Mental Health Among The Latinx Population, Jocelyn Mendoza Sierra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health in the Latinx community has been stigmatized for several years. In the Latinx community mental health is disregarded and oftentimes not addressed and overlooked by immediate family members. The purpose of this study is to address the reason why people do not access mental health services. The methods used in this study consisted of a qualitative approach and participants were asked open ended questions. A total of eleven participants (N=11) were gathered and consisted of both female and male participants who identify as Latinxs. The key findings from this research indicate that seeking mental health services was viewed …

Mental Health Services For Detained Youth, Arlene Padilla, Vanessa Salcedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On any given day thousands of youth are detained in a juvenile detention facility in the United States as a result of involvement in the juvenile justice and criminal system. Youth’s access to resources such as mental health services are often impacted by this. Therefore, the researchers of this study have analyzed the youth’s utilization and access to behavioral health services within the juvenile halls of Riverside County. Using a quantitative method, the researchers found statistically significant differences between the utilization of services from the 2015-2016 fiscal year to that of 2019-2020. Additionally, the researchers provided implications and recommendations. The …

Social Worker’S Adjustment And Perception When Dealing With Double-Exposure During A Natural Disaster, Magaly Santos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Limited research captures the perceptions and adjustments of social workers living and providing treatment in the same communities during a disaster. Few studies have captured the stressors and responsibilities put on social workers during an ongoing disaster. This paper reports the findings of the double-exposure captured using a qualitative approach in collecting interviews from nine mental health professionals who continued working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A constructivist paradigm was used to capture each participant’s reality. Participants described the sudden change to remote work as difficult when having to find the balance between work and life demands, providing …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adult Substance Use, Mariah Garcia, Melissa Berry

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study sets out to contribute to the already existing data on ACEs as well as substance use in adulthood. In this quantitative descriptive study, the researchers addressed the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult substance use. Psychological, physical, and cognitive health issues may occur in adulthood due to ACEs (Shin et al., 2017). Being exposed to one or more ACE during childhood can cause poor coping skills and result in adult substance use (Shin et al., 2017). Bringing greater attention to the prevalence of ACEs can help social workers create more sensitive assessments, screening tools, and treatment …

The Role Of Historical Trauma In Anxiety Formation In Latinx Community Members, Victor Manuel Luna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historical trauma has its roots in the plights of indigenous people years after the initial incident of colonization and has had lasting effects on them. The Latinx community is made up of all the groups of people, many different racial, ethnic groups, and nations, that make up Latin America. This group is connected by a similar history of colonization, slavery, war, and migration. Within the United States, the Latinx community can be further connected by the rhetoric and policies that have been used against them.

The purpose of the study was to explore how historical trauma played a role in …

Early Life Stress And The Resulting Effects On Behavior Of Children Under The Age Of Five In A Domestic Violence Shelter, Jordan Singleton

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

It is an unfortunate reality that domestic violence affects people across the world, men, women, and children. When men or women leave a domestic violence situation, they often take their children with them but are often unaware of the damage that has already been done. Even if the children have not suffered physical abuse, there are many changes going on in the brain just from either witnessing or hearing abuse take place. With domestic violence often going unreported, it can be incredibly difficult to reach the children who are affected. However, when a parent enters a domestic violence shelter with …

Mental Health Issues Among The Elderly Population, Katrina Johnson, Mi Young Son

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The aging population has experienced a steady growth over the past several decades not only in the United States but also worldwide. This growth comes with increased needs for mental health services. The American Psychological Association (2019) estimated that the number of senior citizens in the United States with mental health and behavioral problems could reach 15 million in 2030. This study explored social workers’ perceptions of the apparatus of mental health services that target older adults. Using a snowball sampling, this study drew nine social workers, mostly Asian-Americans (N = 9). The findings generated four major themes, which were …

Substance Abuse Treatment In Regards To Decreasing Child Welfare Recidivism, Hailee Campbell-Jimenez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research aims to discover whether building a relapse plan into the

individuals’ case plan minimizes recidivism in the child welfare system. Data will be collected through one on one interviews. The population being surveyed were County social workers. The targeted participants worked with parents with substance abuse addictions and parents who have had their children removed by the Department. This study found that support systems play the most vital role in aiding and assisting in addiction and relapse. Having an established support system either natural or community support, suggest that the Department may not need to get involved during …

Foster Youth's Attachment Styles, Brenda Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study explored if there was a common attachment style taken on by foster youth. The study explored the types of attachments that are exhibited from foster youth through the perspective of a social worker. The results potentially had an impact on the practices that are used by social workers who have constant interaction with this vulnerable population.

Public Perception And Influential Sources Toward Child Welfare Services, Melissa A. Teague, Nicolas A. Hollis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: “What is the current public attitude toward public child welfare services and what sources of information have been used to formulate these attitudes?” In answering these questions, child welfare agencies would have a better understanding of what populations to promote public outreach, education, or further community involvement based on demographics and/or which venues to implement such outreach.

This study provides information on previous studies where researchers have looked at the general role of social work and used the gathered information to assess public sentiment. In past research there has …

The Effects Of Perceived Racism And Discrimination On The Mental Health Of Mexican And Mexican American Social Work Students, Karina Duque Sierra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research has shown that experiencing discrimination and racism can have significant and negative effects on people’s mental health. Among those affected are Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a relationship with self-reported mental health of Mexican/Mexican American social work students and self-reported experiences with racism and discrimination. This quantitative study surveyed 101 participants who (a) identified as Mexican and or Mexican American, (b) were 18 years or older (c) enrolled in college, and (d) identified as either a BASW or MSW student. This study utilized a Qualtrics …

Poor Academic Performance Caused By Social Anxiety, Erin Tayag, Leea Gonzales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social anxiety can have consequential effects on college students’ academic performance. Many students’ college experiences will involve some levels of anxiety. However, social anxiety is very distinct from natural anxiety. Considering the effects of social anxiety in a college setting, there are students whose grades can decrease due to non-performance in specific class activities or unfortunately discontinuing school. This research project desired to identify if social anxiety indeed affects college students’ academic performance. This study utilized a quantitative design by providing existing social anxiety scales to students through email and social media platforms. Within this design, three analyses were used: …

The Experience Of Trauma And Psychological And Behavioral Problems In Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Yulissa Acosta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One in five adult Americans grew up with an alcoholic in their household whether it may be their father, mother, relative, or guardian. There are substantial risk factors associated with living with an alcoholic and being a child of an alcoholic. The trauma experienced by adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) and their development of psychological and behavioral problems were investigated in this research study. Individuals who were 18 years and older and has at least one parent or guardian that was an alcoholic were interviewed regarding their childhood life of growing up in an alcoholic household and what barriers or …

Ensuring Supportive Treatment For Crossover Youth In Child Welfare, Summer Ann Salinas, Sussana Mendoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify which supportive services and treatments are aiding minority crossover youth in child welfare. Literature has stated that minority crossover youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system in comparison to their white counterparts. Literature has also stated that crossover youth make subsequent contact with the adult prison systems due to child welfare involvement and other factors. Factors including prolonged group home placements and lack of rapport with mental health providers. Mental health providers lacking cultural competence and trauma-informed practice can negatively impede crossover youth from learning positive, adaptive coping mechanisms that can …

The Need For Financial Literacy In Social Work Education: A Descriptive Study, Tara Mchenry, Belinda Pacheco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Although extensively researched over the last twenty years, financial literacy is yet to make its way into mainstream social work curricula. This is puzzling because social workers, in general, work with a clientele that consists predominantly of poor and low-income populations. The profession of social work has the unique opportunity to equip its members with tools to educate and assist clients around topics of personal finance and financial insecurity. Using a purposive sampling method, this study explored the need for a financial literacy course as part of the social work curriculum among 102 undergraduate and graduate students in a large, …

Type Of Immigrant Discrimination And Their Copying Strategies, Sarabjit Gill

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to shed some light on the different types of discrimination that Hispanic and Latinx individuals experience in the United States. Does education level play a role in the kind of discrimination the Hispanic/ Latinx population experiences? Further studies must be conducted to determine the role of education level and immigrant status in Hispanic/Latinx discrimination. The researcher used the Quantitative method for this study by designing a Qualtrics survey sent to all the participants. A Qualtrics survey was also sent to students in the School of Social, via email by the Administrative Support Coordinator. …

Postpartum Depression And Military Women, Jessica Edwards

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Military serving women and veterans are a vulnerable population that has a history with mental health issues. Military women who experience postpartum depression (PPD) must deal with outside factors such as family, deployment, and expectations from the military for their soldiers.

This study focused determining what factors have impacted the severity of postpartum depression in military service women who have had children while in service. Data was drawn from 4 respondents that were obtained using a mixture of purposive and snowball sampling. The severity of the participant’s postpartum depression was obtained through the use of the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale, …

Vicarious Trauma And Implications For Social Work Students, Maria Watts, Meosha Mcafee

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social Work students may experience vicarious trauma at some point in their lifetime. Throughout the course of social work students’ internship experiences and outside employment, the management of trauma exposure is a concern within the field of social work. There are very few studies that have been developed in providing a specific rate of vicarious trauma among social workers and have provided quantitative research on the subject. This research study asks: What intervention strategies do social work students implement to address their vicarious trauma? This research conducted a descriptive study that used a quantitative measure to obtain the findings for …

Employee Turnover: The Unknown Effects On Client Engagement And Outcomes, Brenda Martinez, Peraza Peraza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee turnover in community-based mental health services is an important yet understudied topic in relation to client engagement and client progress with treatment goals. This study sought to investigate the relationship between an agency’s rate of employee turnover, patient engagement, and patient progress with their treatment goals. This study sought to investigate the relationship between an agency’s rate of employee turnover, patient engagement, and patient progress with their treatment goals. The study utilized a quantitative design using secondary data on employee turnover and client engagement and progress collected from a community mental health provider’s database. A correlation analysis indicated whether …

Mental Health, Substance Abuse And Recidivism: Perceptions Of Key Justice System Stakeholders In Southern California, Tabari Zahir

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the 2011 landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court ordering the California authorities to address prison overcrowding, the Golden State still faces significant challenges dealing with the size of its correctional population. Recidivism plays a preponderant role in slowing down the momentum toward overcoming relatively high rates of incarceration across the state. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of key human services stakeholders about the intersection of three major challenges in the California criminal justice system: mental health, substance use, and recidivism. Embracing a continuum of care approach, this study ultimately attempted to explore …

From Ex-Offenders To Hopefuls: Exploring Changing Narratives And Personal Stories Of Desistance, Darby Buckley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research for this thesis seeks to understand how recently incarcerated individuals understand recidivism and how they desist from criminal activities and re-offending behaviors. It seeks to understand if desistance is occurring in a re-entry organization and if so, when. Participants from a Las Vegas, Nevada re-entry organization called HOPE for Prisoners (HFP) are the focus of this research. Overall, the purpose of this study is to see how a local re-entry non-profit organization helps assist with services and opportunities for individuals who were formerly incarcerated. Analyzing the research from this project will help provide information regarding how individuals who are …

Examining Predictors Of Student Perceptions Of University Responses To Sexual Misconduct, Megan Giovannini

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The prevalence of college students’ experiences with sexual violence has been well documented (e.g., Cantor et al., 2015; Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000; Krebs et al., 2007), along with the negative consequences associated with sexual victimization (e.g., Campbell, Dworkin & Cabral, 2009). Court cases, student disclosures, and media coverage have brought more attention to university responses to sexual misconduct and have attempted to hold universities accountable. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors of student perceptions of university responses to sexual misconduct, therefore adding to the existing literature. It is among one of the first to examine predictors …

Learning About Healthy Relationships And Sexuality For Adults With Disabilities, Vanessa Karjack

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities receive little to no sex education; as a result, they often struggle to have fulfilling and healthy relationships, experience limitations in physical interactions, and are at risk of being taken advantage of by others. Sommaro et al. (2019) explained that individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and developmental disabilities (DD) are often placed into one of two categories: they are treated as either eternal children or sexual deviants. These ideas are based on old knowledge and are known to be inaccurate. However, current systems of care struggle to move forward from these notions. A …

Undergraduate Honors Thesis: Measuring Anti-Fat Bias Among Social Work Students, Dalton Meister

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This undergraduate honors thesis engaged in basic research, utilizing a cross-sectional survey design, to measure the prevalence of explicit anti-fat bias across educational groups in social work student populations. Data was analyzed to examine differences between professional social work education levels and students’ self-reported level of explicit anti-fat bias. Overall, participants endorsed relatively low levels of anti-fat bias, especially in the domains of Adverse Judgement, Social Distance, and Equal Rights. However, participants endorsed higher levels of anti-fat bias in the domain of Attraction. There was no statistically significant relationship between level of social work education and anti-fat bias. There was …

Providing Trauma-Informed Care For Children In The Foster Care System, Hannah Genn

Senior Honors Theses

Foster parents need to be trained in trauma-informed approaches and how to identify previous traumas in order to understand how their foster children’s past experiences of abuse or neglect manifest as mental disorders, social challenges, or behavioral concerns. Warning signs for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder should be noted, and youth should be taught how to foster healthy relationships in order to prevent substance abuse, irresponsible sexual activity, or academic failing. Foster parents can provide additional support by creating reasonable expectations for their foster children, teaching effective coping skills, and connecting with available resources.

Increasing Post-Incarceration Education Within Juvenile Detention Centers, Michela M. Peterson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Juvenile offenders often lack support for developing post-incarceration plans such as college or career options, which can lead to higher recidivism and escalation to becoming long-term, adult offenders. While some juvenile detention centers have on site schools, the curriculum neglects discussing future goals and career planning. In order to address this problem, I created a three day presentation for incarcerated youth at the Napa County Juvenile Detention Center in Napa, California about college majors and careers that do not require higher education.

Conceptualizing The Psychosocial Elements That Should Be Assessed In Candidates For Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Social Workers' And Psychologists' Perspectives., Jill Randall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In the United States, approximately 23,000 hematopoietic cell transplantations (HCT), also known as a bone marrow transplant, are performed annually. Patients who undergo HCT are among the most acutely ill and medically vulnerable oncology populations. Given the arduous nature of HCT, patients undergo an extensive pre-transplant evaluation that typically includes psychosocial assessment. The literature lacks a well-defined conceptual framework of the psychosocial elements that should be assessed in HCT candidates. This has led to practice variation, which has in turn inhibited high quality psychosocial research. Method: Social workers and psychologists in HCT were recruited to participate in a concept …

An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Diabetes Self-Management In Blind Americans, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Allyson S. Hughes, Osvaldo F. Morera

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study used mixed methods to investigate the experiences of 33 participants who are blind (PWB) and have diabetes in managing their diabetes, support (or lack thereof) from their health care providers, and diabetes distress as PWB. Participants most frequently reported barriers to check blood glucose (55%), maintaining a healthy diet (45%), and distress due to their intersectional status of having blindness and diabetes. Those who mentioned intersectional distress of managing diabetes as a PWB tended to be Braille illiterate and less likely to use mobility tools that are symbolic of blindness (e.g., white cane, guide dog). These results illuminate …

The Needs Of Undocumented Immigrants To Succeed Socially, Emotionally And Economically, Haysee Zarazua

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to understand undocumented immigrants needs when striving to succeed socially, emotionally, and economically in the United States. Undocumented immigration is prevalent in this country and these individuals face fear of deportation, discrimination, language barriers, trauma and acculturative stress. Considering the challenges and mental health repercussions that undocumented immigrants experience; it is important to discover what can be done to improve their livelihood. A qualitative study was completed with participants that work with undocumented immigrants to better understand needs and barriers. The study found that legalization and lack of access to resources such as mental …

Perceived Barriers Affecting Lgbtq Community From Mental Health Services, Baltazar Pulido-Mejia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The LGBTQ community has been viewed as a high-risk group for mental health disorders. Untreated mental health disorders place members in this group at a higher rate for substance use and chronic medical illness. This study examined perceived barriers members from the LGBTQ community face when accessing mental health services. The chosen paradigm structure has a focus on human behavior which is conducive in exploring the study question that addresses specific barriers that the LGBTQ community may perceive as harmful. This study found barriers present internally and externally within the LGBTQ community. Internally within the LGBTQ community a fear of …