Digital Commons Network^™

Ministry Without Borders: Insights From The New Testament, Katelyn Campbell, Boubakar Sanou, Hyveth Williams

Faculty Publications

On the basis of the evidences surveyed above, although there is functional distinction among the laos of God, if we consider the body imagery given to the church and the variety of spiritual gifts (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12–14 and Ephesians 4), there should be no status, gender, class or hierarchical distinction, because all believers and ministries are equal before God (Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:26–28). While the clergy/ laity hierarchical distinction is embedded and assumed in religious circles, it cannot be found in the New Testament. Rather than being the activity of a spiritual aristocracy or the work of a …

Child Sexual Abuse And Depression In Late Life For Men: A Population-Based, Longitudinal Analysis, Scott D. Easton, Jooyoung Kong, Matt C. Gregas, Ce Shen, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Objective: Research investigating long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on mental health for men is vastly underdeveloped. This study strengthened the knowledge base by examining: (a) long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms for men with and without a history of CSA, and (b) moderating effects of social support over time.

Method: We analyzed multiple waves of data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The sample (N = 2,451) consisted of men with histories of CSA and a stratified, randomly sampled comparison group. Growth curve modeling was employed for analyses.

Results: After controlling for demographic, parental, and health factors, men with …

Integrating A Trauma-Informed Care Perspective In Baccalaureate Social Work Education: Guiding Principles, Matthew L. Vasquez, Shamra Boel-Studt

Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, there has been substantial growth in empirical evidence supporting that proper assessment and treatment of trauma using evidence-based practices can effectively reduce a wide range of symptoms in both children and adults. Given the complex nature of trauma treatment, trauma-based educational programming in social work is most commonly found at the graduate level. Yet, to date, there has been little discussion calling for the inclusion of trauma content in BSW education. In this paper, we examine the current state of trauma-content inclusion in social work education, and offer a guiding framework for integrating core trauma content …

Religion And Esotericism Among Students: A Crosscultural Comparative Study, Franz Höllinger, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Analyzing the results of a study on religious and esoteric beliefs and practice among university students from five European and five American countries, we found that the level of religiousness of students depends very much on their cultural environment: the level of religiosity and esoteric beliefs is significantly higher among North- and South-American students than among European students. On the other hand, Asian spiritual techniques and esoteric methods of healing are practiced more frequently by students in North-Western European countries. In the second part of the paper, we examine the relationship between academic discipline and religious worldviews. According to our …

Open Accessarticle Food Shopping And Acquisition Behaviors In Relation To Bmi Among Residents Of Low-Income Communities In South Carolina, Angela D. Liese, Xiaonan Ma, Brett Hutto, Patrica A. Sharpe, Bethany A. Bell, Sarah Wilcox

Faculty Publications

Low-income areas in which residents have poor access to healthy foods have been referred to as “food deserts.” It is thought that improving food access may help curb the obesity epidemic. Little is known about where residents of food deserts shop and if shopping habits are associated with body mass index (BMI). We evaluated the association of food shopping and acquisition (e.g., obtaining food from church, food pantries, etc.) with BMI among 459 residents of low-income communities from two South Carolina counties, 81% of whom lived in United States Department of Agriculture-designated food deserts. Participants were interviewed about food shopping …

Invisible Outsiders: Developing A Working Alliance With Appalachian Clients, Jake Protivnak, Cassandra Pusateri, Matthew Paylo, Kyoung Choi

Faculty Publications

Appalachian clients are often ‘invisible’ within the majority culture and possess characteristics unique to the region that must be considered within the counseling relationship (Tang & Russ, 2007).  Individuals in Appalachia have higher incidences of certain mental health disorders and substance use as compared to the national average (Appalachian Regional Commission [ARC], 2008).  Although the need for mental health services is evident, limited research exists to inform mental health professionals how to deliver culturally competent interventions to build a working alliance with Appalachian clients.  The authors will discuss a framework for mental health professionals to develop a strong working alliance …

The California Linkages Program: Doorway To Housing Support For Child Welfare‐Involved Parents, Amy D'Andrade, James Simon, Danna Fabella, Lolita Castillo, Cesar Mejia, David Shuster

Faculty Publications

Housing instability can complicate parents’ efforts to provide for their children. Child welfare service agencies have had difficulty adequately serving parents’ housing needs due to limited and constrained funding streams. This article integrates the voices of four important stakeholders to illuminate how an innovative model of service system coordination called Linkages addresses housing needs for child welfare‐involved parents eligible for public assistance. Facilitated by Linkages, these parents can receive supportive housing services through programs affiliated with the California public assistance program CalWORKs. Personal narratives reflecting the diverse perspectives of stakeholders in the Linkages collaboration—the statewide program director, a child welfare …

Patient Or Physician Centered Care?: Structural Implications For Clinical Interactions And The Overlooked Patient, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

Patient-centered care is widely supported by physicians, but this wide-spread support potentially obscures the social patterning of clinical interactions. We know that patients often want religious/spiritual conversations in the context of medical care but the provision is infrequent. As there is regional variance in religiosity, a gap in the literature exists regarding whether patient populations’ religiosity is connected to physicians’ self-reported religious/spiritual interactions. Using a national sample of U.S. physicians linked to county-level measures, the author test whether both physicians’ background and patient population characteristics are related to religious/spiritual interactions. Specifically, do physicians in more religious locations report more frequent …

Does Fathers' Involvement In Services Affect Mothers' Likelihood Of Reunification With Children Placed In Foster Care?, Amy D'Andrade

Faculty Publications

Social science literature shows associations between fathers' involvement with their children and beneficial developmental outcomes of those children. A related but smaller body of research in the child welfare services arena has found measures of father involvement to be positively associated with beneficial child welfare outcomes, including child's reunification with parent after placement in foster care. However, the pathway by which father involvement affects reunification likelihood has not been determined. This study builds on the existing body of literature by testing a theoretical basis for the relationship between father involvement (measured as service use) and mothers' reunification in a model …

Assessing The Viability Of Race-Neutral Alternatives In Law School Admissions, Eboni S. Nelson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Revisiting The Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, And Resilience Connection Among Cism Responders, Harvey J. Burnett Jr.

Faculty Publications

Previous research by Burnett and Wahl found that resilience moderately mediated the association between compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout (BO) among trauma responders. No studies have attempted to replicate and verify the research results of Burnett and Wahl. This study examined whether similar patterns of resilience, CF, BO, and compassion satisfaction (CS) would be found among a convenience sample of disaster behavioral health (DBH) responders (N = 70) attending an annual Critical Incident Stress Management training conference in Michigan. Measures included the 30-item Professional Quality of Life Scale, the 14-Item Resilience Scale, the Response to Stressful Events Scale, and a …

Intersectionality Between Happiness And Well-Being: A Pilot Study Project In A Midwestern University, Belinda A. Creighton-Smith, Junu Shrestha, Thomas M. Flack, Theodora Merle Jn Baptiste

Faculty Publications

This pilot study measures the possible intersectionality of happiness and well-being. Items were used from the Oxford Happiness and Well-Being Questionnaire, designed to independently measure the constructs of happiness and well-being. 42 items were combined from which 10 items were randomly selected and converted to a six-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” and administered to 28 college students at a Midwestern University taking a leisure studies course. The instrument yielded a significant alpha value of α (27) = 0.835. Factor analysis was conducted to find which variable loaded on each factor (happiness and well-being). Items having …

Faculty Led Study Abroad: Influences On Student Intercultural Communication, Interprofessional Attitudes, And Professional Identity, Lynne Andonian, Ruth Rosenblum

Faculty Publications

Interprofessional education is valued within healthcare professional programs as reflected in accreditation standards and program outcomes as well as college-wide initiatives. Little is known about the relationships between interprofessional attitudes among healthcare students (nursing, occupational therapy, social work), their degree of intercultural communication skills, and their professional identity. Thirty three students participating in interprofessional faculty-led study abroad completed pre- and postmeasures of the constructs under study: interprofessional attitudes, intercultural communication, and professional identity. Statistically significant positive relationships were found between interprofessional attitudes and intercultural communication skills which are discussed as well as implications for education and practice. This quantitative, descriptive …

Following Faith Commitments: Adventist Higher Educationtransitiontheory, Larry D. Burton, Josephine Katenga, Christine A. Moniyung

Faculty Publications

Christian universities are generally tuition-driven and thus enrollment dependent. This is true of the Seventh-day Adventist higher education system as well.Previous research on Seventh-day Adventist university enrollment revealed and underrepresentation of graduates from public high schools in comparison to graduates of Christian high schools. The purpose of this study was to develop a working theory to explain how graduates of public high schools successfully transition into Adventist universities. Using a pragmatic grounded theory design, we interviewed 18 participants who had experienced such a transition. Progressing in a constant-comparative manner, research team members analyzed the interviews through multiple rounds and types …

Rural Emergency Nurses’ Suggestions For Improving End-Of-Life Care, Renea L. Beckstrand, Kelly E. Smith, Karlen E. (Bethy) Luthy, Janelle L. B. Macintosh

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Many patient visits to emergency departments result in the patient dying or being pronounced dead on arrival. The numbers of deaths in emergency departments are likely to increase as a significant portion of the U.S. population ages. Consequently, emergency nurses face many obstacles to providing quality end-of-life (EOL) care when death occurs. The purpose of this study was to identify suggestions that emergency nurses have to improve EOL care, specifically in rural emergency departments.

Methods: A 57-item questionnaire was sent to 53 rural hospitals in 4 states in the Intermountain West, plus Alaska. One item asked nurses to identify …

A Longitudinal Study Of Resident Emotional Stability, Self-Reported Health And Perceptions Of Programmatic Support, Aaron B. Franzen, Benjamin R. Doolittle

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Certain characteristics such as acceptance, planning, and humility have correlated with less burnout among resident physicians. However, less is known about residency program culture, socialization, and support. The purpose of this study is to investigate social isolation, solidarity, stress, and frustration over time, their self-reported health, as well as the programmatic support.

Methods: A longitudinal self-administered survey implemented within an academic pediatric residency program to track resident characteristics over time.

Results: In Wave 1, among 101 residents, 78 (77%) responded. In Wave 2, among 98 residents, 73 (74%) responded. 45 residents were in both Wave 1 and 2. All …

Similarities And Differences In The Influence Of Paternal And Maternal Depression On Adolescent Well-Being, Kevin Shafer, Brandon Fielding, Douglas Wendt

Faculty Publications

Depressed parents may negatively influence the well-being and outcomes of their children. However, prior research has mostly addressed mother's depression and early childhood outcomes, whereas fathers and adolescents have been largely ignored in the literature. Using data from the sixth grade and age 15 waves of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study addresses similarities and differences in the influence of paternal and maternal depression on adolescent behavior. Results from structural equation models showed that paternal depression had direct effects on both internalizing and externalizing …

'People Are Enemies To What They Don't Know' Managing Stigma And Anti-Muslim Stereotypes In A Turkish Community Center, Crystal Paul, Sarah Anna Becker

Faculty Publications

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, anti-Muslim discourse and sentiment has become pervasive in the West. Using a collaborative ethnographic approach, we observe how participants at a Turkish Community Center (TCC) cultivate stigma management strategies against the cultural backdrop of post-9/11 anti-Muslim stereotypes. In our analysis, we use Goffman's work on stigma and critical race theory to explore the socially embedded nature of stigmatization processes for Turkish Muslims in a local community center. Our findings reveal how aspects of Turkish culture and Islam, together with a structural context …

Women In Community Corrections In New York City: Hiv Infection And Risks, Nabila El-Bassel, Phillip Marotta, Stacey Shaw, Mingway Chang, Xin Ma, D Goddard-Eckrich, Tim Hunt, Karen Johnson, Sharun Goodwin, Maria Almonte, Louisa Gilbert

Faculty Publications

Although the incidence of HIV among women on probation, parole and alternatives to incarceration programs is significant to public health, drivers of this concentrated epidemic among women under community corrections remain understudied. This study examined prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections and the associations between substance use, sociodemographic factors and the prevalence of biologically-confirmed HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among a sample of 337 substance-using women recruited from community correction sites in New York City. Prevalence of HIV was 13% and sexually transmitted infections was 26% (Chlamydia, trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea). After adjusting for covariates, HIVpositive women were …

The Impact Of Family Rejection Or Acceptance Among Lgbt+ Millennials In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, David Sedlacek, Curtis J. Vanderwaal, Lauren Ashley-Mae Lane

Faculty Publications

Coming to terms with one's sexual identity is a particularly complex process for Christian LGBT+ youth, many of whom are at high risk for negative outcomes such as depression, substance abuse and suicide. Many Christian families are just beginning to actively wrestle with how to view and treat their LGBT+ children. This survey of 310 Seventh-day Adventist adult Millennials explored perceived levels of their families' acceptance or rejection of their sexual orientation or gender identity during their teen years. Other variables included recent levels of self-esteem, social support, depression, substance abuse, high-risk sexual activity, and suicidal thinking or attempts. Findings …

Stress Buffer Or Identity Threat?: Negative Media Portrayal, Public And Private Religious Involvement, And Mental Health In A National Sample Of Us Adults, Samuel Stroope, Mark H. Walker, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

Guided by the stress process tradition, complex links between religion and mental health have received growing attention from researchers. This study gauges individuals’ public and private religiosity, uses a novel measure of environmental stress—negative media portrayal of religion—and presents two divergent hypotheses: (1) religiosity as stress-exacerbating attachment to valued identities producing mental health vulnerability to threat and (2) religiosity as stress-buffering social psychological resource. To assess these hypotheses, we analyze three mental health outcomes (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and general mental health problems) in national U.S. data from 2010 (N = 1,714). Our findings align with the stress-buffering perspective. Results …

Latino Adolescent Substance Use: A Mediating Model Of Inter-Parental Conflict, Deviant Peer Associations, And Parenting, Sergio B. Pereyra, Roy A. Bean

Faculty Publications

Substance use among Latino adolescents continues to be a growing concern for researchers and clinicians. This paper reviews relevant literature regarding the impact of inter-parental conflict (IPC), deviant peer associations (DPA) and parenting behaviors, namely as parental support, psychological control, and parental monitoring knowledge on substance use among Latino adolescents. Although mediating models of IPC and similar parenting behaviors on adolescent externalizing behaviors have been represented in empirical studies, none have included the influence of peer associations or have analyzed these factors with substance use among Latino adolescents in the U.S. This study investigated direct relationships of IPC and DPA …

"We Need Help In The Delta": Barriers To Health Promotion Among Older African-American Men In The Mississippi Delta, Sherry C. Wang, Lashaundrea Crook, Carol Connell, Kathleen Yadrick

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to better understand the barriers to health promotion among African American older men living in the rural Mississippi Delta. A qualitative, intrinsic case study approach was used to explore the phenomenon of health and the barriers to promoting men’s health within the unique context of the Delta. Data included one key informant interview and two focus group interviews with 14 men, with the majority between the ages of 41 and 55 years. Focus group participants were lay community members as well as members of a volunteer community health advisors men’s group. Findings underscore the …

Student Outcomes From Participating In An International Stem Service-Learning Course, Kristy L. Daniel, Chandrani Mishra

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to measure student affective, behavior, and content (ABC) and global awareness outcomes after participating in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based international service-learning (ISL) course and impacts on long-term retention in STEM fields. We compared experiences from 12 participants (undergraduate and graduate students) enrolled in a STEM-based ISL course with experiences from four students enrolled in the same course without the service-learning component. The ISL course involved classroom discussions on environmental topics and four local and ISL projects with community partners to contribute to conservation efforts. Data came from student responses on a …

Neighborhood Environment And Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Emily Joy Nicklett, Matthew C. Lohman Ph.D., Matthew Lee Smith

Faculty Publications

Background: Falls present a major challenge to active aging, but the relationship between neighborhood factors and falls is poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between fall events and neighborhood factors, including neighborhood social cohesion (sense of belonging, trust, friendliness, and helpfulness) and physical environment (vandalism/graffiti, rubbish, vacant/deserted houses, and perceived safety walking home at night). Methods: Data were analyzed from 9259 participants over four biennial waves (2006–2012) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 65 and older in the United States. Results: In models adjusting for demographic and health-related covariates, a one-unit …

Hair Measurements Of Cortisol, Dhea, And Dhea To Cortisol Ratio As Biomarkers Of Chronic Stress Among People Living With Hiv In China: Known-Group Validation, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li, Samuele Zilioli, Zheng Chen, Huihua Deng, Juxian Pan, Weigui Guo

Faculty Publications

Background

Existing literature suggests that endocrine measures, including the steroid hormones of cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), as well as the DHEA to cortisol ratio in the human hair can be used as promising biomarkers of chronic stress among humans. However, data are limited regarding the validity of these measures as biomarkers of chronic stress among people living with HIV (PLWH), whose endocrine system or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis may be affected by HIV infection and/or antiretroviral therapy (ART) medications.

Method

Using hair sample data and self-reported survey from 60 PLWH in China, we examined the validity of three endocrine …

End-Of-Life Training In Us Internal Medicine Residency Programs: A National Study, Derek Cegelka, Timothy R. Jordan, Jiunn-Jye Sheu, Joseph A. Dake, Ragheb Assaly

Faculty Publications

Background: End-of-life care is a required and important component of medical training for internal medicine residents; many of whom will go on to provide care for adults at the end-of-life stage. Although a body of past research suggests that physician training in end-of-life care needs significant improvement, a comprehensive national study of end-of-life education within US internal medicine residency programs has never been published.

Objective: To determine the status of end-of-life education in internal medicine residency programs in the United States.

Method: The study was a cross-sectional, observational study of all internal medicine Residency Program Directors in the US as …

Working With Latinos In Rural Communities: “Nuts And Bolts”, Wilma Cordova, Aparecida De Fatima Cordeiro Dutra

Faculty Publications

Latinos currently compromise 16% of the entire U.S. population and 9.3% live in rural areas ((U.S. Census, 2010). These current percentages indicate that most social workers will work with this population at least once during their careers. Therefore, it is important that social workers develop skills and knowledge to work effectively with Latinos. Working with Latinos in our current sociopolitical climate poses many challenges for social workers working in rural areas. However, if social workers adhere to the guidelines and standards initially established by the profession and implement best practices many of their efforts will be successful. This chapter aims …

Partnering With Educational Leaders To Advance Social Work Education In Vietnam, Laurie Drabble, Edward Cohen, Hoa Nguyen, Alice Hines, Debbie Faires, Tuan Tran, Patrick Thanh Ngo

Faculty Publications

This case study describes the leadership component of the Social Work Education Enhancement Project (SWEEP), an international collaboration designed to strengthen the capacity of Vietnam’s undergraduate social work programmes to deliver quality education. SWEEP strategies for building capacity in leadership and administration include the following: 1) leadership development, 2) development of university-specific and collective strategic plans, and 3) improving collaboration among leaders. Thematic analysis of qualitative evaluation data identified eight effective elements of the leadership programme. Findings underscore the importance of partnership and flexibility in planning, as well as the value of supporting a leadership consortium to guide ongoing national …

The Strange Life Of Stanley V. Illinois: A Case Study In Parent Representation And Law Reform, Josh Gupta-Kagan

Faculty Publications

This Article helps describe the growth of parent representation through an analysis of Stanley v. Illinois—the foundational Supreme Court case that established parental fitness as the constitutional lynchpin of any child protection case. The Article begins with Stanley’s trial court litigation, which illustrates the importance of vigorous parental representation and an effort by the court to prevent Stanley from obtaining an attorney. It proceeds to analyze how family courts applied it (or not) in the years following the Supreme Court’s decision and what factors have led to a recent resurgence of Stanley’s fitness focus.

Despite Stanley’s requirement that states prove …