Social Work Commons^™

Poder Familiar: A Culturally Tailored Health Intervention For Latino Families Of Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Amy Pei-Lung Yu, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Vanessa L. Errisuriz, Deborah Parra-Medina, Mansha Mirza, Minyu Zhang, Pei-Chiang Lee, Weiwen Zeng, Jasmine P. Brown-Hollie, Nazanin M. Heydarian

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: This two-site pilot study examined the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of PODER Familiar, a culturally tailored intervention to promote the health and well-being of Latina family caregivers and their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Method: Using the Promotora de Salud model and mixed-methods design, we co-developed PODER Familiar with Latina caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and community stakeholders. Thirty Latina caregivers and their children with disabilities were recruited to participate in the intervention, which included 10 individual sessions and 3 group sessions.

Results: Twenty-six Latina caregivers completed all 10 individual sessions, with high intervention …

Validation Of A Brief Food Parenting Measure For Fathers: A Test Of Factorial Validity, Measurement Invariance, Internal Reliability, And Concurrent Validity, Brian K. Lo, In Young Park, Melissa Mcternan, Yilin Wang, Alejandra Cantu-Aldana, Brent A. Mcbride, Katherine W. Bauer, Jess Haines, Kirsten K. Davison

School of Medicine Publications

Fathers are underrepresented in food parenting research partly due to the lack of succinct, theory-informed, and father-mother equivalent food parenting measurement tools. To address this, we 1) tested the factorial validity of a brief food parenting measure utilizing a subset of items from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) to represent coercive control, structure, and autonomy support, 2) assessed the extent to which the brief tool works similarly in fathers and mothers (i.e., measurement invariance), and 3) evaluated its internal reliability and concurrent validity. Participants included 1071 fathers of children aged 2–6 years and 487 of their co-parents (mothers) from …

"Our Blood Is Not Cheap": A Photovoice Project On Being Arab In A Racialized United States, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Suhad Tabahi, Itedal Shalabi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The Arab American community has faced a history of racialization dating back to the late 19th century. The events of 9/11 and the heightened rhetoric of hate during the Trump presidency encouraged anti-Muslim sentiment and increased racial profiling and harassment. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) project uses Photovoice as a methodology to better understand the lived experiences and narratives of Arab Americans in the post-Trump1 era and as a tool for advocacy. The findings from the photo sharing sessions underscore the continued challenge of identity and representation, (in)visibility, and pushing back against anti-Arab/Muslim racism. The findings also highlight religion as …

Comparison Of Diabetes Education Content Experienced By Blind And Nonblind People With Diabetes, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Qusay Hussein, Zully Guerra, Bhumi Patel, Allyson S. Hughes, Julia E. Blanchette, Yessenia Castro

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This survey sought to examine disparities in diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) to illuminate gaps underlying morbidity and mortality disparities experienced by blind people with diabetes and develop a pathway for improved health care delivery and health outcomes. Blind participants were more likely to report getting DSMES on strategies to promote treatment adherence and noncompliance with medical regimen; yet, blind and nonblind participants did not differ on primary care provider visits or amount of time spent in diabetes education. These findings suggest that DSMES content may differ for blind versus nonblind participants.

Diabetes Care Disparities In Deaf/Hard Of Hearing And Blind/Low Vision Populations, Allyson S. Hughes, Karissa Mirus, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Michelle L. Litchman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose of Review

Describe the connection between Deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) and diabetes, explain the bidirectional relationship of blind/low vision (BLV) and diabetes, characterize challenges DHH and BLV populations face when seeking healthcare regarding their diabetes management. Highlight the inaccessibility of diabetes technology in these populations. Provide best practices when communicating with DHH and BLV people in the clinical setting.

Recent Findings

Diabetes disparities exist in DHH and BLV populations due to systemic barriers to health equity related to access and communication. Structural barriers, risk factors, social determinants of health, and the U.S. healthcare system do not support the DHH …

Emotional Wellbeing Of Asylum-Seeking Children After Release From Immigration Detention, Luis H. Zayas, Alice P. Villatoro, Tatiana Londoño, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Families seeking asylum in the United States are often placed in detention centers after fleeing crime, violence, and government ineffectiveness in their countries. Migration brings more hardship, terror, and trauma. The cumulative psychological and social effects from detention need to be better understood. This exploratory study examines the effects of detention and family separation on immigrant children’s psychosocial wellbeing after released. We recruited 81 Central American children previously detained with their parents to assess their wellbeing since release. A third of the children had been separated from their parents during detention. Over a third of parents and less than a …

A Qualitative Investigation Of The Emotional, Physiological, Financial, And Legal Consequences Of Online Romance Scams In The United States, Rebecca Cole

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of Online Romance Scam (ORS) victims in the United States (U.S.). Supported by interpretive phenomenological analysis, nineteen semi-structured online interviews were completed with victims of ORS. A semi-structured interview guide was used based on prior scholarship that attempted to understand participants’ experiences of ORS in the U.S. and to investigate the perceived implications from ORS victimization. Analysis reflected four themes: (1) mental health consequences with subthemes: emotional dysregulation, behavioral health support, and suicidal ideation following ORS; (2) physiological health consequences including the subthemes: sleep changes, physiological changes, and health-related financial debt; (3) …

Co-Creating Experiences Through The Use Of Arts In Social Work Education, Keiron Hatton, Tracey Maegusuku-Hewett, Jo Redcliffe

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The inclusion of citizens in social work education was initiated over 30 years ago and continues to travel a ‘long and winding road’. Social work education in the UK faces increasing pressure from a range of stakeholders including citizens who use services, regulatory bodies and the media to demonstrate that newly qualified social workers are competent and uphold public trust. While social work education and practice within England and Wales draw on similar traditions in theory and practice, there are important differences in the national and institutional frameworks within which they operate. This article illustrates some of these differences through …

Silent Suffering: The Plight Of Foreign Doctors In The Workplace, Minzhi Ye, Mamta K. Singh

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The narrator describes situations where she faced discrimination from health care professionals including her colleagues and patients. This left her feeling frustrated and unsafe in the healthcare environment.

Late Life Cognitive Function Trajectory Among The Chinese Oldest-Old Population-A Machine Learning Approach, Jierong Hu, Minzhi Ye, Juan Xi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Informed by the biopsychosocial framework, our study uses the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) dataset to examine cognitive function trajectories among the oldest-old (80+). Employing K-means clustering, we identified two latent groups: High Stability (HS) and Low Stability (LS). The HS group maintained satisfactory cognitive function, while the LS group exhibited consistently low function. Lasso regression revealed predictive factors, including socioeconomic status, biological conditions, mental health, lifestyle, psychological, and behavioral factors. This data-driven approach sheds light on cognitive aging patterns and informs policies for healthy aging. Our study pioneers non-parametric machine learning methods in this context.

Employing Expressive Art To Explore Mexican Americans’ Grief Experiences Of Loss Due To Covid-19, Leyla Feize, Varesh Gorabi, Vanessa Garza, Christian Baggett, Cassandra Sarmiento, Margarita Tirado, Angela Maldonado, Melissa Daniels

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s lives and resulted in tremendous pain, loss and suffering. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), in the state of Texas in the U.S., was one of the regions with the highest number of infections and deaths during the pandemic. However, individuals’ bereavement in the RGV is rarely addressed. In this qualitative study, a snowball sample of 47 individuals who had lost their loved ones during the years 2020–2021 were interviewed and invited to engage in an art activity. The findings revealed four themes: peculiar funeral, grieving confusion, loved ones’ memories, and connection to self and the …

Texas School Social Workers: Demographics, Work Characteristics, A. Gandaria, George Padilla, Velma D. Menchaca

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

School social workers have great potential to support schools and student learning. A study was conducted to examine the demographics, job services, and job responsibilities of Texas school social workers. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to compare and discuss quantitative and qualitative data obtained. A survey was emailed to 476 Texas school social workers (TSSW) identified in an edited official state list. Data was received from 250 TSSWs. The data reveals consistency with existing school social work literature related to demographics and provides novel information on work and education characteristics of TSSWs. The findings on these topics …

Comorbid Dementia And Cancer Therapy Decision-Making: A Scoping Review, Sean N. Halpin, Gabriel Alain, Aaron Seaman, Erin E. Stevens, Hui Zhao, Mackenzie E. Fowler, Qiuyang Zhang, Tamara Cadet, Minzhi Ye, Jessica L. Krok-Schoen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Comorbid dementia complicates cancer therapy decision-making in older adults. We aimed to synthesize the recent literature (< 5 >years) on the challenges associated with cancer therapy decision-making among older people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers. Of the 20,763 references, 8767 had their title and abstract screened, and eight met the inclusion criteria. Six studies were qualitative, one study employed mixed methods, and one study was quasi-experimental. Most studies were conducted in the UK (89%) and reported homogeneity in race and geography. Breast (56%) and prostate (45%) were the most frequent reported cancers. Five studies (56%) reported multiple types of …

Development And Validation Of A Measure For Seeking Health Information In The Diabetes Online Community: Mixed Methods Study, Allyson S. Hughes, Sarah Beach, Spruhaa Vasistha, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Osvaldo F. Morera

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background

Individuals with chronic diseases often search for health information online. The Diabetes Online Community (DOC) is an active community with members who exchange health information; however, few studies have examined health information brokering in the DOC.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Attitudes Toward Seeking Health Information Online (ATSHIO) scale in a sample of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

People with T1D were recruited through the DOC, specifically Facebook and Twitter. They were provided with a Qualtrics link to complete the survey. This was a mixed methods study that used thematic …

Smoking Social Norms Among Spanish-Speaking Mexican-Origin Persons Who Smoke, Yessenia Castro, Zully C. Guerra, Josephine T. Hinds, Jose E. Velasquez, Tatiana Londoño, John R. Moore, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Jessica K. Perrotte

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

In the United States, smoking rates increase with greater acculturation among Mexican-origin women, but not among men. Conversely, greater acculturation is associated with higher likelihood of quitting among Mexican-origin men who smoke, but not among women who smoke. Long-standing speculation is that adoption of smoking social norms in the U.S. that are less restrictive for women and more restrictive for men compared to smoking social norms in Mexico may account for these patterns. However, it is unknown whether persons who smoke actually perceive such differential norms. The current study characterized smoking social norms in the U.S. and Mexico among Spanish-speaking …

Exploring Perspectives Of Stigma And Discrimination Among People With Lived Experience Of Mental Health Conditions: A Co-Produced Qualitative Study, Petra C. Gronholm, Sarah Kline, Muskan Lamba, Heidi Lempp, Akerke Mahkmud, Guadalupe Morales Cano, Kriti Vashisht, Norha Vera San Juan, Charlene Sunkel

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Efforts to understand the mechanisms and consequences of mental health-related stigma and discrimination need to center the perspectives of people affected by these negative impacts, through research efforts that are led or co-led by people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions.

Methods: This study used co-production principles to explore global perspectives of stigma and discrimination among people meeting the inclusion criteria of identifying as PWLEs and being willing to share their experiences of stigma and discrimination resulting from a diagnosis of a mental health condition, and who had also participated in anti-stigma activities. Participants were recruited online …

Balancing Act: Insights Into Telangana Farmers’ Perspectives On Intensive Vs. Sustainable Agriculture, Srinivas Katherasala, Ram Shepherd Bheenaveni

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

High-input agriculture presents several drawbacks that can adversely affect both environmental sustainability and human health. A primary concern is soil degradation, which results from the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These substances can deplete soil nutrients, impair crop growth, and ultimately render the land barren and unproductive. This study, therefore, aims to explore the perceptions and practices of farmers in the Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district of Telangana State, India. The research involved a sample of 382 farmers across six mandals within this district. A stratified random sampling method was utilized within a survey-descriptive research framework. Data collection incorporated …

Well-Being And Contexts Of Development Of U.S. Citizen Children In Mexico Following Parental Deportation Or Voluntary Relocation, Luis H. Zayas, Alejandra Garcia Isaza, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama, María Elena Rivera-Heredia

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

When undocumented immigrant parents are deported from the United States, they must decide whether or not to take their U.S.-born and undocumented immigrant children with them, often to countries the children have never visited or know little about. Other parents do not wait to be deported by the government and decide to relocate to their home countries with or without their children. Both sets of families experience relocation but under different circumstances. These differences deserve exploration to understand the psychological and emotional effects on children's well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we explored differences in self-concept, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as …

A Socio-Ecological Approach To A Community-Based Health Promotion Intervention On The U.S.-Mexico Border: Insights And Lessons Learned During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yok-Fong Paat, Elizabeth Camacho, Sarah L. Ruiz, Diego Garcia Tovar, Guillermina Gina Núñez-Mchiri, Maria O. Duarte-Gardea, Guadalupe Corral, Sandra Oviedo Ramirez, Christine Markham, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The Healthy Families Healthy Kids Initiative (HFHKI) is a community-based initiative developed based on the socio-ecological model to address preventive health care needs in El Paso County, Texas, one of the most economically and health-challenged border communities in the United States. HFHKI’s three main goals are to increase access to experiential learning and health education, service delivery, and sustainable systems/linkages of care. These were accomplished through seven critical activities. We present the rationale, background, setting, and conceptual framework for the initiative, followed by the methods used to develop and assess the success of the activities and results of our project …

The Need To Prioritize People With Disabilities In Nutrition Education, Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, Jody Vogelzang, Bree Bode, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Rebecca Russell, Emily Watt Clarke

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Defining disabilities and tying them to chronic nutrition-related diseases can be difficult given the breadth and variability among definitions and the often-fluid nature of disability. Broadly defined disability categories include intellectual, physical, sensory, and individual disease states. People with intellectual disabilities, people with impairments to physical mobility, and blind and low vision people have all been found to be at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) than persons without disabilities.

Invarianza De La Escala De Evaluación De Las Relaciones Intrafamiliares En Padres Con Y Sin Migración De Retorno Y Salud Mental [Invariance Of The Intrafamily Relations Evaluation Scale In Parents With And Without Return Migration And Mental Health], María Elena Rivera Heredia, Patricia Andrade Palos, Jaime Fuentes Balderrama, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Se analizaron las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Evaluación de las Relaciones Intrafamiliares (ERI) en padres de familia que retornaron a México y que tienen hijos e hijas menores de edad nacidos en E.E.U.U., así como en padres mexicanos sin experiencia migratoria. Participaron189 padres (92 retornados y 97 sin migración). Se llevaron a cabo Análisis Factoriales Exploratorios y Confirmatorios para derivar una versión culturalmente invariante. Una vez obtenidas las evidencias de invarianza configural, métrica, escalar, estricta y estructural, se encontró mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales que la unión y apoyo familiar se asocian con la sintomatología depresiva y …

“It’S Not That We Care Less”: Insights Into Health Care Utilization For Comorbid Diabetes And Depression Among Latinos, Sharon Borja, Miriam G. Valdovinos, Kenia M. Rivera, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Robin Gearing, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Despite robust knowledge regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting Latino* access to healthcare, limited research has explored service utilization in the context of comorbid conditions like diabetes and depression. This qualitative study, embedded in a larger mixed-methods project, aimed to investigate perceptions held by Latinos and their social support systems (i.e., family members) regarding comorbid diabetes and depression and to identify barriers and facilitators to their help-seeking behaviors and treatment engagement. Bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted eight focus groups with 94 participants in a large U.S. metropolitan area and were primarily conducted in Spanish. The participants either had a …

Mental Health Impacts Of Covid-19 On U.S. Young Adults: A Thematic Analysis Of Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd Experiences, Carol Meza, Viridiana Ortiz, Pedro Hernandez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores the yet-to-be-fully-realized effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, particularly focusing on young adults between the ages of 18-39 years of age living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a thematic content analysis, the study seeks to deepen our understanding of the impact of this novel virus on mental well-being, filling a gap in limited existing research. The theoretical framework in this study is the Disaster Response Cycle or the Disaster Response and Recovery Cycle, and it outlines the different phases that individuals and communities may experience during and after a disaster. The …

Collaboration And Learning: Reflections On Participation In “Empowering Global Futures” International School Social Work Conferences In Essex, Uk, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Marelize Vergottini, Stacy Gherardi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

School social work continues to grow and make an impact across global contexts. The authors share their experiences and reflections after participation in the international school social work conference, “Empowering Global Futures: Strategies for School Social Work” held at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Campus, Essex, UK. The authors highlight speakers, global perspectives, practical applications, and emerging trends. Lastly, the authors make a “call to action” to advocate for increased and intentional efforts to reach across national boundaries to learn from each other and advance the knowledge base needed to address the needs of youth in schools in a global context.

School Social Work 238 Exam Preparation: Resources And Handouts, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Tiffany Nelson, Brenda Coble-Lindsey, Annette Johnson, Giesela Grumbach

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Texas School Social Workers: Demographics, Work Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, And Work Barriers And Facilitators, Astrid Gandaria

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the demographics, and job, services, responsibilities, barriers, facilitators, and satisfaction of Texas school social workers. A survey was emailed to Texas school social workers identified on a state list. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to compare and discuss quantitative and qualitative data obtained. The data reveal consistency with existing school social work literature related to demographics and provided novel information on work characteristics, job satisfaction, work barriers and facilitators, and program preparation of school social workers. The data shows school social workers are highly involved …

Crisis Migration Adverse Childhood Events: A New Category Of Youth Adversity For Crisis Migrant Children And Adolescents, Beyhan Ertanir, Cory L. Cobb, Jennifer B. Unger, Teresa Celada-Dalton, Amy E. West, Ingrid Zeledon, Patrizia A. Perazzo, Miguel Ángel Cano, Sabrina E. Des Rosiers, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The present article proposes an extension of the concept of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to apply to crisis migration - where youth and families are fleeing armed conflicts, natural disasters, community violence, government repression, and other large-scale emergencies. We propose that adverse events occurring prior to, during, and following migration can be classified as crisis-migration-related ACEs, and that the developmental logic underlying ACEs can be extended to the new class of crisis-migration-related ACEs. Specifically, greater numbers, severity, and chronicity of crisis-migration-related ACEs would be expected to predict greater impairments in mental and physical health, poorer interpersonal relationships, and less job …

Latinx Social Work Students’ Well-Being Prior To And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leyla Feize

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This is a reflection on social work students’ well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This narrative was indirectly written by the students, as it is their interpretations of their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors derived from drawing their own mandalas daily for one month. It is a comparison of two stories of struggle, hope, and change during two different periods which were close in time, but far in reality.

Human Rights And Latina Feminisms: Implications For Clinical Practice With The Latine Diaspora In Anti-Immigrant Times, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Miriam Castillo Martinez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

In the anti-immigrant context, the Latine community experiences particular challenges as they are prime targets of racism and xenophobia. The social construction of immigrants as a “threat” and “criminals” shapes political responses to migration and allows for the use of extreme practices, such as long detention periods, inhumane conditions, and other violations of human rights. As clinical social workers, a focus on the political and social context means that interventions can both be tailored to the individual or family’s particular lived experience and focus on changing the structural conditions that create trauma. This article highlights several theoretical and global perspectives …

Process And Structure: Service Satisfaction And Recommendation In A Community-Based Elderly Meal Service In Shanghai, Lin Chen, Minzhi Ye, Eva Kahana

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Informed by Donabedian’s quality-of-care framework, this study aims to examine elderly clients’ service satisfaction and service recommendation for community-based meal services in Shanghai. We analyzed secondary survey data from randomly sampled elderly clients of a community-based meal service in the old Jing’an District in Shanghai (N= 690). Quality of food and caregivers’ attitudes were key to respondents’ service recommendation while tidiness of tableware and interactions with caregivers were positively related to their service satisfaction. Overlaps and differences between structure and process factors are discussed. We also provide tailored policy recommendations.