Digital Commons Network^™

Men's Mental Health: A Call To Social Workers, Kevin Shafer, Douglas Wendt

Faculty Publications

Substantial attention is paid to the mental health needs of women and children by social work researchers, educators, and practitioners—and with good reason, as these are two vulnerable populations in U.S. society. However, the status of men's mental health; its resulting effect on individuals, families, and communities; and the various challenges associated with it are often overlooked by social workers. The authors document the prevalence of common mental health issues among men in the United States, the unique problems that men face, and help-seeking behaviors. They also discuss how social work is in an exceptional position to help men, and …

Substance Use, Mental Disorders And Physical Health Of Caribbeans At-Home Compared To Those Residing In The United States, Krim K. Lacey, Karen Powell Sears, Ishtar O. Govia, Ivy Forsythe-Brown, Niki Matusko, James S. Jackson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Social Work Education In Vietnam Through International Cooperation: The ‘Social Work Education Enhancement Program’, Alice Hines, Edward Cohen, Hoa Nguyen, Laurie Drabble, Meekyung Han, Soma Sen, Tuâán Trâàn

Faculty Publications

This paper describes an initiative to improve social work education in Vietnam through a three-year international collaborative, including US Aid for International Development, San José State University, eight universities in Vietnam, Vietnam's government ministries, and Cisco Systems, Inc. The social work profession was officially recognized by the Vietnamese government in 2010. Despite the rapid expansion of social work education programs, there are significant limitations in the universities' ability to provide social work education. The goal of the Social Work Education Enhancement Program (SWEEP) is to strengthen the capacity of Vietnam's undergraduate social work programs to deliver quality education and prepare …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Asian American Community College Students: The Effect Of Stigma, Cultural Barriers, And Acculturation, Meekyung Han, Helen Pong

Faculty Publications

According to the 2008 U.S. Census, there are 15.5 million Asian Americans in the United States, and 17% are students enrolled in a university (Shea & Yeh, 2008). Asian American college students in higher education are oftentimes perceived as the “model minority” with high academic achievements and few mental and/or behavioral problems (Park, 2010). In contrast to this general assumption, studies have shown that many Asian American college students suffer from psychological distress (Abe-Kim et al., 2007; Breaux, Matsuoka, & Ryujin, 1997; Lee et al., 2009; Mallinckrodt, Shigeoka, & Suzuki, 2005; Nguyen & Anderson, 2005). In fact, the Centers for …

Ingroup Bias And Ingroup Projection In The Furry Fandom, Stephen Reysen, Courtney N. Plante, Sharon E. Roberts, Kathleen C. Gerbasi

Faculty Publications

In two studies, we examine ingroup favoritism within the furry community. Furry fans construct personas (“fursonas”) that are often related to a species of animal (e.g., fox, wolf). In Study 1, furries were found to rate their fursona species more favorably than other species. In Study 2, we examined whether the ingroup projection model may aid in understanding this ingroup species bias. Participants’ ratings of prototypicality of their species within the fandom was associated with greater favoritism of one’s species. A serial mediation model showed that identification with the fursona and perceived benefits of one’s fursona mediated the association between …

Measuring Client Experiences Of Motivational Interviewing During A Lifestyle Intervention, Michael B. Madson, Richard S. Mohn, Julie A. Schumacher, Alicia S. Landry

Faculty Publications

The Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing was used to assess motivational interviewing experiences in a predominantly female, African American sample from the Southeastern United States who received motivational interviewing-based feedback during a multicomponent lifestyle intervention. Motivational interviewing was experienced differently than a primarily White, male, Northeastern mental health sample.

Passings, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The author, a heterosexual woman, and Gordon Bernstein, a gay man, have been friends and research collaborators since 1995. In 2004, the author accompanied Gordon on a trip to his hometown of Philadelphia to conduct fieldwork and interview family members. This project ethnographically explored personal and relational opportunities and challenges associated with coming out in a family system defined by avoidant communication, hegemonic masculinity, and terminal illness.

Bringing Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapies Into The Health Care Mainstream: A Call For Worldwide Collaboration, Kawika Allen, P. Scott Richards, Peter W. Sanders, Troy Lea, Jason A. Mcbride

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to describe an overall strategy and specific plans for bringing spiritually oriented treatment approaches into the health care mainstream. We describe Bridges, a practice-research network created in 2012 that is devoted to helping practitioners, researchers, educators, and pastoral professionals collaboratively pursue this goal. We describe the achievements of Bridges thus far, which include a website for networking, an online psychotherapy research system, several completed studies, and grant funding for future collaborative research studies. We conclude with an invitation to health care professionals around the world to join with us in efforts to mainstream spirituality …

The Compassion Fatigue And Resilience Connection: A Survey Of Resilience, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, And Compassion Satisfaction Among Trauma Responders, Harvey J. Burnett Jr, Kathleen Wahl

Faculty Publications

Research has shown that compassion fatigue is associated with burnout and compassion satisfaction. Practically no studies have examined how resilience may impact these variables. This study examined how resilience is related to compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among a convenience sample of disaster behavioral health and emergency preparedness responders (N =139) attending a training conference in Michigan. Measures included the 30-item Professional Quality of Life Scale, the 14-item Resilience Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Seventy-two percent of the participants were at risk for compassion fatigue, while 19% were at risk for burnout. Only 22% of participants had scores indicative …

Extracurricular Screen Time Among Idaho Youth: Prevalence And Association With Psychological Distress, Peter C. Gleason, Gary L. Hopkins, Megan Eagan, Curtis Vanderwaal, Jonathan Duffy, Duane C. Mcbride

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To measure the daily hour prevalence of informal computer and video games use among Idaho youth, and to examine the association between usage hours and selected psychological variables, including feelings of hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempts.

Methods: Data analyses was performed on responses obtained via anonymous questionnaires from a sample of school children ages 12-18 (n=1,678) who completed the 2011 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey at randomly selected schools in Idaho.

Results: Analysis showed that males were more likely to report three or more hours of screen time per day, while a higher percentage of females than …

Training Marriage And Family Therapists In Formal Assessment: Contributions To Students' Familiarity, Attitude, And Confidence, Scott C. Huff, Shayne R. Anderson, Lindsay L. Edwards

Faculty Publications

Studies suggest that few practicing marriage and family therapists use formal assessments and even fewer use systemic assessments. Given the potential value of formal assessment to both clinicians and clients, we surveyed current marriage and family therapy students (N = 91) about their familiarity, attitude, and confidence in training with assessment. Experience using assessments predicted familiarity. Having a supervisor that valued assessments predicted familiarity and confidence in training. The number of courses taken in assessment was not predictive of familiarity, attitude, or confidence. Implications for training and future research are discussed

Is Couple And Relationship Education Effective For Lower Income Participants? A Meta-Analytic Study, Alan J. Hawkins, Sage E. Erickson

Faculty Publications

The negative effects of family instability on children and adults have captured the attention of legislators and policymakers wondering if something could be done to help at-risk couples form and sustain healthy relationships and marriages. For a decade now, public funds have supported grants to provide couple and relationship education (CRE) to lower income individuals and couples. This meta-analytic study reviewed 38 studies (with 47 independent samples) assessing the effectiveness of CRE for lower income couples (defined as more than two-thirds of the sample below twice the poverty level) in an attempt to form current policy debates. Overall effect sizes …

Associations Between Family And Interpersonal Processes And Emerging Adult Marital Paradigms: Does Adult Attachment Mediate?, Todd M. Jensen, Brian J. Willoughby, Thomas B. Holman, Dean M. Busby, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Current research on predictors of marital attitudes highlights the importance of family and interpersonal processes, yet fails to identify which factors are more important and whether there are mediators that help to conceptually simplify the process by which such attitudes are influenced. We examine the influence of family-of-origin quality and past romantic relationships on three specific marital paradigms, as well as the mediating role adult attachment may play in these associations. We used a sample of 1,210 single heterosexual males (23 %) and females (77 %), age 18–30 years, who took the READY assessment. Results indicated that family-of-origin quality, attachment …

Faith Perspectives On Building Strong Volunteer Programs, John Gavin, Curtis J. Vanderwaal Dr., W. Ellis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Muslim Lebanese Women In Religious Resurgence: A Study Of 284 University Students, Bassima Schbley, Lori Maria Walton

Faculty Publications

The politicization of religion in the last few decades has created a climate ripe for religious resurgence in all areas of the world. The decreased role of religion among societies and effective secularization and modernization of the West have directly influence opposing factors of “religious resurgence”, “religious fundamentalism”, and “religious revivalism” as a sense of cultural preservation and balancing new social, economic, emotional and interllectural side effects of modernization growth (Sahliyeh, 1990). The effects of religious resurgence on Muslim Lebanese women’s efforts to enhance their freedom, equity, and civil rights need to be explored thoroughly to provide an adequate analysis …

Indigenous Women College Students’ Perspectives On College, Work, And Family, Jennie L. Bingham, Aaron P. Jackson, Quintina Bearchief Adolpho, Louise R. Alexitch

Faculty Publications

Native American and First Nations (herein collectively referred to as Indigenous) women college students are faced with the challenge of balancing their cultural imperatives and the demands of the dominant Western culture in family, school, and work/employment roles. In order to explore these women’s experiences and perspectives, this study analyzed unstructured qualitative interviews of 11 Native American and 9 First Nations female college students. The themes that resulted from the hermeneutic analysis were (a) honoring Indigenous culture and community, (b) living in two worlds, (c) pursuing individual fulfillment and goals, and (d) acknowledging the importance and influence of family.

The …

Religion And Relationships In Muslim Families: A Qualitative Examination Of Devout Married Muslim Couples, Zahra Alghafli, Trevan Hatch, Loren Marks

Faculty Publications

Since 11 September 2001, Islam has been the center of many debates, discussions, parodies and publications. Many Muslims feel that their religion has been portrayed unfairly in Western media. The topics that seem to generate the most criticism relate to gender roles and the treatment of women, both inside the home and in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived role of Islam on marital and familial relationships from an insider’s perspective and to present participants’ reflections on sensitive issues, including gender roles, women’s rights and marital unity. Content analysis of in-depth interviews of twenty diverse …

Work-Family Conflict: The Effects Of Religious Context On Married Women’S Participation In The Labor Force, Jenna Griebel Rogers, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

Past work shows religion’s effect on women’s career decisions, particularly when these decisions involve work-family conflict. This study argues that the religious context of a geographic area also influences women’s solutions to work-family conflict through more or less pervasive normative expectations within the community regarding women’s roles and responsibilities to the family. We use the American Community Survey linked with community-level religious proportions to test the relationship between religious contexts and women’s participation in the labor force in the contiguous United States–2054 census geographic areas. Using spatial analysis, we find that community religious concentration is related to the proportion of …

Romanian Children’S Representations Of Negative And Self-Conscious Emotions In A Narrative Story Stem Technique, Loredana Apavaloaie, Timothy Page, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

This research uses children’s story-stem play narratives to investigate dimensions of negative emotional expression. Fifty-one Romanian children between 6 and 11-years old participated in the study. Children’s narratives were coded for three basic negative emotions and five self-conscious emotions. Parents completed a general questionnaire for demographic data and the amount of time they spent with their children. Differences were found for frequencies of negative emotional representations in relation to the specific story-stems in which they occurred. Girls were more likely than boys to enact in their narratives guilt feelings coupled with apology following some wrongdoing. Children who spent more time …

Development And Evaluation Of A Geriatric Mood Management Program, J.W. Huh, Erin Woodhead, Sarah Brunskill, Christine Gould, Kathleen Mcconnell, J. Lisa Tenover

Faculty Publications

To address the needs of older veterans with mood disorders, the VA Palo Alto Health Care System Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center developed a program that offers mental health services delivered by geriatrics-trained providers.

Healthy Transitions To Family Formation, Erin Kramer Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, Nate Stoddard

Faculty Publications

Current demographic trends in the United States suggest that emerging adults delay marriage (Vespa, 2014), nonmarital cohabitation is the norm among this age group (National Marriage Project, 2012), and premarital sex—including noncommitted hooking up (Garcia, Reiber, Massey, & Merriwether, 2012)—is widely accepted (Pew Research Center, 2014). These trends collide with consistently high divorce rates (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2010), where up to one-third of emerging adults grow up in stepfamilies (Copen, Daniels, Vespa, & Mosher, 2012). Aside from high divorce rates, the United States is experiencing what some demogra- phers term “the great crossover,” whereby unmarried parenthood is overtaking married parenthood …

Disability, Development, And Human Rights: A Mandate And Framework For International Financial Institutions, Michael Ashley Stein, Penelope J. S. Stein

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Unintended Consequences: Reverberations Of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Lauren Heidbrink

Faculty Publications

This paper details the socio-legal factors that shape the relationship between the child, the family, and the state, and the ways unaccompanied migrant children’s lives have come to be defined and contested. The legal identity of migrant children is socially situated within a history that intertwines social movements of helping professionals, legal jurisdictions characterized by increasingly intolerant approaches to juveniles, and shifts in the treatment of unauthorized migrant youth under immigration law over time. In a globalized world, this triangular relationship between children, families, and the state becomes increasingly complex and dynamic. Social policies and legal norms often lag far …

A Review Of Business Communication Under The Leadership Function, Clive Muir

Faculty Publications

An effective way to perpetuate an academic discipline is to identify and to define its intellectual and historical roots, then to set such roots in the foundation textbooks and courses of the discipline. In that regard, Business Communication still struggles to establish its roots when compared to other disciplines in business schools, particularly Management. For this study, we undertook an extensive review of significant scholarly works on Business Communication as a discipline. We discovered there are prevalent themes in the broader context of rhetoric, technology, culture, dissemination, and impression; and this was confirmed by our examining the tables of contents …

Insight For Teacher Preparation Program Administrators: Enhancing Pre-Service Educators’ Intercultural Sensitivity And Deep Proficiency In Culturally Responsive Teaching Through Short-Term Study Abroad, Gloria J. Gresham Dr., Paula Griffin, Tracey Hasbun, Vikki Boatman

Faculty Publications

Teacher preparation program administrators face the issue of expanding curricula to prepare teacher candidates for the diverse population of students they will encounter (Trent, Kea, Oh, 2008). Globalization demands that teacher candidates grasp how to function in a more integrated and interdependent society (McGrew, 2005). According to Smith-Davis (2004) students from non-English speaking countries compose the fastest growing United States K-12 student population, and those identified as limited English proficient were over 10 million in 2004. The United States Census reported in the ''New Census Bureau Report" the number of individuals five and older who speak languages other than English …

Applying The Social Ecological Model To Violence Against Women With Disabilities, Miranda Sue Terry

Faculty Publications

Violence against women (VAW) is a broad term used to capture aggressive acts committed toward women, which consists of numerous types of violence with the most commonly known types of abuse being emotional, sexual, and physical. One relatively invisible group, women with disabilities, not only experiences emotional, sexual, and physical abuse but also a unique type of disability-related abuse, which may increase their risk of experiencing acts of violence. The U.S. Congress passed two distinct yet not mutually exclusive policies into law to address violence against women and rights for individuals with disabilities: the Violence against Women Act and the …

Strategies Employed By Inner-City Activists To Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems And Advance Social Justice, Laurie Drabble, Denise Herd

Faculty Publications

This study explored strategies employed by activists engaged in efforts to change policies and laws related to selling and promoting alcoholic beverages based on in-depth interviews with 184 social activists in seven U.S. major cities. Nine strategies aimed at improving local conditions and influencing policy were described by activists across regional contexts. Grassroots mobilization was central to all other strategies, which included the creation or enforcement of laws, meeting with elected officials, media advocacy, working with police/law enforcement, education and training, direct action, changing community norms, and negotiating with store owners.

State Responses To Alcohol Use And Pregnancy: Findings From The Alcohol Policy Information System, Laurie Drabble, Sue Thomas, Lisa O'Connor, Sarah Roberts

Faculty Publications

This article describes U.S. state policies related to alcohol use during pregnancy, using data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Policy Information System. Specifically, this study examines trends in policies enacted by states over time and types of policies enacted across states in the United States, with a focus on whether laws were supportive or punitive toward women. Findings revealed substantial variability in characteristics of policies (19 primarily supportive, 12 primarily punitive, 12 with a mixed approach, and 8 with no policies). Findings underscore the need to examine possible consequences of policies, especially of punitive policies …

Trayvon Martin, Race, And American Justice: Writing Wrong, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, Lori L. Martin, Katrice A. Albert, Rema E. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Trayvon Martin, Race, and "American Justice": Writing Wrong is the first comprehensive text to analyze not only the killing of Trayvon Martin, but the implications of this event for the state of race in the United States. Bringing together contributions from a variety of disciplines and approaches, this text pushes readers to answer the question: "In the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin, and the acquittal of his killer, how post-racial can we claim to be?" This collection of short and powerful chapters is at times angering and at times hopeful, but always thought provoking, critical, and poignant. This …

Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale: Development And Initial Validation, David J. Boudreaux, Eric R. Dahlen, Michael B. Madson, Emily Bullock-Yowell

Faculty Publications

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale (ATAMS), a self-report measure of attitudes toward anger management services. Undergraduate volunteers (N = 415) completed an initial version of the instrument. Principal components analysis yielded a two-factor solution. Convergent and incremental validities were supported.