Social Work Commons^™

Racial Differences In The Use Of Drugs And Alcohol Among Low Income Youth And Young Adults, John E. Poulin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the use of drugs and alcohol among 284 youth and young adults of a low income urban community. Racial differences in the use of drugs and alcohol are examined for four age groups between 12 and 25.

Overall, the findings show significant racial differences in the use of both drugs and alcohol. Black youth and young adults have lower drug use and alcohol use rates than their white peers. The differences hold for the four age groups examined. Implications of the findings for drug prevention programs are discussed.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 18, No. 2 (June 1991)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

• FOREWORD
• MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE - Thomas R. Holmes and Merl C. Hokenstad
• THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: THE CASE OF RWANDA - Froduald Gatarayiha, Franz Baro, Morton 0. Wagenfeld,
• & Rene Stockman
• MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN INDIA - S. Rajkumar
• MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN MEXICO - Teresa Lartigue and Juan Vives
• MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN EGYPT - A. Okasha
• MENTAL HEALTH POLICY AND PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL: TRENDS AND PROBLEMS OF A DEVELOPING SYSTEM - Uri Aviram
• MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG: HISTORY, MODERN …

Mental Health Services In India, S. Rajkumar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

India has a population of over 800 million of which about 20 million are suffering from a mental illness. In terms of numbers of patients alone, mental health planners are presented with quite a challenge. How the challenge is being met is the topic of this article. Governmental efforts need to be augmented by voluntary agencies and private practitioners for optimal mental health care. Despite deficiencies, India is a pace setter for many developing countries. It has the political will to initiate needed changes. Aftercare services for the mentally ill should be a top future priority.

Mental Health Services In Mexico, Teresa Lartigue, Juan Vives

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The history of mental health services in Mexico is traced from the time of the Spanish conquest to modern times. The present structure of mental health services is outlined as it relates to the overall social services and health\care system in Mexico. Inpatient, aftercare, partial hospitalization, and outpatient service are outlined and described. Levels of service and distribution of facilities and staff by region are given. Methods of intervention are described from traditional healers, to highly specialized modern psychiatry, to innovative community self-management programs. Key issues in the future are financial resources, distribution of services and staff, and ways to …

Mental Health Services In Egypt, A. Okasha

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper begins with a historical perspective on mental health care from ancient Egypt to modern times. Current mental health services are described including epidemiological information, the structure of services, and methods of service delivery. Contrasts are made between urban and rural community care systems. The changing demographics of institutional care are analyzed in detail and future plans for psychiatric services are discussed. The recent development of comprehensive interdisciplinary model of service and the founding of a training center for this model is described.

Mental Health Policy And Programs In Israel: Trends And Problems Of A Developing System, Uri Aviram

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Israel has an ancient history blended together with a relatively brief independent identity. An introductory section provides a backdrop for understanding mental health policies and programs in the context of the cultural and historical background of Israel's people. The second section portrays the nature of the mental health delivery system. The final section focuses on three interrelated issues: the limited development of community mental health services, the dominance of the mental hospital in the provision of mental health services, and the medicalization of mental health services.

Mental Health Services In Japan, Kunihiko Asai

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Modern Japanese mental health services have their beginning with the conclusion of World War II. The system of services has since changed at all levels. New laws affording fundamental rights to mental patients were initiated in 1950, but reforms are in process even today that continue down the path toward more enlightened and specialized care. Demographic data are presented including the number of patients and their characteristics, and the number and kinds of service providers. An outline of the administration of mental health services is provided with special emphasis on institutional care. Future trends are highlighted.

Self-Empowerment Among Adults With Severe Physical Disability: A Case Study, Nancy A. Brooks

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An independent living residential setting for severely physically disabled adults was studied through overt observation methods for twenty-two months. The purpose was observation of residents' council actions and expressions of group interests. The council displayed several phases of political structure and behavior. These phases were related to staff and administrative considerations as well as the residents emerging demonstrations of self-empowerment at the group level. The capacity for selfadvocacy emerges as a dynamic enterprise which is clearly related to the structure and interests of the service agency.

The Impact Of Drgs On Social Workers In A University-Affiliated, Teaching Hospital System, Joan M. Merdinger, Fredrick J. Garrity, Robert L. Treichler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The impact of DRGs on social workers in four social work departments located in one Northeast State was assessed by interviews with all social work staff and administrators. The impact of DRGs was determined to be substantial. Implications for social work education and practice are considered.

A Redefinition Of The Problem Of Homelessness Among Persons With A Chronic Mental Illness, Donald M. Linhorst

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two definitions of the problem of homelessness among persons with a chronic mental illness are examined, along with their implied solutions and ramifications for policy. Homelessness among this group is first viewed as the result of deinstitutionalization, and secondly, as the outcome of a critical shortage of low-income housing. Solutions stemming from the deinstitutionalization definition of homelessness, reinstitutionalization or improvement in the mental health system, are seen as inadequate to deal with the problem of homelessness among the mentally ill. Instead, state departments of mental health are called upon to provide a leadership role in the development of affordable housing.

Differential Perception And Adolescent Drinking In The United States: Preliminary Considerations, John B. Harms, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses adolescent drinking from a perspective very similar to Sutherland's differential association theory. Drinking occurs when positive perceptions of drinking outweigh or outnumber negative ones. Our research focuses on images of drinking communicated by rationalized sources organized specifically to shape perceptions of drinking. We call these organizations "agencies" and assess their impact on perceptions of drinking. It is our contention that the political economic context of the United States in which these agencies function is such that positive images of drinking outnumber and outweigh negative ones, and that this is an important factor contributing to adolescent drinking.

Hana ‘Ino: Child Maltreatment In A Hawaiian-American Community, Jill E. Korbin

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Advocacy/Empowerment: An Approach To Clinical Practice For Social Work, Stephen M. Rose

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social Work has been embedded in a structural and ideological contradiction throughout its history. The profession, its employing institutions, and the problems confronted by its clients are all produced by the same political economy that pays its workers and supports its schools. Ideologically, the profession has avoided the confrontation implied by its dependency upon individual defect explanatory or causal analysis frameworks that constitute a betrayal of its real constituencies. An advocacy! empowerment paradigm is offered as an alternative.

Home Safety-The Challenge To Public Health, Ray Ranson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Home accidents are now a leading cause of death and injury particularly in young children and the elderly. For example, 3.1 million accidents occur in the home every year in the United Kingdom with no signs of diminishment. More effective systems of accident recording, monitoring, investigation, intercollaboration and education are urgently needed to redress this epidemic. More attention needs to be given to preventive safety design in architect training and adoption of home safety design standards and legislation. The major threat to public health which home accidents represent must not go unchallenged.

Issues Concerning The Internship Selection Process, Richard H. Dana

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This article's study examines the issues concerning internship selection. Data was collected from 10 APA (America Psychological Association) accredited internship sites. Initial results suggest that the current process of internship selection is too costly for all participants. Computer based matching is suggested as a solution.

Official Documentation Of A Sexually Transmitted Disease (Std): An Empirical Assessment, Dennis L. Peck, John W. Bardo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using data from clinic records of patients examined and treated at a public health facility, the reporting of unconfirmed cases is examined and the correspondence between public health profiles of patients at risk to sexually transmitted disease and the data are discussed. Implications relating to the findings and to public health policy are also discussed.

A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Psychiatric Symptom Expression Using Langner's Twenty-Two Item Index, Robert Nishimoto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An analysis of psychiatric symptom response using Langner's twentytwo item index was conducted across three cultural settings. Respondents were Anglo-American, Vietnamese Chinese, and Mexican. Some similarities did exist in response patterns and in those symptom items highly correlated with the total psychiatric screening score. Close examination revealed between-group differences indicating that not all twenty-two items were valid indicators of psychological disorder across cultures. The study highlights issues in the development and use of symptom checklists to measure and assess mental health constructs across cultures.

Community Mental Health: A View From American History, Mary Ann Jimenez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The limitations of the movement for deinstitutionalization of the chronically mentally disordered have been the subject of a repeated series of investigations and analyses in the last 10 years. These critiques can be summed up in the undeniable observation that the chronically mentally disordered have by and large failed to benefit from deinstitutionalization in the ways that the original advocates and planners of this policy had hoped. The promise of community mental health, at least as articulated by the scores of witnesses before Congressional committees in the early 1960's, has not been realized for this population.

Mental Health Treatment Refusal In Correctional Institutions: A Sociological And Legal Analysis, Rudolph Alexander Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recently, the courts have recognized the right to a minimum level of mental health treatment for individuals confined in both mental and correctional institutions, utilizing a different rationale for each system. As mental health administrators in state mental hospitals accepted that they were responsible for providing an increased level of mental health services, they were disappointed that courts had subsequently ruled that individuals in state hospitals had a right to refuse treatment. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate, sociologically and legally, upon treatment refusal in the correctional system since most of the attention on treatment refusal has focused …

What Social Workers Do: Implications For The Reclassification Debate, Charles Green

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The reclassification trend is one of the most formidable issues facing American social work today. Social work's vulnerability stemming from a general ambiquity about its distinct role and boundaries, competition from emerging helping occupations, and its debated professionalism is a major contributing factor. Often ignored in recent efforts to address reclassification is empirical evidence of social work's distinct performance in the human services versus other occupational groups. In this article comparative research findings supporting social work's unique performance are presented and their relevance for reclassification discussed.

The Social Class And Mental Illness Correlation: Implications Of The Research For Policy And Practice, Christopher G. Hudson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ongoing efforts to unravel the causal issues involved in the correlation between socioeconomic status and mental illness suggest that the hypothesis of a recursive or interactive relationship may be the most tenable, at least with the psychoses. Implications of this research are explored, with particular attention paid to the mental health costs of economic policies, the principles with which states allocate mental health resources, and the use of this knowledge-base in service planning.

A Commentary On The Social Class And Mental Illness Correlation: Implications Of The Research For Policy And Practice, Julius A. Roth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper represents an extraordinary review of literature on the association between SES and mental illness. I think most social scientists would find it impressive. It also conveys some cogent reasoning about the relevance of these findings for social policy. I think most social workers would find it impressive.

Technology In Clinical Practice And The "Technological Ethic", John W. Murphy, John T. Pardeck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Computers are being introduced into practically every area of clinical practice. The use of this technology by practitioners has not gone unchallenged. Specifically, new ethical problems are thought to be associated with using computers to make clinical assessments. Logistical and procedural difficulties, however, have been the primary focus of concern. In this paper the critique of computerized evaluation is expanded, with attention directed to the computer "micro-world." Because the computer micro-world consists of several unwarranted assumptions about the nature of social reality, clinical practice may be affected in many undesireable ways. The theoretical underside of computer use is illustrated to …

Reconsidering Drug Involvement Among Youth And Young Adults: Implications For Targeted Primary Prevention, Mark W. Fraser

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this; paper is to review two dominant social perspectives on the etiology of substance abuse among youths and young adults-the stage and risk factor outlooks-and to discuss them in light of recent demographic and ecological research. The differential demography of drug abuse strongly suggests that the environmental context influences the use and abuse of substances. In an era of great public concern about substance abuse, the use of individually-focused perspectives appears to have resulted in person-centered skills training programs and "say no" media campaigns. Consideration of community-level factors in the etiology of drug abuse permits the identification …

Historical Perspectives On The Care And Treatment Of The Mentally Ill, Albert R. Roberts, Linda Farms Kurtz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An examination of the history of mental illness and its treatment over the centuries reveals that the mentally ill have few advocates except each other and that their treatment has consisted of confinement and neglect. Reformers have pioneered for change, experienced brief success, but ultimately conditions for the mentally ill regress. Society continues to abhor mental illness as though its collective consciousness still believes in possession by evil spirits. Discussion of the early history moves from banishment to ships of fools, to European asylums, and to institutions run by the states in America. More recent history focuses on the National …

Community-Based Self-Help Groups For The Treatment Of Agoraphobia, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The design and conduct of community-based self-help groups for the treatment of agoraphobia are discussed. Such groups incorporate procedures encouraging members to engage in prolonged therapeutic exposure to anxiety-evoking situations. Exposure therapy and its variants have been empirically established as the treatment of choice for agoraphobia, and self-help groups lend themselves extremely well to community mental health outreach and service efforts.

Stress Of The Caregiver: Effective Management Of Dementia Patients In Hospital And Community Settings, Ruth E. Dunkle, Michael Nevin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study explores the management problems among elders with dementia and their medical and family caregivers. Twenty-five patients were interviewed as well as professional health care personnel and a family member. Findings indicated that professional assessment facilitates home caregiving but has little bearing on successful coping by the caregiver. Variability of coping relates to the strategy employed.

Professional Autonomy In Community Mental Health Centers, William E. Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Professional community mental health workers want considerable autonomy in doing their work, but too much autonomy can lead to frustration and less satisfaction with work. This finding of a study of 93 mental health professionals in three community mental health centers is in sharp contrast with a comparison group of 60 professionals in a chemical plant. The article cautions against the direct translation of research on all professionals to community mental health professionals.

Assessing The Needs Of Mothers With Mentally Retarded Offspring: An Empirical Approach, Jonathan Rabinowitz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory study assesses the needs of mothers with retarded offspring living at home. Previous studies have focused on meeting those parental needs which would benefit their retarded offspring. This study does not limit parental needs to those needs, which if met would benefit the retarded child, and defines parents as an independent group with special needs.

Measuring Domestic Violence In An Alcoholic Population, Larry R. Livingston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A survey of 107 adults receiving residential treatment for substance abuse was conducted, to determine characteristics of domestic violence in relationships. The survey incorporated instruments to measure the degree of substance abuse (the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test or MAST) as well as types and frequencies of domestic violence (the Conflict Tactics Scale or CTS-N). Findings are then compared to a national study of 2143 normals (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980) to ascertain differences in domestic violence.

Findings indicate that 83% of alcoholic subjects behaved violently in past relationships, compared to 28% of the normal population. Fifty-five percent of the alcoholics …