Social Work Commons^™

Perinatal Depression And Implementation Of The “Thinking Healthy Program” Support Intervention In An Impoverished Setting Of Lima, Peru: Assessment Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Margot Aguilar, Carmen Contreras, Giuseppe Raviola, Alejandra Sepúlveda, Maricielo Espinoza, Leydi Moran, Lourdes Ramos, Jesús Peinado, Leonid Lecca, Gloria A. Pedersen, Brandon A. Kohrt, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Socios En Salud (SES) implemented the Thinking Healthy program (THP) to support women with perinatal depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima Norte. We carried out an analysis of the in-person (5 modules) and remote (1 module) THP intervention. Depression was detected using PHQ-9, and THP sessions were delivered in women with a score (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Depression was reassessed and pre- and post-scores were compared. In the pre-pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 25.4% (47/185), 47 women received THP and 27 were reassessed (57.4%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 8 to 2, p < 0.001. In the pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 47.5% (117/247), 117 women received THP and 89 were reassessed (76.1%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 7 to 2, p < 0.001. THP’s modalities helped to reduce perinatal depression. Pregnant women who received a module remotely also reduced depression.

Examining Contributing Factors To Poor Mental Health Among College Students: A Guide To Student Mental Health Resources, Kora Dutton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Among college students, poor mental health is an issue that continues to progress. In this literature review, contributing factors to mental health conditions of college students are examined. These factors include financial burden and living standards, violence, substance use, pandemics, and health crises. After the initial onset of a mental illness, the risk for other negative consequences increases. Students with mental illness are less likely to graduate, more likely to develop substance use disorder, and are at an increased risk for other mental health comorbidities and suicide. As poor mental health among college students persists, more accessibility to resources is …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Differences In Suicidality In Non–Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Seeking Law Enforcement Officers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Warren N. Ponder, Alaina M. Beauchamp, Donna L. Schuman, Jose Carbajal, Katelyn K. Jetelina, Jeanine M. Galusha

Faculty Publications

Objective: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to high levels of occupational trauma and face added stress from heightened public scrutiny and COVID-19, which may result in suicide. It is crucial to understand differences between LEOs who seek treatment and those who do not. Method: We compared LEOs from the same greater metropolitan area who sought treatment with those who did not. Participants completed validated measures assessing posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Results: The treatment-seeking sample scores were higher on all standardized assessments. Bivariate logistic regression results indicated that the non–treatment-seeking sample's odds of experiencing suicidality were …

Pathways From Exposure To Community Violence To Bullying Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The present study proposes and examines the pathways from exposure to community violence to bullying victimization through the influences of depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use among 638 African American adolescents (aged 12–22) from low-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago’s Southside. The study found that African American adolescents who were exposed to community violence were likely at risk of bullying victimization, depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use. Depression can heighten the risk of bullying victimization. These findings have implications for future research.

Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leeat Granek, Ora Nakash

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

The paper begins by reviewing the literature on oncology healthcare professionals’ (HCP) mental health. We summarize and present the current data on HCP mental health in order to understand the baseline state of oncology HCPs’ mental health status prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At each juncture, we will discuss the implications of these mental health variables on the personal lives of HCPs, the healthcare system, and patient care. We follow by reviewing the literature on these parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the overall mental health of HCPs working in oncology. …

The Health In Mental Health: Exploring Individualized Holistic Health Practices As A Process To Transform Mental Health, Craig Craig Keaton

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Mental health problems are on the rise, especially among college students. Problematically, the two most common approaches - pharmacotherapy and talk therapy - are either grounded in a limited and suspect evidence base or is not an approach that reaches most people in need of and wanting mental health support. There is, however, a growing body of evidence supporting a health-based approach to mental health, including the application of nature, exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. As well, with an expansive definition of health, there are even more practices, such as art, writing, and social connection to support better health and mental …

The Impact Of Implicit Bias On The Overdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Ace Ogbebor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2017), Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and less likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder in compassion to their White counterparts presenting with the same symptoms. To address mechanisms of implicit bias and the implications for mental health practice, it is imperative to investigate the diagnostic process of students who will enter the field of mental health.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, 80% of MSW graduates work in positions providing micro-level direct service to individuals, families, and groups (CSWE, 2019). Moreover, 80% of MSW graduates …

Prevalence Of Depression Among Mothers Experiencing Role Conflict, Amanda Weibert

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

Research shows mothers and women have higher levels of role conflict and depression. The purpose of this study was to expand on the literature surrounding mothers with role conflict and their depression levels. The main hypothesis was mothers experiencing total role conflict have higher levels of depression compared to non-mothers. Additionally, four sub hypotheses were examined. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Long Island University students and staff, who were women, responded to a survey that included five demographic questions, the PHQ-9 scale, and The Role Conflict Scale. Total sample size was n = 36 with 18 respondents being mothers. Three …

The Influence Of Instagram And Depression Amongst College-Aged Individuals, Ariana Soylemezoglu

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

Social media has impacted the lives of many young adults within today’s society. While social media has connected individuals from around the world, it has also blurred the truth from reality. Quite often, social media users will give a glimpse into their life where judgements are free to be made by their audience. Instagram is a noteworthy platform that is highly utilized, but also highly critical to one’s mental health. Previous research has explored the significance between mental health and social media; however, the aim of this current study is to carefully examine the connection between depression and Instagram usage …

Conventional And Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Maternal Functioning Among Low-Income Black Mothers, Kerry Lee, Brenda Jones Harden, Mishaska Jaramillo, Taylor A. Norman, Laura Jimenez Parra

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

A paucity of research has examined the individual and cumulative effects of conventional and expanded adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on maternal functioning, especially among low-income Black mothers. Using self-report data from a subsample of Black mothers (N = 157) who participated in a larger study to evaluate the effectiveness of an urban public prekindergarten program in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, we examined the prevalence of ACEs and the individual and cumulative effects of conventional (i.e., family trauma and dysfunction) and expanded (i.e., community stressors) ACEs on depression and health among low-income Black mothers. Findings indicated that …

Anxiety, Depression, And Sexual Minority Identity Among First Responders, Kayla Soohy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that first responders tend to experience high levels of anxiety and depression due to unique stressors associated with first responder employment. This increased risk level for mental health issues among first responders can be exacerbated by the addition of psychosocial stressors. The influence of interpersonal or intrapersonal factors, such as sexual minority identity, on the mental health issues experienced by first responders has remained relatively unexplored. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between type of first responder, sexual identity, anxiety, and depression via a framework rooted in minority stress theory. Data were gathered …

Mental Health And Behavioral Outcomes Among Jamaican Women: The Role Of Childhood Abuse And Witnessing Parental Violence, Kerry Lee, Sharon Rose Priestley, Kevin K. Hylton

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Studies have shown significant links between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental and behavioral health outcomes. However, limited research has examined these associations among Jamaican women.

Objective

We investigated the associations between individual (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and witnessing a mother being abused) and categorized (0, 1, 2, 3–4) ACEs and depression, anxiety, alcohol and marijuana use among Jamaican women.

Participants and setting

Data were obtained from the 2016 Women’s Health Survey (WHS)—a nationally representative sample of young Jamaican women aged 15–64 years.

Methods

A series of multivariate (OLS) and logistic regression analyses were conducted. OLS regression analyses …

Feasibility Of A School-Based Mental Health Program Implementation To Improve The Status Of Depression And Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In Urban Bangladesh: Menthol Study, Aliya Naheed, Saimul Islam, Meredith B. Brooks, Mary C. Smith Fawzi, Mir Nabila Ashraf, Helal Uddin Ahmed, M. M. Jalal Uddin, Kamrun Nahar Koly, Jerome T. Galea, Shaheen Akhter, Charles Nelson, Saima Wazed Hossain, Kerim M. Munir

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: We assessed the feasibility of implementing psychological counseling services (PCS) for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) integrated within special education settings in urban Bangladesh. Method: In two special education schools for ASD in Dhaka City, trained female psychologists screened mothers using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). PCS was administered to all the mothers irrespective of a diagnosis of depression. Mothers with a PHQ-9 score >4 who met criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE) based on the DSM-IV Structured Interview Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) were also administered skill-building training through monthly home visits to support ASD …

Social Support Needs Of African American Single Parent Women Residing In Atlanta, Tyneisha Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers may serve marginalized groups of people such as single parents who may face challenges and barriers to raising a healthy family. African American mothers are more likely to have adverse experiences with parenting without a partner or additional supportive primary caregiver than women in other racial groups. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the mental health challenges that impact African American women who are single parents. Social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from individual interviews with ten parents from daycare centers in the metropolitan Atlanta area that …

Depression Among Older Immigrant African Women In Metro West Massachusetts, Bi Toh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study addressed depression among older immigrant African Women in Metro West Massachusetts to better understand the causes and prevalence of depression among older women coming from Africa to live in the United States. The study situated older women to be above the age of 55 and focused on exploring the views of social workers in relation to issues of depression among these women. It addressed the factors that influence older immigrant African women’s adaptive capacity in Metro West Massachusetts, the mental health service social workers offer to older women from Africa living in the United States, how social workers …

Appreciation Day For Clinical Staff At Vna Hospice, Melody Nguyen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

VNA Hospice of the Central Coast is a nonprofit that was created back in 1951. The staff at VNA are visiting about 75,000 homes per year. Throughout the years the staff have been seeing patients who reached the requirement of having 6 months or less to live. Working with Hospice patients can be hard for everyone but, the staff at VNA are seeing the patients from good days and bad days. Depression is known to negatively impact the clinical staff at VNA Hospice. Staff are working long hours which leads to sleep disturbance and chronic stress. Some staff are also …

The Effect Of Travel Burden On Depression And Anxiety In African American Women Living With Systemic Lupus, Ashley A. White, Brittany L. Smalls, Aissatou Ba, Trevor D. Faith, Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, Hetlena Johnson, Jillian Rose, Clara L. Dismuke-Greer, Jim C. Oates, Leonard E. Egede, Edith M. Williams

Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

The United States has a deficit of rheumatology specialists. This leads to an increased burden in accessing care for patients requiring specialized care. Given that most rheumatologists are located in urban centers at large hospitals, many lupus patients must travel long distances for routine appointments. The present work aims to determine whether travel burden is associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety among these patients. Data for this study were collected from baseline visits of patients participating in a lupus study at MUSC. A travel/economic burden survey was assessed as well as the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) and …

Utilization Patterns Of Community-Based Mental Health Services Among School-Going Adolescent Girls In Southwestern Uganda., William Byansi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATIONGlobally an estimated 20% of children and adolescents experience a disabling mental illness (Belfer, 2008). Mental health disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden and the eleventh leading cause in older adolescents (15-19 years). Yet, children and adolescents are over-represented in low-resourced countries and settings often characterized by violence, wars, diseases, physical and sexual abuse, all of which are associated with poor mental health functioning (Kieling et al., 2011; Naker, 2005). Moreover, in LMICs the treatment gap is about 93% of individuals without access to mental health services with virtually no coverage of evidence-based interventions …

Exploring The Prevalence Of Social Isolation In Students At A Christian College In West Texas, David Bryan Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept known as “social isolation” is a problem that affects many people, but there are certain populations that do not have adequate research performed on them. Specifically, college students face a risk of social isolation that is detrimental to their well-being and academic success, and there is a gap in the literature about this relationship. This study explored the prevalence of social isolation in college students at a Christian college in West Texas and examined various factors to determine whether any protective factors or at-risk factors existed. An online survey was sent out that used 11 demographic factor questions …

An Evidence Based Practice Guide For Parents And Schools: Supporting Kids And Adolescents' Mental Health During And After Covid-19 Pandemic, Ivanna M. Fuentes Javier

Evidence-Based Social Work Practice Guide Series

Adolescent mental health is important to consider by parents and schools. Parents need to build a strengthened mentality in their children and with the school support, the results would be greater. The active participation of schools is needed in order to support kids' and adolescents' mental health and create parent awareness about mental health. Also, when parents are able to identify early signs of mental health problems, they can prevent it from becoming greater and the school can help parents learn about these early signs. In addition, parents play a fundamental role in identifying symptoms of mental health problems in …

Correlates Of Depression Among Black Girls Exposed To Violence, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Depression rates for youth remanded to juvenile detention is double that of the general population and Black girls are especially vulnerable. A dearth of literature analyzes the factors that are correlated with depression among system-involved Black girls, ages 12–17 years old. We utilized personal agency to examine the relationship between risk factors (i.e., abuse history, and fear of condom negotiation) and protective factors (i.e., condom self-efficacy, and perceived social support) that might correlate with depression among Black girls exposed to violence. Findings indicate that fear of condom negotiation, abuse history and low condom self-efficacy are correlated with depressive symptomology while …

Barriers To Implementation Of A Technology-Based Mental Health Intervention In A Rural Setting, Becky F. Antle, Lesley M. Harris, Jesse H. Wright, Tracy D. Eells, Amy Cappiccie, Sara M. Williams, Rebecca Katz, Ashley Logsdon, Jesse Owen

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study utilized qualitative focus groups with rural health providers and patients to explore barriers to implementation of a technology-based mental health intervention for the treatment of depression in a primary care setting. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was implemented in both urban and rural primary care practices to test the feasibility and effectiveness of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) for depression. Early implementation identified lower rates of willingness to participate in the intervention by rural patients. Subsequently, focus groups were conducted with rural providers and patients to explore barriers to participation and strategies to overcome these barriers in future …

A Non-Specialist Depression Care Pathway For Adolescents Living With Hiv And Transitioning Into Adult Care In Peru: A Nested, Proof Of Concept Pilot Study, Jerome T. Galea, Carmen Contreras, Milagros Wong, Karen Ramos, Valentina Vargas, Hugo Sánchez, Renato A. Errea, Leonid Lecca, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) are disproportionally impacted by depression, experiencing worse HIV outcomes. Integrated depression and HIV care may support antiretroviral adherence. This study pilot tested for proof of concept a basic depression care pathway for ALWH to inform depression care integration with HIV services in Peru.

Methods: ALWH were screened for depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Participants with PHQ-9 scores of ⩾10 or suicidal ideation (SI) were eligible for Psychological First Aid (PFA) delivered by non-mental health specialists. Participants with PHQ-9 re-assessments of ⩾20 or SI were referred to specialized services.

Results: Twenty-eight (11 female, …

Social Workers' Perspectives Of Depression In Baby Boomers Born Between 1946 And 1955, Karen Cohen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the leading-edge baby boomer (L-E boomer) cohort continues to age, demands of mental health services in treating diagnosed depression in this cohort are increasing. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) are the most likely social workers to provide services to L-E boomers diagnosed with depression. LCSWs were the chosen participants for this generic qualitative study to gain knowledge of their perspectives of working with L-E boomers diagnosed with depression. Grounded in generational theory, this study used a generic qualitative approach allowing for nonrestrictive measures for capturing the data. NVIVO assisted in coding the data and identification of common themes, words, …

Supporting Survivors Coming Forward, Samanta Herrera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As an intern at Survivors Healing Center an issue that was identified was child sexual abuse cases are too common. The contributing factors that have a correlation to the community problem that was mentioned is denial, emotional maltreatment, and family characteristics. The consequence of the contributing factors led to depression, suicidal and a potential reacurrence of sexual abuse. The purpose of the project was to educate participants on how to support survivors who are coming forward. By educating them the expected outcome was to have some participants leaving with knowledge towards the issue. As a result of addressing the contributing …

Understanding The Role Of Past Health Care Discrimination In Help-Seeking And Shared Decision-Making For Depression Treatment Preferences, Ana M. Progovac, Dharma E. Cortés, Valeria Chambers, Jonathan Delman, Deborah Delman, Danny Mccormick, Esther Lee, Selma De Castro, María José Sánchez Román, Natasha A. Kaushal, Timothy B. Creedon, Rajan A. Sonik, Catherine Rodriguez Quinerly, Caryn R.R. Rodgers, Leslie B. Adams, Ora Nakash, Afsaneh Moradi, Heba Abolaban, Tali Flomenhoft, Ruth Nabisere, Ziva Mann, Sherry Shu Yeu Hou, Farah N. Shaikh, Michael Flores, Dierdre Jordan, Nicholas J. Carson, Adam C. Carle, Frederick Lu, Nathaniel M. Tran, Margo Moyer, Benjamin L. Cook

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

As a part of a larger, mixed-methods research study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 adults with depressive symptoms to understand the role that past health care discrimination plays in shaping help-seeking for depression treatment and receiving preferred treatment modalities. We recruited to achieve heterogeneity of racial/ethnic backgrounds and history of health care discrimination in our participant sample. Participants were Hispanic/Latino (n = 4), non-Hispanic/Latino Black (n = 8), or non-Hispanic/Latino White (n = 9). Twelve reported health care discrimination due to race/ethnicity, language, perceived social class, and/or mental health diagnosis. Health care discrimination exacerbated barriers to initiating and continuing …

Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Ecological Risk Factors And Youth Outcomes: A Test Of The Desensitization Hypothesis, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Minority youth, because of structural, ecological, and societal inequalities, are at heightened risk of reporting depression and experiencing negative sanctions associated with delinquency. Sociological theories suggest that greater exposure to ecological risk factors at the peer, family, school and community levels are associated with elevated rates of youth depression and delinquency. Desensitization theory posits that repeated exposures to ongoing stressors result in a numbing of psychological and behavioral responses. Thus, it remains unclear whether racial/ethnic differences exist with regards to how contextual stressors correlate with depression and delinquency. Using a sample of 616 Black, 687 Latinx, and 1,318 White youth, …