Digital Commons Network^™

Financial Stress And Hardship Among Young Adults: The Role Of Student Loan Debt, Min Zhan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Analyzing data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study, this study investigated the associations between student loan debt and financial stress and hardship among young adults. The results show that student loan debt was positively related to all indicators of financial stress and hardship, after controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors as well as measures of financial knowledge and behaviors. In addition, minority young adults were more likely to experience health-care related hardship and higher levels of financial stress. This study further reports that financial literacy and emergency savings were important buffers against financial stress and hardship among young …

Volume 49, Issue 3 (2022)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Digital News Literacy And Social Work: Core Competencies, Cynthia H. Nover

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Digital news refers to online news, television news, and other electronic sources where individuals can gather information about the world around them. As college students increasingly get their news from online sources and comedy television, it is important for students to have appropriate media literacy skills to evaluate content. The relationship between news literacy skills and core competencies of social work education is discussed in this paper, with recommendations for incorporating news literacy in the classroom.

Punishment By Another Name? The Welfare State’S Disciplinary Role In The United States And Britain, Kavya Padmanabhan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Scholarship on the changing nature of the welfare state in both the United States and in Britain has revealed how the influence of neoliberal ideologies has heightened the experience of punishment for poor mothers. Through a comparative literature review on the welfare states in the United States and in Britain, this article builds upon prior research to consider how the welfare state’s contemporary focus on discipline may be the product of neo- liberalism and may encourage similarities across different contexts. Furthermore, this article considers how the welfare state’s different agencies may be united in their goals and treatment of poor …

Analyse Prospective De L’Adaptation Des Travailleurs En Centre De Protection De L’Enfance Et De La Jeunesse Exposés À Un Évènement Potentiellement Traumatique : Effets D’Une Intervention De Soutien Par Des Pairs, Stéphane Guay, Alexandre Lemyre, Josianne Lamothe, Steve Geoffrion

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Problématique. Les travailleurs des services de protection de l’enfance sont exposés de manière répétée à des événements potentiellement traumatiques (EPT) dans le cadre de leur travail, notamment des actes de violence. Ils sont ainsi susceptibles de développer des problèmes de santé mentale tels que l’anxiété, l’insomnie, la dépression et des symptômes de stress post- traumatiques. Sur le plan professionnel, les EPT engendrent des coûts élevés pour l’individu et l’organisation : baisse de la satisfaction au travail, absentéisme, changement d’emploi, baisse de productivité, etc. Dans ce contexte, le Centre de la protection de l’enfance et de la jeunesse (CPEJ) du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île …

Is Embedded Behavioral Health Embedded Enough? Why Behavioral Health Officers Should Be Battalion Level Assets, Amy Hernandez

DSW Capstone Projects

Due to the long-lasting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, current military members are likely to have deployed multiple times and have experienced chronic high-intensity stress. Numerous studies have demonstrated that military service members are at elevated risk for various psychiatric problems and substantially underutilize mental health services. This capstone consists of a series of academic papers: systematic review, conceptualization paper and practical application paper aimed at exploring barriers to care and conceptualizing possible solutions. The research question guiding the systematic review is what actual or perceived barrier to care has the most significant impact on solider under-utilization rates of …

Improving Spanish Translations Of Tobacco Dependence Measures Using Cognitive Interviewing, Yessenia Castro, Annette Leija, Zully C. Guerra, Tatiana Londoño, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Virmarie Correa-Fernández

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background:

Cognitive interviewing is the practice of systematically collecting feedback about survey items from members of the priority population, with the goal of identifying and rectifying problems to increase the comprehensibility of the survey. Evidence is limited on the extent to which this method of pretesting improves survey items.

Objective:

The current study examined the utility of incorporating cognitive interviewing to improve the Spanish translations of two measures of tobacco dependence.

Methods:

Items from the Spanish versions of the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (68 items) and Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (19 items) were subjected to cognitive interviews with …

Tracing The Evolution Of Welfare Discourse From 1990 To 2016, Jenifer A. Norton

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

In August 1996, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as the primary cash welfare program for single mothers and children. A political debate during the early to mid-1990s that was particularly hard on welfare recipients culminated in a block grant to states tied to mandatory work requirements and time-limited lifetime benefits for recipients. Media coverage during this period closely tracked the unfolding political discourse around welfare reform and recipients. Following TANF’s implementation, though, coverage dwindled to near nonexistent levels. At this writing in early 2022, TANF remains part of the social safety …

The Negative Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Behavioral Problems Of Children In Kinship Care: The Protective Role Of Kinship Caregivers' Mental Health, Yanfeng Xu, Merav Jedwab, Kerry Lee, Sue E. Levkoff

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study aims to examine the (a) prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children in kinship care; (b) relationships between the number and type of ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems; and (c) moderating role of kinship caregivers’ mental health on the relationships between ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of children in kinship care (N = 224) obtained from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II was used. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted. Results indicated that neglect followed by parental substance abuse were found to be the most prevalent …

Mental Health And Behavioral Outcomes Among Jamaican Women: The Role Of Childhood Abuse And Witnessing Parental Violence, Kerry Lee, Sharon Rose Priestley, Kevin K. Hylton

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Studies have shown significant links between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental and behavioral health outcomes. However, limited research has examined these associations among Jamaican women.

Objective

We investigated the associations between individual (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and witnessing a mother being abused) and categorized (0, 1, 2, 3–4) ACEs and depression, anxiety, alcohol and marijuana use among Jamaican women.

Participants and setting

Data were obtained from the 2016 Women’s Health Survey (WHS)—a nationally representative sample of young Jamaican women aged 15–64 years.

Methods

A series of multivariate (OLS) and logistic regression analyses were conducted. OLS regression analyses …

Trauma-Informed Care Training For Medical Students, Tanisha Clark, Jill Mcleigh, Hilda Loria, Laura Lamminen

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Due to the high prevalence of trauma and secondary trauma and the associated potential adverse health outcomes for both patients and providers, it is imperative that medical and allied professionals receive training in trauma as a constitutive element of their professional development. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of TIC, Ditcher and colleagues (2018) found in a survey of 263 family medicine residency programs that only 27.0% had TIC in the curriculum. Following a review of the literature and discussions with healthcare providers offering TIC in an integrated pediatric primary care setting, a brief, 45-minute online TIC training adapted …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Social-Emotional Well-Being And Health Behaviors Of Urban Youth, Nelia Mayreilys Quezada

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A significant body of research has established that individuals lacking social support, self-esteem, and coping skills have poor physical health outcomes (House et al., 1998; Thoits, 2011; Uchino, 2009). Youth living in urban communities are at greater risk of poor mental and physical health outcomes due to a lack of access to safe places for physical activity, healthy foods, and limited social ties (Babey et al., 2016; Heller Isner et al., 2017; Thoits, 2011). This study examines the relationship between social-emotional well-being and health behaviors among youth (N=100) ages 11 to 19 in a small urban community. Based on prior …

Homelessness In Late Life: An Exploration Of The Lived Experience, Danielle Palmisano

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Homelessness is a challenging, chronic public problem throughout the United States that has broad impacts on the public sector. Older adults are the largest growing segment of the population and have not been spared by this housing crisis. The experience of homelessness while aging can have negative impacts that contribute to increased healthcare costs and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of late life homelessness from the perspective of formerly homeless older adults to inform the development of a grounded theory on how the lived experience of …

Conceptualization Of Gender Variant Inclusive Healthcare Service Delivery, Tamesha Rhyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender variant people experience a variety of health concerns for which they seek the assistance of healthcare providers. These concerns may range from chronic health conditions and psychological disorders to gender affirming concerns. Due to living in a heteronormative society, gender variant individuals are more susceptible to experiencing stigmatization, discrimination, and other forms of unfair treatment while accessing healthcare services, which contributes to poor health outcomes. This treatment may be attributed to the lack of knowledge, competency, and training of healthcare providers as it relates to trans-inclusive care. Grounded in minority stress theory and intersectionality theory, the purpose of this …

Addiction Therapists’ Working Alliances With Battered Women With Substance Use Disorders, Lee O'Hara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, 1 in 3 people with a substance use disorder is a woman who experienced domestic violence in her lifespan; yet only 1 of 5 people in treatment are women, which implies gender-specific difficulties to therapeutic engagement. There are documented inequalities and unmet needs among battered women with substance use disorders when therapists vary in their ability to form a working alliance with patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of addiction therapists’ working alliances with battered women with substance use disorders. The theoretical framework was based in transcendental phenomenology theory and …

Juvenile Recidivism Risk Factors From The Juvenile Justice Professional Perspective, Fotini Stamidis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile crime and recidivism have devastated Baltimore City, Maryland, especially in the quality of life and social bond, producing fear in the city’s communities. The current situation is increasing the need to promote a better understanding of juvenile recidivism and delinquency of the risk factors causing juveniles to re-offend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to add to the knowledge base on juvenile recidivism risk factors from the perspectives of juvenile justice professionals. Hirschi’s social bond theory was used to explore juvenile justice professionals’ experiences and perspectives on recidivism risk factors. Research questions focused on the perceptions of …

Loneliness As A Treatment Focus For Suicide Prevention In Airmen Who Seek Mental Health Care, Jovanna O. Gaines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Department of Defense is challenged to decrease rising suicide rates in all branches of military service. Studies have consistently shown interpersonal risk factors versus intrapsychic factors as strong indicators of suicide risk, yet the practice has not focused on loneliness as a treatment focus for increased risk. This study explored clinical social workers’ view of loneliness as experienced in patients who are active-duty airmen to identify prevention, coping, and treatment strategies for managing suicides. The methodology involved a semistructured interview of 10 active duty licensed clinical social workers with greater than two years of experience working within a mental …

In The Best Interest Of The Family: The Outcomes Of Children In Foster Care With An Incarcerated Parent And The Adverse Implications Of The Adoptions And Safe Families Act, Tamarie Willis

Wayne State University Dissertations

Approximately 10 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives. An estimated 8% of children in foster care were removed because of parental incarceration, with a similar percentage annually for the past five years. Research has shown that 1 in 8 of these cases, incarcerated parents lose their parental rights, regardless of the seriousness of their offenses. The lack of coordination between systems has presented the majority of the barriers to contact between the incarcerated parents and children. And with the passing of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997, this task has become …

Patient And Provider Perceptions Of A Community-Based Accompaniment Intervention For Adolescents Transitioning To Adult Hiv Care In Urban Peru: A Qualitative Analysis, Jerome T. Galea, Milagros Wong, Brennan Ninesling, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Hugo Sanchez, Lenka Kolevic, Eduardo Matos, Eduardo Sanchez, Renato A. Errea, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Leonid Lecca, Sonya Shin, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Introduction: Adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) experience higher mortality rates compared to other age groups, exacerbated by the suboptimal transition from paediatric to adult HIV care, during which decreased adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and unsuppressed viremia are frequent. Care transition—a process lasting months or years—ideally prepares ALWH for adult care and can be improved by interventions that are youth-friendly and address psychosocial issues affecting ART adherence; however, such interventions are infrequently operationalized. Community-based accompaniment (CBA), in which laypeople provide individualized support and health system navigation, can improve health outcomes among adults with HIV. Here, we describe patient and provider …

Understanding Linkage To Biopsy And Treatment For Breast Cancer After A High-Risk Telemammography Result In Peru: A Mixed-Methods Study, Renato A. Errea, Patricia J. Garcia, Lydia E. Pace, Jerome T. Galea, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: This mixed-method study aimed to understand the effectiveness of linkage to biopsy and treatment in women with a high-risk mammography result (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, BI-RADS 4 and 5) in the national telemammography programme and to explore women’s experiences during this process.

Setting: Quantitative component: we collected and linked health data from the telemammography reading centre, the national public health insurance, the national centre for disease control and the national referral cancer centre. Qualitative component: we interviewed participants from different regions of the country representing diverse social and geographical backgrounds.

Participants: Quantitative: women who underwent telemammography between …

Attitudes Toward Payment For Research Participation: Results From A U.S. Survey Of People Living With Hiv, Andrea N. Polonijo, Karine Dubé, Jerome T. Galea, Karah Yeona Greene, Jeff Taylor, Christopher Christensen, Brandon Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

Little is known about how payment affects individuals' decisions to participate in HIV research. Using data from a U.S. survey of people living with HIV (N = 292), we examined potential research participants’ attitudes toward payment, perceived study risk based on payment amount, and preferred payment forms, and how these factors vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Most respondents agreed people should be paid for HIV research participation (96%) and said payment would shape their research participation decisions (80%). Men, less formally educated individuals, and members of some minoritized racial-ethnic groups were less likely to be willing to participate in research …

Feasibility Of A School-Based Mental Health Program Implementation To Improve The Status Of Depression And Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In Urban Bangladesh: Menthol Study, Aliya Naheed, Saimul Islam, Meredith B. Brooks, Mary C. Smith Fawzi, Mir Nabila Ashraf, Helal Uddin Ahmed, M. M. Jalal Uddin, Kamrun Nahar Koly, Jerome T. Galea, Shaheen Akhter, Charles Nelson, Saima Wazed Hossain, Kerim M. Munir

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: We assessed the feasibility of implementing psychological counseling services (PCS) for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) integrated within special education settings in urban Bangladesh. Method: In two special education schools for ASD in Dhaka City, trained female psychologists screened mothers using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). PCS was administered to all the mothers irrespective of a diagnosis of depression. Mothers with a PHQ-9 score >4 who met criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE) based on the DSM-IV Structured Interview Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) were also administered skill-building training through monthly home visits to support ASD …

Cultivating Culturally Responsive, Equity-Centered, And Trauma-Informed Attitudes Among Educators, Jasmine Haynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This qualitative study explored the influence of implementing a culturally responsive and equity-centered trauma-informed professional development series with educators. Seven middle school educators from various regions of the U.S. participated in a culturally responsive and equity-centered trauma-informed professional development series in the 2021-2022 academic year. Educators participating in the series received three live virtual two-hour trauma-informed modules highlighting racial trauma, race-related trauma triggers, and deficit versus asset-based perspectives of racially diverse students, along with case studies and critical discourse. Data collection included pre-and post-interviews (n = 14), participant journal reflections (n = 14), and intervention module case study reflection transcripts …

Reducing Family Risk Factors Caused By Poverty Through Family Support Services, Aaliyah C. Williams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study aims to determine whether preventative measures are effective if implemented while a family is in crisis, through Family Support Services (FSS), to alleviate Risk Factors, prevent family separation and ensure prolonged family stability, instead of as services to reunify a family that already separated due to a lack of resources. This study examined the Poverty Related Risk Factors of Homelessness, Single Parenthood, and Unemployment as Risk Factors that families enrolled in Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC) Head Start experience as negative influences on child development and Family Unity and analyzed OACAC Head Start’s implementation of FSS as …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Substance Use: A Review Of The Literature, Alexandra Scott

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that happen in a child’s life. These experiences can cause multiple negative outcomes for the child even into their adult life. In the United States, roughly one in ten children have experienced three or more ACEs, and nearly half of all children in the United States have experienced at least one ACE. These problems can be physical, mental, personal and social. Of these outcomes, the individual could develop alcoholism or addiction to substances. Substance abuse is the overindulgence or dependence on substances that are addictive, mainly drugs or alcohol. The relevance substance …

Biyyaa Baanus Biyyi Nu Keessaa Hinbaatu: Changing Gender Norms And Traditional Mediation Impacts On Marriage Among Ethiopian Immigrants In Three Southwestern Ontario Cities, Dinku Korsa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract Immigrant spouses face culture shock in the host countries because they are disconnected from their social fabric and, at the same time, must adhere to the host countries' lifestyles. One of the immigrants' spouses' challenges is the marital conflicts that arise because of changing gender norms in the host countries and the absence of family support to solve their conflicts. The purpose of this study is to examine changing gender norms and traditional meditation's impact on marriage among Ethiopian immigrants living in Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph. The study asks overarching research question: what is the impact of changing gender …

Adrift In Uncharted Waters: A Case Study Of A Muslim Family Involved With Child Protection Services In Ontario, Bibi Baksh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation sought to understand how Muslims experience mandated child protection services in Ontario within the Canadian (and specifically, Ontarian) socio-political context. Ongoing experiences of racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia within systems that intersect with child welfare, including schools and the criminal justice system, have compounding effects on Muslim families who are singled out politically and socially. Drawing from trends in child welfare literature, policy initiatives, and practices that consider the system’s impacts upon racialized peoples, this research contributes to the discourse by highlighting religious diversity as an under-investigated source of discrimination. Set against systemic challenges inherent in the child protection …

Exploring Climate, Wellbeing, Resilience, And Resistance In 2slgbtq+ Leisure Spaces: A Mixed Methods Study To Advance Inclusion, Tin Vo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participating in queer sports groups, rainbow choirs, trans virtual discussion groups and other Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQ+) leisure activities can offer participants safety from societal heterosexism and cisgenderism and opportunities for community connection and peer support, as well as foster their overall wellbeing. Yet, transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC), racialized, and/or disabled individuals, and those with other diverse identities are often marginalized in these spaces. Though researchers have studied exclusion within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, relatively little is known about how the climate of these spaces shapes social and mental health outcomes. Connected to …

Strategies To Mitigate The Effects Of Negative Political Rhetoric On Service Providers: A Study In Two Refugee-Serving Organizations, Maria V. Wathen, Charity N. Weishar, Patrick L.F. Decker

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper explores the strategies that staff at two refugee-serving organizations found helpful in mitigating their increased distress from negative political rhetoric aimed at their clients. Results point to the importance of organizational acknowledgement of the distress. Additionally, staff perceived that intentionally focused organizational interventions can mitigate the emotional impacts of negative rhetoric. Finally, strategies employees used to lessen their distress and regain a sense of efficacy included recommitment to the mission, advocacy for refugees among family and friends, strong reliance on religious faith in coping, and an avoidance of the rhetoric by decreasing engagement with news and social media.

Ethnic Minority Children’S Perceptions Of Violence Exposure In Communities, Caleb Kim, Rana Hong

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Ethnic minority children living in urban communities that are socioeconomically disadvantaged are disproportionately exposed to violence. However, little is known about their perceptions of violence, day-to-day experiences of violence, and multifaceted risk factors for preventing their exposure to violence. Using a focus group method, this study explores minority children's definition of violence, daily exposure to violence, and perceived risk factors in the context of developing an effective violence prevention program. Findings from this study will help community practitioners and policymakers understand these children's lived experiences and provide insights for designing and implementing a community-based violence prevention program in disadvantaged urban …