Social Work Commons^™

Coping With Death, Quality Of Life, And Compassion Fatigue Among Hospice Social Workers, Virgen L. Dominguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that working with dying patients and their families could causeemotional reactions that not only affect their well-being but their quality of life and desire to continue in their profession. Although researchers have examined compassion fatigue among other professionals, there is a gap in research on the phenomenon among hospice social workers. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to obtain a richer understanding about how hospice social workers cope with death, what their experiences are with compassion fatigue, and how their quality of life is impacted by their work. The conceptual framework was the transactional theory of …

Intersectionality And Community-Based Counseling: Experience Of African American Female Sexual Minority Youth, Lauren Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem examined in this qualitative analysis is the limited available knowledge on the experience of ethnic minorities who are also sexual minority youth. Sexual minority youth are at increased risk of experiencing mental health disparities compared to their heterosexual peers. Due to the increased risk for psychosocial stressors such as substance use, suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, homelessness, and trauma, clinicians should be aware of the intersectionality of identifying as a sexual minority youth who is also an ethnic minority. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of African American sexual minority female youth ages …

Relationships Between Demographics, Adverse Childhood Experiences, And Compassion Fatigue In Volunteers, Sreela R. Stovall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Volunteers are vital to the operation of human service organizations, but nonprofit organizations remain at risk of turnover and disruption of services due to compassion fatigue of volunteers. Researchers have gained insight with respect to adverse childhood experiences being related to compassion fatigue. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to explore the relationship between volunteer demographics, adverse childhood trauma (ACEs survey), and compassion fatigue (Professional Quality of Life Compassion Fatigue subscale). Compassion fatigue resilience theory was the theoretical framework used for this study. Three research questions were used for the study, with data collection completed online via survey. …

Social Workers’ Attitudes Toward Medication-Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, William Tillman Spivey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last decade, opioid misuse has emerged as a major problem in the United States. The extreme increase in overdose deaths affects both public health and social welfare in north central Florida. Social workers play a major role in the delivery of treatment for opioid misuse. Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder has become widely used yet faces debate among social workers. The practice-focused research question for this project addressed the attitudes of social workers toward the use of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Social learning theory was the theoretical framework used in this action research study. Data …

Effects Of School Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In An African American All-Boys Urban School, Theresa Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Teachers and administrators spend a great deal of time addressing minor to moderate school discipline behaviors with punitive actions such as suspensions and expulsions from school. Past research has revealed that such punitive actions do not correct the unwanted behavior, and extensive use of punitive disciplinary actions have been linked to negative outcomes such as repeated suspensions, repeating grades due to time missed from school, increased likelihood of dropping out of school, or potential involvement in the juvenile justice system. This single case study design addressed the following research question: How school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) affected …

Demographic Characteristics, Level Of Drug Use, And Self-Esteem Among Female Students In Kaduna, Nigeria, Gladys Geyyourk John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Starting the early 1990s, the prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use in Nigeria has been increased, especially among college students. Potential adverse effects such as poor academic performance and low self-esteem are known, but it is not understood whether demographic factors, level of drug use, and self-esteem are related to drug use for female college students. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study of a cross-sectional nature was to determine if there were predictive relationships between demographics (age, socioeconomic level, educational level, and history of mental illness), level of drug use (as measured by the Drug Abuse Screening Test [DAST], …

Hiv/Aids And Substance Use Among Older Adults, Jamerlia E. Wyatt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV/AIDS and substance abuse among older adults is a significant national and worldwide problem. As older HIV-positive adults continue to age, they will have problems with managing their HIV/AIDS, comorbidity disorders, and quality of life, which can lead to substance abuse. The purpose of this descriptive, phenomenological study was to explore the socio-risk behaviors, specific treatment preferences, and daily lived experiences of adults aged 50 years and older living with HIV/AIDS and substance use in a large northeastern urban city. The conceptual framework used to ground this qualitative study was Engel's biopsychosocial model. The purposeful sampling method was used to …

Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Parkinson's Patients Regarding Using Advance Directives, Meghan Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing focus on end-of-life (EOL) care is influencing the role of advance directive (AD) documents. Difficult conversations among family caregivers and their loved ones are becoming more and more critical. Considering the value of communicating EOL wishes, family caregivers’ perceptions about ADs for their loved ones with Parkinson’s disease (PD) must be examined. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand family caregivers of PD patients and their perceptions and experiences relating to AD documents. This study involved using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews with 11 family …

Grandparents In Parental Roles With Grandchildren And Social Work Practice, Anetrice Nicole Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the last 30 years, there has been an increase of grandparents who are raising grandchildren. Grandparents often need social services such as case management, legal services, counseling, adoption, and custody services. Although grandparents feel it is rewarding to raise their grandchildren, there are also challenges. Participatory action research was used as the method of study. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used to guide the participatory action research. Participants included social workers and social service workers from various social service agencies in Atlanta, Georgia. This study aimed to understand grandparents' needs and how prepared social workers and social service workers are …

Victimization And Psychological Wellbeing Among Sexual And Gender Minority Emerging Adults: Testing The Moderating Role Of Emotional Comfort From Companion Animals, Jennifer L. Murphy, Camie A. Tomlinson, Angela Matijczak, Kelly O'Connor, Shelby Mcdonald

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Human-animal interaction science is a growing field, largely due to the potential psychosocial benefits companion animals provide to humans. One way companion animals may influence psychosocial outcomes is through their ability to provide emotional comfort, though few studies have examined relationships between sexual and gender minority stressors (i.e. discrimination, victimization, rejection), human-animal interaction, and psychological wellbeing. To address this gap in the literature, the current study evaluates whether, and to what extent, the association between gender-based victimization and psychological wellbeing (i.e., anxiety, depression, self-esteem) varies as a function of emotional comfort from companion animals among emerging adults.

Methods: Data …

Political Efficacy In Social Workers Before And After 2016, Shannon R. Lane, Katharine M. Hill, Kathryn S. Krase, Tanya Rhodes Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Since 2016, members of communities traditionally prevented or discouraged from electoral politics have challenged barriers to political power. Social work’s current research base about political action reflects the pre- 2016 political landscape. Survey data collected between 2015 and 2019 examines ways social workers’ political engagement and efficacy reacted to this political environment. We examined political efficacy of social workers and students before and after 2016 to compare their internal efficacy (sense of one’s own power in the political system) and external efficacy (sense of the system’s responsiveness). Political engagement and individual measures of political efficacy increased among certain demographic groups; …

Preparation And Response To Covid-19: An Exploratory Analysis Of Policy Response Spending And Health Expenditures In 20 Oecd Countries, Anis Ben Brik, Neil Gilbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines the comparative impact of COVID-19 in terms of the number of cases per capita and the per capita mortality rate and analyzes the relationships between these impact estimates and three policy measures in 20 OECD countries, controlling for the population over age 65. The policy measures involve public and private health expenditures prior to the pandemic onset and per capita fiscal expenditures devoted to policies designed to address the pandemic, which are identified in the International Monetary Fund’s policy tracker. The findings show no relationship between the policy measures and COVID-19 when controlling for the population over …

Review Of South Bronx Battles: Stories Of Resistance, Resilience, And Renewal. By Carolyn Mclaughlin, Sarah Taylor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Impact Of 9/11-Induced Adverse Experiences On The Mental Health Of Latino Americans And The Role Of Religious Service Attendance, Soyoung Kwon, Yongsok Kim, Jiyoung Moon Dr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Much research has documented the mental health consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; however, little is known about how the 9/11 attacks affect the mental health of Latino Americans. This study uses a nationally representative sample of Latino Americans (N = 2,346) from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) to examine the relationships between 9/11-induced negative life experiences and mental disorders. The former includes losing a job, reducing family income, feeling less safe and secure, discrimination, loss of optimism, and inability to cope with things. For the latter, mental disorders may exhibit as psychological distress, …

Relations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress, Personal Hardiness, And Psychological Stress In Emerging Adulthood: Examining Indirect Effects Via Human-Animal Interaction, Camie A. Tomlinson, Jennifer L. Murphy, Angela Matijczak, Shelby E. Mcdonald

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Although there is emerging evidence that companion animals are important sources of comfort and support for many LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexual and gender minority identities) individuals, little is known about the interplay between sexual and gender minority (SGM) stress, human-animal interaction (HAI), and psychological adjustment in this population. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined the role of HAI in relations between SGM stress (i.e., microaggressions, victimization) and psychological adjustment (i.e., self-efficacy, psychological stress) during emerging adulthood.

Methods: Our sample included LGBTQ+ young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 48, No. 1

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Complete issue of Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare Volume 48, Number 1

Social Work And Diverse Models Of Public Safety: Advocating With And On Behalf Of African American Communities, David R. Hodge, Stephanie Clintonia Boddie

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

George Floyd’s death sparked an intense national debate about policing practices. In social work, the discussion has generally focused on whether the profession should partner with, or shun, law enforcement. While affirming the need for structural change, this paper suggests a different approach; that social workers should advocate with and on behalf of African American communities to implement a public safety model that reflects their preferences. After discussing how practitioners can facilitate structural reform in this arena, five alternative models of public safety are reviewed to familiarize readers with options that may have some degree of currency with African Americans: …

Perspectives Of Interactions With Healthcare Providers Among Patients Who Are Blind, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Allyson S. Hughes, Osvaldo F. Morera, Ashley S. Bangert, Angela H. Frederick

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Healthcare providers’ (HCPs) stereotypes about the incompetence of blind and low-vision patients may lead them to patronize blind patients, over-focus on impairments, and neglect the presenting problem. The content of perceived HCP stereotypes about blind patients in the clinical setting was examined from the patient perspective with seven focus groups, including a total of 42 individual participants. Most participants reported an interaction when their HCPs treated them as if they were incompetent, and discussed how perceived evaluations of their warmth and competence impacted whether their HCPs trusted and respected them. Participants also discussed their evaluations of their HCPs’ warmth and …

“No Queremos Quedar Mal”: A Qualitative Analysis Of A Boundary Setting Training Among Latina Community Health Workers., Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez, J. Maria Bermudez, Pamela Orpinas, Rebecca Matthew, Alejandra Calva, Carolina Darbis

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Community health workers (CHWs)—or promotoras de salud in Spanish—have successfully addressed the health needs of Latinx and immigrant populations. However, for promotoras, setting boundaries is particularly difficult given challenges like residing in the same communities as their participants. The purpose of this study was to describe the development and impact of a boundary setting training to support the emotional well-being of immigrant promotoras. The training (four 1-hr sessions) was informed by social cognitive theory and a Chicana feminist framework. The promotoras who participated in the training helped create Lazos Hispanos, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study and CHW …

Grief, Loss, And Climate Change: Validation Of A Solastalgia Scale, Claire Luce

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has been identified as a defining issue of this century (United Nations, n.d.). Climate change impacts human wellbeing including mental health. While much research has focused on the way that the effects of climate change cause increases in common mental disorders, mental health is not just the absence of these disorders (World Health Organization, 2014). Non-pathologized mental health responses to climate change, such as the grief and loss that results from climate change impacts, are a growing consideration for researchers. Solastalgia, or the distress experienced in the absence of the solace once provided by the environment in the …

Development Of Palestinian Social Work In Israel: The Formative Years (1968–1982), Ibrahim Mahajne, Anwar Khatib, Arnon A. Bar-On

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based on primary and secondary sources and interviews with Arab social workers employed in welfare bureaus during the time under review, the article describes the development of Palestinian social work in Israel in its formative years (1968–1982). The primary finding is that this development took place under a "policy of contempt" towards the Palestinian community's needs. The authorities acknowledged these needs but perpetuated a discriminatory allocation of resources in meeting them compared to Jewish Israelis and disregarded the society's narrative by maintaining a dual welfare system: one for the country's Jewish citizens and a lesser one for their …

Narratives In Sex Offender Management Laws: How Stories About A Label Shape Policymaking, Mauricio P. Yabar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Serious scholarly inquiry regarding the role of social constructions and narratives in sex offender management laws is relatively a new undertaking. In the last two decades, a myriad of studies exploring the negative effects of Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) policies were added to the literature, a trend that appears to be slowing down today. The purpose of this paper is to recommend the integration of the narrative policy framework (NPF) with Schneider and Ingram’s (1993) theory of social construction of target populations in the analysis of SORN policies. The author provides a critical review of SORN policies while …

The Social Construction Of Happiness: A Mixed-Methods Research Study In Mexico, Oscar A. Martínez-Martínez, Margaret Lombe, Ana María Vázquez-Rodríguez, Javier Reyes-Martínez, Araceli Ramírez-López

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study analyzes how happiness is built in Mexico in a context of concentrated poverty. The study uses a mixed-methods approach and incorporates two techniques of data analysis. The first analysis employs an ordinal logistic model with data from the Self-Report Well-being Survey (N=44,518), while the second draws upon semi-structured interviews in four Mexican states (N=247). The results show that six important categories influence the level of happiness in Mexico: (1) emotional life; (2) self-perception of health (the health status of family members and close friends); (3) religiosity and religious affiliation, or both; (4) having the freedom to decide and …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 48, No. 2

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Complete issue of Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare Volume 48, Number 2

The Interlinkage Between Blood Plasma Donation And Poverty In The United States, Analidis Ochoa, H. Luke Shaefer, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In 2019, plasma centers in the United States received a record 53.5 million blood donations, roughly triple that collected during the Great Recession. Recent ethnographic research and journalistic accounts connect plasma sales and poverty, an association that would carry important public health implications given the vulnerability of disadvantaged populations. This study is the first to examine a range of socioeconomic characteristics of communities where commercial plasma centers situate. We geocode locations of all U.S. commercial plasma centers and merge with census tract demographic data from the American Community Survey. Findings indicate greater odds that plasma centers will locate in urban …

Understanding How Recipients Of Means-Tested Government Assistance Make The Decision To Vote Or Not To Vote And How Social Workers Can Make A Difference?, Adelaide Sandler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

When voter turnout of any one particular demographic or social group is significantly less than that of other groups, members of that group lose their power to protect their basic economic and social rights. Low voter turnout among recipients of means-tested government assistance is especially problematic because election outcomes impact the benefits on which they depend. This article presents results from a qualitative study to understand how recipients of means-tested government assistance decide to vote or not to vote. Four themes emerged related to the patterns of voting behaviors and described as: dedicated voter, voter, nonvoter, and dedicated nonvoter. Each …

Importance Of Education As A Coping Strategy To Sudanese Refugee Women: A Qualitative Study From Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, Jessica Gladden, Allyson Dykstra

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Research shows the level of importance that education plays in refugee youths’ lives. However, most research is completed with refugees who have resettled to a developed nation and rarely examines the needs and desires of refugee women living in refugee camps. This sub-section of a study examines the importance of education, as well as a hope of education, in a population of young Sudanese women living in Kakuma Refugee Camp. This study shows that the younger refugee women’s primary goal was education, although most were not able to participate in formal education at the time of the study. A hope …

Review Of Reversals Of Fortune: Poverty And Shared Prosperity By World Bank, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of Reversals of Fortune: Poverty and Shared Prosperity

Bridging The Gaps: Literacy, Media Literacy Education, And Critical Digital Social Work, Gianna Cappello

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Drawing from literacy studies and research in media literacy education, this article contends that a series of conceptual gaps need to be bridged in order to have a better understanding of how these traditions can contribute to redefining the field of digital social work. The field of digital social work should move towards a more critical-oriented dimension so that digital media and the internet should not simply be considered (as it is often the case), as mere tools to improve the professionality of social workers, but rather as life environments and systems of representation shaping individuals’ identities and social relationships.

Social Work And Participation In The Digital Environment, Rafael Acebes Valentín

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article, I present a set of communication strategies aimed at creating both online and offline communities based on an analysis of communication and participation in digital environments. These strategies seek to enhance convergence and congregation with the aim of achieving the best possible outcome from a thesis-antithesis-synthesis approach, a priority of digital social work.