horticultural therapy and related interventions in reducing stress. Since the beginning of time, the great outdoors has been humanity’s source of thriving on earth. However, as industrialization, urbanization, technological, and digital advances continue to expand, human life has changed, resulting in many negative outcomes, such as mental health concerns related to stress and lack of outside engagement. The mental health and related health concerns in previous studies show to be depression, rumination, anxiety, mood and salivary cortisol, anger, general health, existential issues, and many more all show …

Gender Perceptions And Female Students' Academic Engagement And Success In Stem Fields, Rheanna Morgan

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite an increase of females in higher education and the workforce, fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continue to be male-dominated. One explanation for this trend is the lack of gender representation and counterstereotypical role models to encourage female engagement in these fields at the university level. Previous research has looked at instructor gender, classroom gender composition, and involvement in extracurricular activities as possible factors influencing students' engagement and success in the classroom. However, few studies have investigated how gender perceptions influence female students in STEM fields. This study uses self-report data from a voluntary survey to …

The Correlations Of Financial Exploitation On Senior Adults Over 65, Carmen Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in people over the age of 65, the need for education about elder abuse and intervention in confirmed cases has become a priority for service providers, including social workers. The purpose of this study is to bring awareness to the different circumstances attributing to a senior adult over the age of 65 becoming a victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation. This exploratory descriptive study gathered data from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Open Data Portal and the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau. Various analyses were conducted to determine what may cause someone to be …

Caregiver-Child Conversations About Sex In African American Women, Hannah King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using grounded theory methods, this study examines the experience of African American women during their caregiver-child conversations about sex and the impacts of the conversations on their sexual attitudes. The process of these conversations begins with an unplanned topic and progresses further to identify six essential themes of these conversations: gender differences, race and religion, protective/emphasis on protection, lack of knowledge, withholding knowledge, and sex negativity/shame. African American women’s description of the process included feelings of shame and negativity towards their sexuality. Caregivers promoted positive messages about sex by having open conversations that advocated for equality between the genders, empower …

Determinants Of Caregiver Burden Among Informal Caregivers Looking After Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease In Saudi Arabia., Sultan Ali Shubair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caregiver burden in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a significant factor in the deterioration of caregivers’ physical and mental health. Moreover, increased caregiver burden has been associated with the decline in quality of life and the reduced quality of care for the care recipient. However, the level of caregiver burden perceived by informal caregivers of care recipients with AD can be varied with the impact of different factors related to the caregiver, care recipient, and caregiving process. Identifying factors associated with caregiver burden and exploring factors that account for variation in caregiver burden are vital to prevent adverse outcomes of caregiver …

Why It’S Important To Have A Growth Mindset Over A Fixed Mindset, Erin Palafox

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My abstract can help bring attention to teachers, mentors, and parents to help support kids on moving forward in a positive way.

Teaching Empathy: A Precursor To Accepting Diversity, Karen Viers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Robert Kennedy once said, “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” This statement inspired the author to question how prosocial behavior and the acceptance of diversity can be encouraged and is the driving force behind the following undergraduate thesis. Research tells us that Theory of Mind (ToM) and Affective Perspective Taking (APT) are essential components in a stepwise progression to learning empathy and can be taught to children ages five to seven. These elements are essential to developing an empathetic foundation that leads to healthier relationships, reduces bullying, and encourages the acceptance of …

The Experiences Of The Transgender And Gender Diverse Community On Coming Out At The University Of Arkansas, Taylor Hubbard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researching the experiences of the TGD community can help better understand the unique struggles this community may face, specifically regarding the unique experiences southeastern United States TGD individuals have encountered. We draw on previous studies regarding the entire LGBTQ+ community and the minimal research on the TGD community. There is minimal research looking specifically at the experiences college TGD students have when coming out in different aspects and the perceptions TGD individuals have about themselves as a result of their experiences coming out. We conducted a survey with 37 respondents as well as 4 qualitative interviews. We present interviews conducted …

Teaching White Privilege At A Southern University: A Multi-Method Approach, Morgan Browning

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fueled by individual and systemic prejudices, racism continuously cycles through American society. Eliminating racism begins with education and awareness on all societal levels. Denying the existence of privilege, specifically White privilege, allows people to ignore racial inequalities and aids in the perpetuation of injustice. This study focused on educating students at a southern university about privilege, oppression, racism, and discrimination with the goal of contributing to a less racist campus. A similar program developed and implemented in a previous study by the researcher was adapted for online modules. These four online modules consisted of presentations, activities, videos, speakers, and reflective …

Latinx On The Rise Mentoring Program’S Impact On Graduating Student’S Professional Integration Past Undergraduate Studies, Lucero Martinez-Salas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring programs are implemented to create a space for skill and information transmission between a mentor and mentee. Mentoring programs are typically implemented in an academic setting with professors or peers acting as a mentor and students as mentees. Based on the under-representation of Latinx students in higher education and further career paths, mentoring with this population could be positively impactful to their student experience. This thesis focuses on the Latinx on the Rise mentoring program and the experience of the mentees with a focus on the Latinx student experience. Implications for implementation of such programs and their impact will …

Retention Of First-Generation College Students: Exploring The Effect Of Mental Health, Yana Sue Hendricks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The retention of First-Generation College Students is an issue faced across different universities in the United States. FGCS are faced with various challenges that impact their enrollment in post-secondary institutions and these challenges are presented as the factors that affect retention in this study. This study attempts to analyze the three factors that affect the retention of FGCS which are mental health, financial well-being, and social support. Drawing participants, from a post-secondary program run by the Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas who attend colleges in West Central Texas. This study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect and analyze …

Adults With Disabilities: What Factors Create A Successful Transition From Higher Education To The Workforce?, Tiffany Elaine Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with disabilities face difficulties in both higher education and the workforce. While it would seem that they would be equipped to deal with these difficulties, high levels of college dropouts as well as pay gaps and high levels of underemployment suggest otherwise. Although there are many studies on disabilities and its relationship to singular factors, there is a lack of empirical study on the holistic relationship between disabilities and multiple factors. The purpose of this study is to explore how environmental factors, individual-external factors, and individual-internal factors are related to a successful transition from higher education to the workforce …

Perceived Benefits Of Upskilling And Reskilling By Persons Who Are Among The Employed, Underemployed, And Unemployed, Rosalind Marie Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research study is to explore the perceived influence, potential impact, and benefits that upskilling, and reskilling have on the employed, underemployed, and unemployed worker. In addition, this study seeks to explore whether the perceived benefits of upskilling and reskilling include moving above the poverty line and therefore, out of poverty in real and sustainable ways. This resulting new position and potential increase in pay could have the positive impact of moving them and their families above the poverty line. The results of this study indicate that participants perceive upskilling and reskilling to be an option …

Zoom Fatigue In The Age Of Covid-19, Angela Bullock, Alex D. Colvin, M. Sebrena Jackson

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how institutions of higher education function, colleges and universities have shifted to remote learning and now rely heavily on the use of web conferencing tools, such as Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and others. As a result, educators are increasingly experiencing the effects of Zoom fatigue. The purpose of this article is to explore the videoconferencing fatigue that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technostress model is used as the framework to provide strategies for recognizing and addressing videoconferencing fatigue.

Encore Intergenerational Vaccine Corps (Pre- And Post-Service Survey: Topline Results), Halvorsen J. Cal, K. Megan Collier

Brown School Faculty Publications

Between May 2021 and April 2022, volunteers with the Encore Intergenerational Vaccine Corps were asked to complete a pre-service survey upon joining and post-service survey upon exiting the program. (Those still volunteering in April 2022 were asked to complete the post-service survey.) The primary objective of these surveys was to assess changes in how volunteers viewed people from different generations after their experiences in this intergenerational volunteer program. Secondary objectives included changes in engagement with people from other generations and views on public policy, public health, and social issues. Volunteers’ experiences in the program were also assessed in the post-service …

Working With Interpreters In Refugee Mental Health, Kerstin Kirchner

Thinking Matters Symposium

For refugees, limited English proficiency hinders access to healthcare services. The language barrier significantly affects mental health and represents the most fundamental challenge preventing refugees from accessing mental health services. Previous research focused primarily on the role and impact of interpreters in mental healthcare. The existing literature unequivocally supports interpreters’ unique challenges and dynamics when working with refugees in mental health. We used a questionnaire-based survey to identify the need of interpreters in mental health. Questions were designed as closed-ended questions that would lead to a more appropriate response, are easy to understand and answer, and help obtain measurable data. …

Conceptualizations Of Love In Social Work: A Naturalistic Inquiry, Galen Perkins

Thinking Matters Symposium

Love is recognized as healing, transformative, and emancipatory, and yet, conceptualizations of love are largely absent in social work—a field guided by core principles such as social justice, self-determination, and service. The limited number of studies on love in social work describe love as critical consciousness or a liberatory ethic to be practiced. Primarily participatory in design, these studies speak from the perspective of practitioners. The purpose of this study is to continue inquiring about how love is known among social work practitioners; in particular, we are asking the question, “how do licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) conceptualize love in …

From The Mouths Of Women: The Life Model Of Homelessness, Janeal M. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify commonalities in life events preceding a first episode of homelessness for women living in shelters in Texas. This built on the work of Nooe & Patterson (2010) who identified fourteen factors that contributed to increased risk of homelessness as visualized in the Ecology of Homelessness. While based on existing literature at the time, Nooe & Patterson may not have heard clearly the voices of women with lived experience. The current study sought to explore how these risk factors manifest in the lived experiences of women residing in Texas homeless shelters.

The significance …

Intergroup Dialogue: Affecting Real Change, Lauryn Hulett

Honors Projects

Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) is a course adapted from The University of Michigan. In this Honors Project, a systematic literature review is done from eleven sources in hopes to theorize best practices and areas of improvement amongst applications of Intergroup Dialogue.

Exploring Household Food Insecurity And Inter-Generational Self-Help Club Involvement Among Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Due To Hiv/Aids In Vietnam, Lesley M. Harris, Hannah Nguyen, Andrew M. Winters, Gina Rosen, Nguyen D. Thang

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Intergenerational Self-help Clubs (ISHCs), also known as “Empathy Clubs” in Vietnam may aid in improving quality of life and well-being for grandparent-headed households impacted by HIV/AIDS. However, less is known about how club membership impacts household food security. This cross-sectional, mixed methods study examines the differences in household food security and coping responses to food insecurity among 30 grandparents who are raising grandchildren due to HIV/AIDS, 15 who were involved in ISHC groups and 15 who were not involved in ISHC groups, in Hai Phong, Vietnam. In addition to qualitative interviews, all grandparents completed the Household Food Security Insecurity …

Political Attitudes, Outward Aggression, And Self-Directed Violence, Christopher Holloway

Thinking Matters Symposium

Violence has increased at political events and marches in the last several years, particularly during the Trump presidency and marked by the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Research has been conducted on approval of political violence, but little is known about political attitudes and how they relate to the likelihood of engaging in everyday generalized violence. Furthermore, violence against others and violence against the self, such as suicide, are usually treated and studied separately. This study hopes to identify what relationships, if any, exist between political attitudes and violence, both outward and self-directed. Participants (N = 153) completed …

Same-Gender Pathways To Parenthood, Sydney T. Inger

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who want children negotiate systemic inequalities in the United States of America. This literature review surveys America’s confusing legal map and the gaps in its enduring scholarly theories. The paper then examines the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals and couples confront in working through the common pathways—same-gender adoption and fostering, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy—to become parents. Dispersing information on the pathways will be a positive step towards breaking down the inequities for those in the LGBTQ+ community who want to start a family.

Implications Of Self-Care For Clinical Social Workers, Katelyn Costa, Joelle Cote-Powell

Thinking Matters Symposium

Recent research has shed light on the impacts of burnout on mental health practitioners and the benefits of self-care practices both in their workplace and personal lives. The research question guiding this study is as follows: What might be the effects of self-care on social work professional practitioners’ well-being? Clinical social workers in Cumberland County, Maine, were surveyed to assess the current level of self-care and the effects this has on clinical social workers and their clients. The research hypothesizes the need for a stronger emphasis on self-care among clinical social workers. An increased focus on self-care in social work …

Veterinary End-Of-Life Care And Euthanasia In The Age Of Covid-19: A Qualitative Study Of Provider Perspectives, Elizabeth Chalmers, River Hodgdon

Thinking Matters Symposium

Veterinary staff experience job-specific psychological stress from both providing medical care to pets and supporting pet-owner clients through end-of-life care and the euthanasia process. COVID-19 has impacted the provision of veterinary care and substantially affected communication between providers and pet owners. This phenomenological research project explores the experiences of veterinary staff who provide end-of-life care and perform euthanasia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research question is, what is the lived experience of veterinary staff who provide end-of-life care and perform euthanasia in the age of COVID-19? Participants for this qualitative study were recruited and interviewed using criterion sampling from four …