Social Work Commons^™

Ptsd, Alcohol Use Disorder, And Treatment, A Review, Anthony Gayle Ensey

Social Work Theses - Archive

This systematic review examines the empirical literature for American veterans with a dual diagnosis of PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Concurrent treatment and treatment targeting one of the disorders was the basis for research question used. Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement, and COPES (Client Oriented Practical; Evidence Search Guides) method of question formation was chosen. Five full reports were extracted from 128 through three electronic databases. Selected quantitative studies were peer-reviewed journals. No randomized clinical trials were located. All five studies included received a low …

The Role Of Social Capital In Rural Community Development, Desiree D. Frederickson

Social Work Theses - Archive

This study explores the impact of social capital on community development in a rural community in Texas. There is very little research on social capital relative to community development. Much of the research that has been conducted is focused on measuring the level of social capital among different groups. Utilizing methods of Participatory Action Research--interviews, focus groups, and town hall forums--this study explores the association of social capital with rural community development. This study reviews relevant literature, explains the methods used, provides data analysis and findings. This study concludes with findings and recommendations that support the belief that the development …

Prefrontal Responses To Digit Span Memory Phases In Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): A Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study, Fenghua Tian, Amarnath Yennu, Alexa Smith-Osborne, F. Gonzalez-Lima, Carol S. North, Hanli Liu

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

Neuroimaging studies of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related memory impairments have consistently implicated abnormal activities in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, most studies have used block designs and could not dissociate the multiple phases of working memory. In this study, the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in working memory phases was assessed among veterans with PTSD and age-/ gender-matched healthy controls. Multichannel functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to measure prefrontal cortex hemodynamic activations during memory of neutral (i.e., not trauma-related) forward and backward digit span tasks. An event-related experimental design was utilized to dissociate the different phases (i.e., …

“IʼM A Leader Of All Of Them To Tell The Truth”: Participatory Action Principles For Uplifting Social Work Research Partnersʼ Identities, Katherine Mccrea

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Identity, understood from many vantage points, is continually evolving based on relationship experiences, including those relationships established in social and behavioral research. Whether rendered anonymous in large quantitatively-studied samples, or intimately known in qualitative studies, those contributing to science in a role termed “subject” receive, through the research, definitions of their identities. Because those identities are part of published social research, identities created in the research process become part of the public discourse about persons in the “subjects’” situations, and also influence policies that in turn influence persons’ lives. For their part, the identities of social and behavioral researchers also …

Consequences And Peer Influence As Proximal And Contextual Factors In Alcohol Consumption, Shweta Singh, Susan Grossman, Diane C. Asaro

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

The present study examines the role of positive and negative consequences and peer influence as proximal and contextual variables that influence drinking in college students. Data from a sample of 1482 students who completed the CORE survey in 2006 and 2007 were utilized to test three models predicting the likelihood of alcohol use in the 30 days prior to survey completion. The final model reflected the best fit of the data and indicated that both positive and negative consequences were positively associated with a greater likelihood of drinking while freshman standing and being a racial and ethnic minority were negatively …

Promoting The Participation Of Seldom Heard Young People: A Review Of The Literature On Best Practice Principles, Cathy Kelleher, Mairéad Seymour, Ann Marie Halpenny

Reports

The purpose of this research was to review national and international literature on the participation of seldom heard young people and to identify best practice principles in the field. Key objectives were: to provide a detailed account of what is meant by s eldom heard children and young people; to examine the core aspects of participation as well as the barriers and challenges to participation for seldom heard children and young people; to identify approaches which can improve the inclus ion of seldom heard children and young people in decision-making that affects their lives. The project aimed to integrate the …

Trauma Treatment: The Influence Of Social Workers' Knowledge, Perceived Self-Efficacy, And Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions, Jose I. Carbajal

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This research report asserts that trauma is pervasive and of those traumatized, 10 to 20 percent develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms do not automatically dissolve, thereby making treatment necessary. However, there is little research regarding social workers' knowledge of trauma and trauma treatment efficacy. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature specifying social workers' utilization of trauma-focused evidence-based interventions. The aim of this research study was to determine if social workers' level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment efficacy predicted the use of evidence-based interventions. A cross-sectional design was used to examine social workers' trauma treatment and …

Analysis Of Several Factors Contributing To Increased Fertility Rates In India: Religion As Compared To Education And Wealth, Victoria Highland

Social Work Theses - Archive

India continues to experience increased population growth, in spite of the country's nationally instituted family planning program that began in 1952. While there is research on the various factors contributing to the continued increase in fertility rates in India, previous studies have utilized older data sets (Chamie, 1981); (Yadava, 1999); (Jeffery & Jeffery, 2000); (Brookins & Brookins, 2012); (Kulkami & Algarajan, 2005). One theory about factors influencing fertility rates was explained by Chamie (1981). The theory acknowledges that fertility rates vary based on religion, but the underlying structural differences between religions has a stronger influence on fertility rates than the …

Text Analysis Of Social Development As A Concept, Shamsun Nahar

Social Work Theses - Archive

Theory of social development is composed of an amalgam of several interrelated and independent theories, such as representational, explanatory, and normative theories. The objective of this study is to contribute to the representational theories of social development by examining the contextual variations that characterize the discourse of development in published scholarly journals. Applying the text analysis method in all abstracts (N=707) of the journal of Social Development Issues (SDI), which is one of the prominent international journals where social development is analyzed from international and interdisciplinary perspectives, this study explores the associated terms of social development, their frequency, and terms …

Social Work Mediation/Conflict Resolution: The Benefits, Challenges, And Practitioner Improvements Associated With The Use Of Mediation/Conflict Resolution In Social Work Practice, Don R. Kelly

Social Work Theses - Archive

Social workers continually work in areas where conflict is prevalent on a daily basis. Yet there is little research regarding the benefits, challenges, and practitioner improvements associated with social workers being trained in mediation/conflict resolution. However, there is much literature regarding the usefulness of mediation/conflict resolution. Utilizing an exploratory, qualitative, semi-structure interview process, numerous benefits, challenges, and practitioner improvements are identified in this study. In many respects, social work has always been about conflict and resolving conflict. As conflict resolution is a core competency in social work and considering that mediation/conflict resolution is a growing field, exploring the benefits, challenges …

Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Adolescents, Yi Jin Kim

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Purpose: A significantly high rate (18.3%) of Korean adolescents had suicidal ideations in 2012 (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2012) and suicidal ideation is more prevalent among adolescents than any other age group in Korea. Suicidal ideation is one of the most significant factors in predicting an increased risk for future suicide attempts. Considering the fact that suicidal ideation is the onset of the suicidal process triggering more serious suicidal behaviors including suicide intent, attempt, and completion, it is critical to examine the risk factors for suicidal ideation to prevent more risky suicidal behaviors among Korean adolescents. There have …

Communication In Combat Through The Optics Of Internal Working Models, Warren Neil Ponder

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation asserts that communication between a committed dyad during a deployment affects post-deployment functioning. Historical communication patterns among veterans and their families are examined from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada and the Global War on Terror (GWOT) among others. Recent research has delineated different forms of communication: interactive and delayed. Communication is conceptualized in the three phases of a deployment cycle: pre, during, and post-deployment. However, the largest gap in the current literature is the identification of one theory that explains dyadic communication during a deployment. It is posited that attachment theory is the best orientation available. An online questionnaire …

African American Families' Expectations And Intentions For Mental Health Services, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Richard Thompson, Barbara L. Dancy, Tisha R. A. Wiley, Sylvia P. Perry, Jason Wallis, Yara Mekawi, Kathleen Knafl

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental health services.

Trafficking In Child Labor In Ghana And Senegal, Steven Brandt

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 6th (2014)

The goal of this paper is to determine the efficacy of anti-trafficking governance in Senegal and Ghana and what social, political, legal and economic factors work for or against those policies such as: - social policies for and against the growth of the NGO community - enforcement of anti-trafficking laws - economic policies for impoverished urban and rural communities - government rehabilitation policies for minors - federal, state and local corruption - border security/immigration - religious and political freedom This research comprises a comprehensive literature analysis as to the current state of trafficking of minors in Ghana and Senegal. First …

Comorbidity Of Common Mental Disorders With Cancer And Their Treatment Gap: Findings From The World Mental Health Surveys, Ora Nakash, Itzhak Levav, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Jordi Alonso, Laura Helena Andrade, Matthias C. Angermeyer, Ronny Bruffaerts, Jose Miguel Caldas-De-Almeida, Slivia Florescu, Giovanni De Girolamo, Oye Gureje, Yanling He, Chiyi Hu, Peter De Jonge, Elie G. Karam, Viviane Kovess-Masfety, Maria Elena Medina-Mora, Jacek Moskalewicz, Sam Murphy, Yosikazu Nakamura, Marina Piazza, Jose Posada-Villa, Dan J. Stein, Nezar Ismet Taib, Zahari Zarkov, Ronald C. Kessler, Kate M. Scott

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Objective This study aimed to study the comorbidity of common mental disorders (CMDs) and cancer, and the mental health treatment gap among community residents with active cancer, cancer survivors and cancer-free respondents in 13 high-income and 11 low-middle-income countries. Methods Data were derived from the World Mental Health Surveys (N = 66,387; n = 357 active cancer, n = 1373 cancer survivors, n = 64,657 cancer-free respondents). The World Health Organization/Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used in all surveys to estimate CMDs prevalence rates. Respondents were also asked about mental health service utilization in the preceding 12 months. Cancer status …

Resident And Community Characteristics Report 2014: Assisted Living, Residential Care, Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Maximilian West, Amanuel Zimam, Kenneth Gordon Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report provides an overview of community-based care settings in Oregon. The results presented here are derived from surveys completed by 243 facilities serving 9,485 residents. Key changes between the 2008 OOHPR survey and 2014 include:

• Compared to 2008, the number of facilities increased by 13%, with the largest growth in MCCs (41%).
• The proportion of for-profit facilities and facilities managed by a third party increased from 2008 by 8%.
• The acuity level of residents increased on most measures compared to 2008.
• Compared to 2008, residents across all three community types required more assistance with ADLs and used more health …

A Digital Environmental Approach: Four Technologies That Will Disrupt Social Work Practice, Lauri Goldkind

Social Service Faculty Publications

and by technology. Social work offers a panoramic perspective on individuals and issues, insisting on the importance of the ecology of interaction between person and environment. Given this historic strength, social workers cannot ignore the explosive growth and pervasive impact of technology or fail to recognize its role in shaping culture. Beyond its capacity to enhance whatwe offer to our clients, technology is a prompt, a demand to reimagine our core values in the context of a changing social space and to develop amechanics of practice that is amenable to rapid evolution. With this commentary we hope to initiate dialogue: …

E-Advocacy In Human Services, Lauri Goldkind

Social Service Faculty Publications

E-advocacy, or the constellation of electronic tools used for policy advocacy, offer cost-effective approaches for engaging constituents to create social change. Providers of human services may face challenges when trying to implement these tools. While many electronic tools have low barriers for entry, other factors may inhibit their use in agencies. This article explores the organizational characteristics related to the use of electronic advocacy strategies. Based on a survey of nonprofit executives, the study uses path modeling to describe the connections between organizational characteristics and the use of electronic advocacy tools. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Increasing Military Social Work Knowledge: An Evaluation Of Learning Outcomes., Mary Ann Forgey, Sharon L Young

Social Service Faculty Publications

Service members and veterans face a myriad of health mental health and social challenges stemming from the combat and operational stressors experienced during deployment and the challenges of reintegration to civilian life. To intervene effectively with this population social workers must be knowledgeable about these issues and the cultural context within which they occur. While schools of social work across the country are developing course work in military social work, little is known about the learning outcomes of these courses. This paper describes a military social work course that was developed to increase student preparedness to work with a military …

E-Advocacy In Human Services: The Impact Of Organizational Conditions And Characteristics On Electronic Advocacy Activities Among Nonprofits, Lauri Goldkind

Social Service Faculty Publications

E-advocacy, or the constellation of electronic tools used for policy advocacy, offer cost-effective approaches for engaging constituents to create social change. Providers of human services may face challenges when trying to implement these tools. While many electronic tools have low barriers for entry, other factors may inhibit their use in agencies. This article explores the organizational characteristics related to the use of electronic advocacy strategies. Based on a survey of nonprofit executives, the study uses path modeling to describe the connections between organizational characteristics and the use of electronic advocacy tools. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Teacher Education And Experiential Learning: A Visual Ethnography, Maureen F. Legge, Wayne Smith

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This article reports research that critically examined our teacher education outdoor education pedagogy. The purpose was to use visual ethnography to critique our teaching over twenty years of annual five-day bush-based residential camps. The bush camps were situated in an outdoor education programme contributing to a four-year undergraduate teacher education Bachelor of Physical Education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research method involved photo-elicitation of selected photographs representing students’ experiences and our practices. We each wrote about the photographs using introspection and recall to create a layered narrative analysis reflecting on the educative focus of the images. We responded to …

A Holistic Aboriginal Framework For Individual Healing, Gus Hill

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

This paper offers up an holistic Indigenous model of individual healing that utilizes medicine wheel teachings to break down the four aspects (spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental) of individual wellness. Teachings about each direction are presented followed by practice techniques for each aspect of the individual self. It is bookended by an introduction to the historical trauma faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada, and a conclusion that draws implications for healing.

Fathering And Child Maltreatment: A Grounded Theory Study, Jennifer Shadik

Theses and Dissertations

Literature related to fathers and child physical abuse and neglect is lacking (Guterman & Lee, 2005; Lee, Bellamy, & Guterman, 2009). The purpose of this study was to better understand several pertinent aspects of fathering related to maltreatment. Three research questions were examined: 1.What are the attitudes, behaviors and contexts of fathers who have abused or neglected a child that relate to maltreatment? 2. What are the resources and capacities of these fathers which could be capitalized on? 3. How does goodness-of-fit or a poor fit between the father and child impact the parenting relationships of these fathers? Fifteen fathers …

Go To The Hospital Or Stay At Home? A Qualitative Study Of Expected Hospital Decision Making Among Older African Americans With Advanced Heart Failure, Faith Pratt Hopp, Christina Marsack, Jessica Camp, Shirley Ann Thomas

Social Work Faculty Publications

To address the need for more information concerning hospital decision making, we conducted in-depth interviews among African Americans with heart failure and their family caregivers (n=11 dyads). Using a case scenario, we asked participants about their anticipated hospitalization decisions. Most patients indicated that they would seek care to avoid further deterioration or death from their worsening condition. Many family caregivers anticipated having an active influence on hospitalization decisions. Findings suggest that social workers should encourage the development of adequate home-based services, recognize diverse communication styles, and use this information to facilitate medical decision making by these patients and …

Age-Friendly Environments And Self-Rated Health: An Exploration Of Detroit Elders, Amanda J. Lehning, Richard J. Smith, Ruth E. Dunkle

Social Work Faculty Publications

While a number of organizations and government entities have encouraged the development of more “age-friendly” environments, to date there has been limited research linking these environment features to elder outcomes. Using a representative sample of older adults living in Detroit, this study examined the association between age-friendly environment factors and self-rated health. Results indicated that access to health care, social support, and community engagement were each associated with better self-rated health, while neighborhood problems were associated with poorer self-rated health. Moreover, individual-level income and education no longer predicted self-rated health once age-friendly environment factors were taken into account. These findings …

Identifying Appropriate Sanctions For Youth Sexual Behavior: The Impact Of Age, Gender, And Sexual Orientation, Erin B. Comartin, Poco D. Kernsmith, Roger M. Kernsmith

Social Work Faculty Publications

Although statutory rape laws were initially developed to protect youth from coercion by adults, youth are sometimes also prosecuted under these laws. This article investigates public attitudes regarding sanctions for youth engaging in sexual behaviors with peers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine if age and gender of the offending youth, and sexual orientation of the relationship,has an impact on the public's level of agreement for sanctioning youth for three types of sexual behavior: intercourse, oral sex, or touching. The study participants (N= 757) were drawn from the general population of adult Michigan residents; the sample was racially representative …

Review Of To The End Of June: The Intimate Life Of American Foster Care. Cris Beam. From Pariahs To Partners: How Parents And Their Allies Changed New York City’S Child Welfare System. David Tobis. Reviewed By Julie Cooper Altman., Julie Cooper Altman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Cris Beam, To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2013). $27.00 (hardcover). David Tobis, From Pariahs to Partners: How Parents and Their Allies Changed New York City’s Child Welfare System. Oxford University Press (2013). $29.95 (hardcover).

Eeg/Qeeg Technology Identifies Neurobiomarkers Critical To Medication Selection And Treatment In Refractory Cases, Vijayan K. Pillai, Ronald J. Swatzyna, Jay D. Tarnow, Jonika D. Tannous, Christine Schieszler, Gerald P. Kozlowski

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

No abstract provided.

Liminality And Mental Health Court Diversion: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Offender Experiences, Anne Nordberg

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

Seriously mentally ill people are a 'revolving-door' population in criminal justice systems where they cycle in and out of courts and jails. In response and consonant with the principles of therapeutic jurisprudence, mental health courts (MHCs) have flourished in North America and Western Europe in attempts to divert this population away from jail and provision them with the social services they require to avoid legal contact. Little research has focused on the perspective of the accused in MHCs and there has been little information about which aspects of the court and diversion processes contribute to therapeutic processes in MHCs. This …

Promoting Critical Reflexivity Through Arts-Based Media: A Case Study, Christopher Trevelyan, Rory Crath, Adrienne Chambon

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

As an increasingly central focus of social work pedagogy, critical reflexivity can be distinguished from non-critical forms of reflexivity by its emphasis on the socially constructed, power-laden nature of knowledge and subjectivity, and its embracement of anxiety and other difficult emotions in social work practice. Given the in actu nature of its processes, however, critical reflexivity poses particular challenges as a teaching objective for social work educators. In order to assess the potential of arts-based media to engender critical forms of reflexivity in social work audiences, qualitative inquiry was conducted on social workers' experience of an arts-based video installation on …