Social Work Commons^™

Conceptualizing Age-Friendly Community Characteristics In A Sample Of Urban Elders: An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Richard J. Smith, Amanda J. Lehning, Ruth E. Dunkle

Social Work Faculty Publications

Accurate conceptualization and measurement of age-friendly community characteristics would help to reduce barriers to documenting the effects on elders of interventions to create such communities. This article contributes to the measurement of age-friendly communities through an exploratory factor analysis of items reflecting an existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy framework. From a sample of urban elders (n =1,376), we identified six factors associated with demographic and health characteristics: Access to Business and Leisure, Social Interaction, Access to Health Care, Neighborhood Problems, Social Support, and Community Engagement. Future research should explore the effects of …

Impact Of Dual Disorders, Trauma, And Social Support On Quality Of Life Among Women In Treatment For Substance Dependence, Suzanne Brown, Min Kyoung Jun, Meeyoung Oh Min, Elizabeth M. Tracy

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective Women with dual disorders report lower levels of social support than women with substance dependence alone, and lower levels of social support have been associated with lower quality of life among individuals with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of trauma symptoms and violence exposure on quality of life for women with dual disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support related to recovery on various domains of quality of life among women in substance abuse treatment.

Methods This study utilized multiple standardized measures and …

Political Violence, Collective Functioning And Health: A Review Of The Literature, Cindy A. Sousa

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

Political violence is implicated in a range of mental health outcomes, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The social and political contexts of people’s lives, however, offer considerable protection from the mental health effects of political violence. In spite of the importance of people’s social and political environments for health, there is limited scholarship on how political violence compromises necessary social and political systems and inhibits individuals from participating in social and political life. Drawing on literature from multiple disciplines, including public health, anthropology, and psychology, this narrative review uses a multi-level, social ecological framework to enhance current knowledge about the …

Aspirations Of Latina Adolescent Suicide Attempters, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Lauren Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas

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

Parents’ aspirations and expectations are communicated to their offspring. Children internalize their parents’ aspirations and accept some of the expectations while rejecting others, all part of the developmental process and identity-consolidation. When the aspirations and expectations of youth and parents are incongruent, the outcomes in youths’ behavior can be deleterious, such as when adolescents manifest suicidal behaviors. We examined aspirations expressed by 12 Latina adolescent suicide attempters and their parents and compared them to 12 non-suicidal Latinas and parents. Qualitative analyses revealed that incongruence of aspirations between girls and their parents were greater among suicidal teens. Suicidal and non-suicidal Latinas …

Latino Academic Achievement: Impact Of Individual, Family, School, Community And Immigration Factors, Jessica Catharine Martone

Dissertations

The dissertation increases our understanding of the influence of multiple social systems on the academic achievement of Latino students. More specifically, this study examines the influence and dynamic interaction of individual, family, school, community, and immigration factors on the academic achievement of Latino students through a secondary data analysis of the ELS: 2002 dataset utilizing hierarchical linear modeling. Academic achievement is measured with a dichotomous variable: high achieving and low achieving. "High achieving" students are those that have an on-time transition to higher education and "low achieving" students are those that have a delayed or no transition to higher education. …

Understanding The Behaviors And Beliefs Of African-American/Black Fathers: A Qualitative Examination, Nicholas James Gomulinski

Wayne State University Theses

UNDERSTANDING THE BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN/BLACK FATHERS: A QUALITATIVE EXAMINATION

by

NICHOLAS J. GOMULINSKI

May 2013

Advisor: Dr. Stella M. Resko

Major: Social Work

Degree: Master of Social Work

The positive influence father involvement has on children has been widely examined and embraced. Despite this, examination of men's beliefs on parenting and where they learn their parenting practices has only recently received attention. This study surveyed African-American/Black fathers in five focus groups (N=26) regarding where they felt they learned how to be a father, and what parenting behaviors they use or believe in. The responses from the participants were …

The Development And Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Care Within A Clinical Setting, Molly Hildebrandt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This capstone project facilitated the classification of CSSM as a trauma-­‐informed service system for children. Following a specific framework, the project included the development and implementation of an intake model for the agency to follow in order to begin the process. The student designed a new intake procedure, in which all children were screened for the possibility of trauma and then linked with a trauma-­‐ informed therapist based on a positive screening. This procedure produced the ability to effectively link children with trauma-­‐informed services.

Best Practices For Implementing Trauma-Informed Care With Youth Who Are Homeless Or At- Risk Of Being Homeless, Ellen Morrow

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Exposure to traumatic events during childhood can affect brain development, how someone reacts to stress, and what they may find threatening or unsafe. Trauma can be a precursor to the development of a range of psychopathology including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, personality distortions and psychosis (APA, 2000, Rose, Freeman & Proudlock, 2012). Left untreated trauma can also result in medical conditions later in life including heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems and social conditions such as homelessness, prostitution or delinquency (Steele & Malchiodi, 2012; WISQARS, 2010). Maschi and Schwalbe (2012) cite studies which estimate up to 93% of …

Congruence Between Nursing Home Resident And Staff Caregiver Perceptions Of Residents' Self-Perceived Autonomy, Paul E. Urbanski

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This qualitative cross-sectional study examines autonomy among long-term care residents and how certified nurse aides (CNAs) understand resident autonomy as expressed through residents' preferences. The study took place at one long-term care facility with N = 12 (7 residents and 5 CNAs). A phenomenological perspective is utilized in order to describe the meaning residents ascribe to personal preferences and the influence frailty has on those preferences. In addition, certified nurse aides, self-described as competent to report on a participating resident's preferences were interviewed separately. Open-ended interviews were conducted and the data obtained was examined for congruence between the resident's and …

Influences On Social Workers' Approach To Informed Consent Regarding Antidepressant Medications, Janet Acker

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Psychotropic medications have become an increasingly frequent aspect of mental health treatment, and social workers are uniquely poised to have insight to a client's experience of medication treatment as well as to observe and process with the client the way that medications are working or not working. They are also obligated to support clients with a meaningful informed consent process. This study adopts the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1988) as a lens through which to better understand the factors related to clinical behavior around informed consent when social workers are working with those who are using or considering antidepressant …

An Exploration Of Social Supports And Cultural Traditions On The Development Of Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Haitian Immigrants, Patricia L. Weldon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The research objective was to explore how post-traumatic growth is expressed in Haitian immigrants and what role social supports and cultural traditions may play in the development of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth is defined by positive changes in one or more of five domains including; personal strengths, relating to others, appreciation of life, spirituality and life philosophy (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006). Conceptual frameworks of constructivism (Rodwell, 1998), strength based approach (Saleebey, 2000)and eco systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were employed to guide the study.

Acculturation, Family Dynamics And Psychological Well-Being Among Asian And Hispanic Adolescents In Immigrant Families : A Comparative Analysis, Yong Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Past research has consistently supported the view that adolescents in both Asian and Hispanic immigrant families may experience mental health problems such as depression and low self-esteem. The mechanisms influencing psychological well-being (PWB) may be conditioned by unique aspects of Asian and Hispanic culture. Based on the ecological systems framework, family systems theories, acculturation theories, and relevant literature, factors such as family dynamics, acculturation and their interactions may be important in shaping adolescent PWB. Examining these factors from a comparative perspective, between Asian and Hispanic adolescents, could provide new insights into the ways culturally responsive and competent services are planned …

Networking And Performance Of Community Based Organizations In Taiwan : A Social Capital Perspective, Yi-Yi Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Developing partnerships is a crucial strategy for Community based organizations (CBOs) to maximize service capacity, serve clients of diverse needs, and compete for funding, yet the evidence is scant. The study asks whether organizational networking is helpful to a CBOs' service performance and whether the effect of networking varies by certain organizational features of a CBO. The research framework is built with the literature review of social capital theories with a focus of organizations, community practice models, and case studies on CBOs' networking. Two forms of networking, within and beyond community, are hypothesized as associated with two traits of performance, …

A Survey-Based Study Of Social Workers' Critical Consciousness And Practice With Lgb Clients, Cynthia Lynn Bott

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Social workers are responsible for providing the majority of mental health and substance abuse services in the United States in the role of direct service. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LBG) individuals utilize these services at rates that are believed to be higher than other populations. The field of social work embraces social justice as one of its core principles. This cross-sectional survey of 220 BSW and/or MSW social workers investigates two questions: what is the relationship among key aspects of social worker critical consciousness, i.e., attitudes about social justice, change agency, and awareness of heterosexism; and in what ways does …

A Multiple Case Study Exploring The Intervention Processes Influencing Success For Dd/Mi Dually Diagnosed Adolescents, Julanne Colvin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Given what has been described in the literature about the life circumstances of youth who are dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and a mental or behavior disorder, we know that in the trajectory of their lives they are likely to live out of their homes and communities for lengthy periods of time in order to receive specialized treatment. The Intervention and Supports for Adolescents and Families (ISAF) program, an integrated multi-disciplinary treatment approach, was designed to cross over multiple service systems to address the challenges of delivering services to dually diagnosed youth and their families and reduce the risk …

Quality, Objectivity, And Tone In Media Portrayals Of Care For Older Adults, Jennifer Van Loan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In response to the growing population of older adults who will need assistance to care for themselves, this research evaluates media coverage of care options for older adults presented in local newspapers, an informational resource used by baby boomers and older generations interested in planning for their futures and caring for their loved ones. Computer databases for four newspapers representing the Capital Region of New York State were scanned for keywords to identify articles about older adult care, then articles were reviewed to ensure they were relevant to older adult care. A quantitative content analysis was performed on the articles …

A Multilevel Investigation Of The Influence Of Family And School Level Factors On Age Of Sexual Initiation : A Focus On Sex Differences, Candace White

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background and Purpose: Early sexual initiation is associated with unwanted pregnancy, depression, and other health risks, yet sexual intercourse is occurring at earlier ages than in past decades and teen pregnancy rates in the U.S are the highest in the

Two Sources Of Child Care Assistance And Their Relationship With Maternal Employment : Evidence From The Fragile Families And Child Well-Being Study, Manrong Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study aims to understand how child care assistance from informal social support networks and from governmental sources relate to the employment of mothers with young child(ren), and how the two sources of child care assistance relate to each other. Both the availability and utilization of child care assistance are investigated.

Re-Arrest Among Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: An Examination Of The Static And Dynamic Risk Factors, Jun Sung Hong, Joseph P. Ryan, Yu-Ling Chiu, Bushra Sabri

Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the static and dynamic risk factors for re-arrest among detained youth by examining gender, race/ethnicity, age, special education and mental health variables (i.e., anger/irritability, depression/anxiety, somatic complaints, suicide ideation, thought disturbances, and traumatic experiences). The demographic profiles of detained youth with one admit were also compared with those with multiple admits to the juvenile detention center. With regards to static risk factors, older, white, and special education were significantly at risk of re-arrest. Concerning dynamic risk factors, only anger/irritability predicted re-arrest. Practice implications are also discussed.

Frequency, Patterns, And Preferences Of Lubricant Use During Anal Intercourse Within Male Sexual Partnerships In Lima, Peru: Implications For A Rectal Microbicide Hiv Prevention Intervention, Jesse L. Clark, Hector Salvatierra, Eddy R. Segura, Ximena Salazar, Kelika Konda, Jerome T. Galea, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Thomas J. Coates, Carlos F. Caceres

Social Work Faculty Publications

Understanding current practices of lubricant use during anal intercourse can help to assess the contexts for the introduction of topical rectal microbicides as an HIV prevention tool for men who have sex with men (MSM). We used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess: current patterns of lubricant use; preferred characteristics of commercial lubricant formulations; and social and behavioral contexts of lubricant use within male sexual partnerships in Lima, Peru. Between 2007 and 2008, we conducted a quantitative behavioral survey with 547 MSM followed by qualitative individual and group interviews with 36 MSM from Lima, Peru. Approximately half of all participants …