This research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral therapeutic (CBT) group in reducing self-stigma for people with mental illness in Chinese society. In this study, a quasi-experimental research method was adopted involving 71 people with mental illness receiving community-based mental health services. In total, 33 treatment group participants were assigned to a 10-session CBT group, while 38 control group participants received treatment as usual. Standardized assessment tools were used to collect data in the pre- and posttreatment periods by a research assistant. Analysis of covariance demonstrated that the CBT group was significantly more effective than the control group in terms of reducing self-stigma and depressive mood, with a moderate effect size, even after controlling for differences in various demographic variables between the treatment and control groups. This study provides evidence to support the efficacy and effectiveness of a CBT group for reducing self-stigma for people with mental illness.
This study evaluated a culturally attuned cognitive–behavior intervention for reducing impulsivity and delinquency-related attitudes and behaviors among Chinese delinquent youth in Hong Kong.
A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Twenty participants received CBI, and 20 received routine counseling for a period of 12 months. All participants filled out a standardized questionnaire before the intervention and at 6 and 12 months of intervention.
A series of 2 x 3 analyses of variance were used to examine the Time x Group Effects of the two groups of participants. Results suggested, when compared to the control group, the participants in the experimental group showed greater and continuous positive changes in overall impulsivity, nonplanning impulsivity, cognitive impulsivity, and overall delinquency, with effect sizes showing moderate to large magnitude of change.
This culturally attuned CBI program may be a useful inclusion in the outreaching social services for Chinese delinquent youth in Hong Kong.
This study examines the impact of women’s human rights education on improving the gender perceptions (GPs) of social work students.
Experimental group consists of third-year social work students participated in the "Human Rights Education Program for Women (HREP)" within the scope of social work principles and methods II course given in Ankara University, Department of Social Work, whereas control group consists of the same class students who did not participate in the program. Gender Perception Scale was employed as an outcome measure tool in the study in which 65 students participated. The research in question is a quasi-experimental study, where pretest–posttest model is used. The HREP was performed on the students in a total of 12 sessions and each session lasted about 120 min.
The research study revealed GP levels of the social work students participated in the HREP were improved.
HREP is effective in educating women on human rights; hence, this program should be used to educate female students at universities and create awareness on human rights.
This article examines homophobic attitude changes among undergraduate social work students in two major universities located in Ankara, Turkey.
The research was conducted in Ankara for 10 weeks with 54 volunteer students from Ankara University and Hacettepe University. During one term, nine movies were screened, a get-acquainted meeting was held, three information booklets were distributed, and the Homosexuality Attitudes Scale (HAS) was given at the beginning and end of the term.
The mean HAS score at the pretest was 166.28 (SD = 35.33), and the mean posttest score was 146.93 (SD = 41.09). A paired samples t-test found this reduction to be statistically significant at p < .05 level, with a Cohen’s d effect size of .52, r = .25.
These results are consistent with the hypothesis that viewing gay-friend mainstream movies can contribute to a reduction in prejudice again homosexuals. Viewing such movies may be an important component of social work education aimed at enhancing favorable views toward diverse sexual orientations and promoting social workers’ ability to effectively engage with gays and lesbians in practice.
Suicide is a significant public and mental health crisis in the United States. Training providers in suicide assessment and response is designated as one of the primary strategies for reducing deaths by suicide. Research has established that suicide intervention training is effective, but little work has been published on potential mediators of skill development and use.
Secondary data analysis of a randomized trial of the Question, Persuade, and Refer gatekeeper training with master of social work students. Path analysis was used to estimate mediated effects of knowledge, attitudes, reluctance, and self-efficacy on behavior outcomes.
Results suggest improvements in posttraining measures for knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, reluctance, and the use of gatekeeper behaviors, but there was no supporting evidence for the presence of mediated effects on behavior. Only self-efficacy demonstrated a strong direct relationship with gatekeeper behaviors.
Ongoing evaluation is needed with an added interest in self-efficacy and how it can be enhanced through training.
To examine the characteristics and effects of culturally adapted substance use interventions with Latino adolescents on substance use outcomes.
Systematic review and meta-analytic methods were used to synthesize effects across studies on substance use outcomes at posttest and follow-up time points.
Ten studies comprising 12,546 Latino adolescents met eligibility criteria. Meta-analytic results suggest positive, yet small effects on substance use outcomes at posttest and slightly larger effects at follow-up. A moderate amount of heterogeneity was observed; however, no variables tested explained the variance. The risk of bias assessment revealed that most studies were at high risk for performance and selection bias.
Culturally adapted substance use interventions with Latino adolescents may be slightly more effective than other active interventions. We also uncovered important gaps and deficiencies in this body of research, including the need to examine potential secondary benefits of culturally adapted interventions.
This study uses the Support Network Assessment for Practice (SNAP) approach to measure the support provided to young people transitioning from foster care.
The SNAP was administered on two occasions, approximately 7 months apart, to a cohort of transition-age foster youth (n = 27). Analyses investigated measurement reliability and sensitivity to change for network-level characteristics as well as baseline factors associated with relationship stability.
Most network-level indicators had strong test–retest correlations, and differences in mean scores over time also were detected, suggesting measurement sensitivity to change. Respondents were able to explain most observed changes in their networks, further suggesting reliable measurement. Stable relationships were those reported as stronger and providing more multifaceted support and those with family members and/or parent figures.
The SNAP approach could be used to facilitate planning around support needs for youth transitioning out of foster care and to evaluate efforts to enhance support networks.
The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the influence of a community-based, service-coordination and delivery intervention (CONNECT Program) on urban, minority parents’ human capital, financial capital, community social capital, and service utilization.
This study used a pre–posttest single group design and mixed methods as well as incorporated principles of community-based research. Peer outreach workers engaged 80 urban, minority parents living in Manhattan (New York City) in the CONNECT Program, which offered them referrals to formal agency services and informal community supports as well as psychoeducational workshops on varied topics.
Findings from paired-samples t-tests indicate that at follow-up, 49 participants displayed significant improvements after 12 months in their education, neighborhood trust, service use, and problem resolution.
Findings suggest that CONNECT was feasible within the agency and community. Moreover, CONNECT was associated with higher human and community social capital as well as service utilization outcomes.
The aim of this study is to examine the concurrent validity of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) using associated behavioral health diagnoses.
The sample included 2,544 youth participating in a juvenile justice diversion program for youth with behavioral health issues. Youth received a full diagnostic assessment and completed the TSCC. Analyses of variance examined the relationship between TSCC subscale scores and behavioral health diagnoses.
The TSCC subscales were often able to differentiate between youth with and without Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnoses of different classes. For example, youth diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) reported significantly higher means on the TSCC Anxiety Scale than did youth without GAD.
The TSCC is a popular trauma symptomatology screening tool, and the current study provides support for its concurrent validity with behavioral health diagnoses. The TSCC provides helpful information that can serve to reinforce clinical decisions around diagnoses and treatment planning.
This study reports on the operationalization and testing of the newly developed Relationship Quality (RQ) scale, designed to assess an individual’s perception of his or her RQ in their current partnership.
Data were generated through extended sampling from an original U.K.-based research project, Enduring Love? Couple relationships in the 21st century. This mixed methods study was designed to investigate how couples experience, understand, and sustain their long-term relationships. This article utilizes the cross-sectional, community sample (N = 8,132) from this combined data set, drawn primarily from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. A two-part approach to scale development was employed. An initial 15-item pool was subjected to exploratory factor analysis leading into confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.
The final 9-item scale evidenced convergent construct validity and known-groups validity along with strong reliability.
Implications for future research and professional practice are discussed.
To evaluate mindfulness meditation as an antecedent of reductions in stress and increases in hope.
A quasi-experimental design (N = 46; meditation group, n = 23; comparison group, n = 23) using a community sample was used to evaluate the impact of mindfulness meditation on stress and hope. A path analysis was also used to model a directional relationship between meditation participation and increases in hope mediated by reductions in stress.
The data indicated that the meditation group exhibited significantly higher hope and lower stress than the comparison group. The path analysis indicated that reductions in stress fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness meditation and increases in hope.
The data support that meditation can increase hope via stress reduction. The results suggest a need for further research into mindfulness meditation and hope, especially since increasing hope is a fundamental aim of strengths-based practice.
This article introduces a youth-reported measure (Essential Youth Experiences [EYE]) developed to assess the experiences of foster youth in their home environment and their critical relationships across a number of service systems. Empirically, the article reports on the psychometric properties of a 9-item scale within the EYE that measures the construct of positive home integration (PHI).
The EYE was administered to 328 preadolescent and adolescent youth (164 sibling dyads) enrolled in a larger randomized clinical trial.
Correlational analysis suggests that the PHI Scale shows good psychometric properties and strong current and predictive validity.
The PHI is a reliable and valid scale that measures youth perspectives of inclusion in the foster home and relationships with their foster care provider. This scale quickly gathers youth perspectives and differentiates between youth who have more versus less significant needs. Implications for research and social work practice are discussed.
Present a systematic analysis of the outcome research concerning video feedback (VF) programs.
Twenty-nine studies published between 1990 and 2014 were examined. They focused on children 0–12 years old and had at least one control group.
VF programs were similar in design, with interventions focusing on parental and child behavior, parental sensitivity and attachment. In 41% of the measurements, the program effects were moderate or large in favor of the intervention groups, particularly regarding maternal sensitivity and children’s behavior. Components of the VF programs were also examined. Two general problems emerged: lack of transparency/specificity of many programs with respect to the components, and heterogeneity among instruments used for measurement.
Future research should focus on articulating intervention components and a standardized approach to measurement. This would facilitate comparisons of approaches and increase the possibility of implementing VF programs with fidelity in different professional settings.
This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Urban Hassles Index (UHI).
Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) were conducted via principal axis factoring extraction method. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the fit of the EFA-derived model using the weighted least squares estimator with mean and variance adjustments. Composite/scale scores were created for the extracted factors, with a total score derived by summing the scale scores. Criterion-related validity was examined using hierarchical regressions.
The UHI had four first-order factors (environmental nuisance, safety concerns, drug, and coercion) accounting for 43% of the total variance. Covariance among the first-order factors was explained by a higher second-order factor. Moderate factor correlations and evidence for the criterion-related validity of the subscales and total score indicated multidimensionality of the UHI.
The shortened 16-item UHI is a brief assessment tool evaluating stressors unique to urban adolescents, providing specific intervention targets.
Nation states in both the Global North and South have debated the human rights and liberatory function as opposed to the dependency and economically viable function of social protection policy. This article is an attempt to advance empirical knowledge in the field of social protection policy and poverty alleviation.
Using participatory action methodology, I present evidence from 11 women who were involved in an arts and craft economic development cooperative in a community named Bhambayi in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Underscored by the asset-based community development and sustainable livelihood frameworks, this article presents three themes: positive contributions to human capacity development, supportive intersectoral collaboration, and striving for economic self-reliance.
This article proposes fresh strategies for women who find themselves outside the circle of secure economic livelihoods to move beyond short-term and survival strategies and work toward economic inclusion.
To describe the quantitative validation of a unique questionnaire to measure moral distress among social workers in long-term care facilities in Israel.
Overall, 216 long-term care facilities’ social workers took part in the pilot study that included psychometric evaluation and construct validation. Moral distress was examined by two scales, measuring the frequency and the intensity of morally loaded events. A third scale was created, representing the product of the frequency and intensity scores for each item separately.
Two items with high floor effect were removed. The internal reliability of each of the three Moral Distress Scales was .92. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a single-factor solution. The construct validity was approved. In its final version, the questionnaire consisted of 15 items.
We believe that the questionnaire can contribute by broadening and deepening ethics discourse and research with regard to social workers’ moral conflicts and moral distress.
This article describes the validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Process Assessment Scale (RSIPAS) across five helping professions. The RSIPAS was originally developed to measure clinical social workers’ self-efficacy, attitudes, perceived feasibility, behaviors, and overall orientation toward integrating clients’ religion and spirituality in practice.
The current study examines the internal consistency and criterion, discriminant, convergent, and factorial validity of this instrument with a sample of clinical social workers, psychologists, nurses, counselors, and marriage and family therapists in Texas (N = 550).
Findings support the reliability (α = .95) and various forms of validity, with an improved fit in the factor structure among this more diverse sample.
The RSIPAS may be used among these five helping professions to identify training needs or evaluate training efforts related to the integration of clients’ religious or spiritual beliefs in mental and behavioral health treatment.
To investigate how an adventure-based activity could help facilitate dialogue and enable a safe process where students could engage in a difficult topic such as diversity without feeling threatened.
A qualitative study was used in which 89 social work students who took part in diversity training gave permission that their manuscripts be used for documentary analysis. Content analysis was used to analyze the data in order to determine if and how the adventure-based activity contributed to the facilitation of dialogue.
It was found that the activity contributed to changing the attitude and knowledge of social work students. It opened up new perspectives and allowed students to discuss diversity without fear.
The use of adventure activities is an effective strategy to facilitate dialogue between students.
This study tested the effectiveness of Parent Management Training, Oregon (PMTO) model on child social–emotional well-being.
Using a randomized controlled design and three measures of social–emotional well-being, the study investigated effectiveness of PMTO with families of children in foster care with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Participants included children (3–16 years) and parents who were randomly assigned to PMTO (n = 461) or services as usual (n = 457). Study condition was known to participants and assessors. Six months after baseline, analysis of covariance models examined the intervention’s overall effect and time interactions using intent-to-treat analysis. Follow-up analyses identified salient predictors of well-being.
PMTO demonstrated small but significant positive effects on three primary outcomes: social–emotional functioning (Cohen’s d = .31), problem behaviors (Cohen’s d = .09), and prosocial skills (Cohen’s d = .09).
Results suggest that PMTO was effective at improving short-term social–emotional well-being in a high-risk population of children with SED.
This study presents the development and initial validation of a Listening Scale (LS) that was used to assess the listening skills of a sample of Hong Kong counseling professionals and the potential penetration of psychoanalysis among this sample.
A total of 217 Hong Kong social workers, psychologists, and counselors were surveyed to develop and assess the scale’s internal psychometric properties.
Factor analysis confirmed a single factor structure for the LS, with 8 items. Internal reliability was good and discriminative validity was supported by comparisons with background information.
The LS shows promise as a meaningful, reliable, and valid measure. The LS could be useful to assess important dimensions of the practice of counseling professionals and to better assist their client-centered practice, and as a formative instrument for use by counseling professionals. Finally, the LS can assess the penetration of psychoanalysis where the psychoanalytic theory is not strong.
A response to the critique of where social work research currently stands, as put forth by Garrow and Hasenfeld, and their position that social work research should be undertaken from a feminist perspective. It is important to remember the origins and foundation of feminist thought and to approach research and practice with a full understanding of what both empiricist epistemology and feminist standpoint epistemology actually means. Maintaining a balanced perspective and recognizing the value in varied approaches to scientific inquiry will keep the field of social work moving toward its ultimate goal of reducing the plight of marginalized and oppressed peoples. Social work research and practice has always claimed itself to be committed to furthering social justice and equality and to building a society with a minimum of human suffering. In order to remain focused on these goals, perhaps a shift in perspective is necessary.
To evaluate Israeli Arab social workers’ custody recommendations, given the unique cultural context in which they operate.
The current study used an experimental-design embedded within a survey. Data regarding custody recommendations were collected from 137 Israeli Arab social workers.
Israeli Arab social workers tend to adhere to traditional norms and prefer mother’s custody (odds ratio [OR] = 3.74; effect size [ES] = 0.73) over father’s (OR = 0.05; ES = –1.65) and joint custody (OR = 0.19; ES = –0.91). Contrary to the hypothesis, males were not associated with father’s custody, but female gender increased the chances for mother’s custody (OR = 1.27; ES = 0.13). Parents’ education level increased the chances for joint-custody recommendation (OR = 1.69; ES = 0.29).
Traditional social norms have an impact on the social worker’s decision. The relationships between social workers’ decision-making processes and their perception societal expectations and norms can be viewed from the perspectives of tacit knowledge, worker’s reflexivity, and evidence-based practice. We emphasize the importance of developing and assimilating relevant organizational mechanisms, supervision, and teaching curricula.
Bivariate and logistics regression analyses were conducted to examine the effectiveness of child welfare agencies’ Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) practices focused on strengthening families and positive outcomes for children. This study evaluates one mid-Atlantic state’s implementation of a FGDM called family involvement meetings (FIMs) to improve family strengths and their active engagement in the service planning process.
Through use of a FIM Feedback Survey, participants provided satisfaction feedback on the general FIM process and what factors are associated with their satisfaction and decision-making at the meeting.
Multiple factors of participant’s engagement, incorporating family strengths, and the FIM facilitator’s knowledge and skills had significant impacts on the participant’s decision-making and overall FIM satisfaction score.
This study will contribute to examining FGDM facilitators’ practices and effective outcomes of FIMs to improve the well-being, safety, and permanency outcomes for children and their families.
Recent efforts to identify and promote a distinct science for the discipline of social work have led to an ongoing debate regarding the nature and function of such a science. Central to this debate is a lack of consensus as to how to operationalize a social work science. Drawing from the field of implementation science and its application in reducing the gap between research and practice in child welfare and child mental health, this article examines the role of research–practice partnerships in creating and advancing social work science. Through the exercise of cultural exchanges among researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and other stakeholders, such partnerships offer the potential to integrate different disciplinary approaches to understanding why populations experience inequity or disadvantage and what to do about it as well as different perspectives on the nature and use of research evidence to achieve such understanding.
"Feminist standpoint epistemology" is not a serious philosophy but a romantic evasion of the application of science to social services. There are numerous limitations to the application of the scientific method to the practice of social work and the social services. Nonetheless, a pragmatic approach to understanding social reality and the evaluation of social interventions is more desirable than feminist standpoint epistemology. Yet the romantic dominates social work and social decision-making in the United States and may explain the precipitous decline of social work over the past century. Indeed, much should be said for closing down social work education and the field itself in order to try an alternative that might better serve people in need.
To translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of an Arabic-language version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS).
The items were translated, back translated, refined, and tested in an Australian immigrant sample (N = 220).
Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Arabic DASS discriminates between depression, anxiety, and stress but to a lesser degree than the English DASS. The factor loadings for all 42 items were comparable to those of the English DASS, indicating that the items had been appropriately translated and adapted. Analysis of exploratory items suggested by Arabic-speaking mental health professionals failed to reveal any new items that were both psychometrically adequate and theoretically coherent. Analysis of a bilingual sample (N = 24) indicated that the English norms was appropriate for the Arabic DASS.
The results support the universality of depression, anxiety, and stress across cultures and provide initial support for the psychometric properties of the Arabic DASS.
Individuals experiencing extended homelessness face multifaceted risks related to health, substance use, and continuing unemployment and may benefit from learning a problem-solving and decision-making method to assist them in dealing with everyday situations.
This study used a multiple-baseline design to teach three men with extensive histories of homelessness the situation, options, disadvantages, advantages, and solution (SODAS) problem-solving and decision-making method and assessed their ability to learn it and guide another adult in the use of the method in simulated role-play problem situations.
All three participants demonstrated substantial increases (from approximately 10% of steps correct in baseline to 100% steps correct after intervention) in their ability to successfully guide another adult through the SODAS process when role-playing problem situations.
The findings suggest that the SODAS problem-solving and decision-making method could be efficiently taught to adults who have histories of homelessness, and the participants found the process helpful for problems they encountered.
The aim of this study is to evaluate a training in non-violent resistance (NVR) for foster parents who take care of a foster child (ages 6-18) with externalizing problem behavior.
A randomized controlled trial was used to compare an intervention group (NVR, n = 31) with a treatment as usual control group (TAU, n = 31). The NVR-intervention consists of ten weekly home sessions. Measures regarding behavioral problems in foster children, parenting stress and parenting practices in foster mothers, and the size of the supportive network were assessed before, after treatment, and at three months follow-up.
NVR showed to be an acceptable approach that lead to an increase in experienced support and some promising changes in parenting stress and parenting practices.
Implementation of this intervention might increase the effectiveness of foster care. More longitudinal research using a Multitrait-multimethod-approach is however needed.
Grounded in an indigenous holistic worldview and borrowing from the four Rs (values of relationships, responsibility, reciprocity, and redistribution), this article supports the inclusion of translational science and the integration of core metacompetencies into social work doctoral education as innovations in the field of social work science. The author argues that these innovations will enhance the ability of social–work–trained researchers to serve on transdisciplinary research teams, which are necessary to address complex metaproblems found in the natural world. Further, the author asserts that transdisciplinary scientific integration is helpful to social work science, as it builds awareness and appreciation of social work scholarly inquiry, promotes the inclusion of social work values in scientific research, and helps erode the scientific hierarchy that has traditionally existed between the natural and social sciences. By leveraging personal experiences in transdisciplinary education, the author offers a conceptual framework for innovations in doctoral education.
Feminist standpoint epistemology is neither a necessary nor a sufficient starting point for social work intervention research. Contemporary social scientists readily grapple with cultural, political, and/or structural aspects of social problems either in the absence of or in conjunction with an explicitly formulated feminist standpoint epistemology. The article also argues against privileging any group’s voice for purposes of social work intervention research, including the voices of marginalized and oppressed groups whose judgments, perceptions, and statement of facts are as prone to error or likely to be as mistaken as anyone else’s.
This article aims at introducing the research on social work practice in Egypt and the Arab World as a thematic topic. It has started with the essence of the current Arab World and its definition. Social work practice and models of social work intervention in this specific region have been described in terms of its specific and topographic nature. Three main contributors and players to research on social work practice have been included namely social work practitioners, academic social work researchers, and doctoral dissertations granted by Western universities to Arabs. The discussions and implications to research on social work practice in Egypt and the Arab World have been addressed.
Domestic violence poses a major challenge to social workers. Low-income families are significantly more likely to have to contend with domestic violence, as poverty can act as a fuelling factor in this type of conflict. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of low-income abused women.
A qualitative research approach was followed to explore and describe the phenomenon of low-income abused women. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to obtain 20 participants. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The data were categorized into four themes.
Domestic violence and poverty are issues that some women might experience. Low-income abused women are especially more vulnerable to domestic violence and poverty limits choices and resources.
Domestic violence and poverty should be seen in a serious light. Social workers should recognise the complexity and correlation between domestic violence and poverty.
Innovation will be key to the success of the Grand Challenges Initiative in social work. A structural systems framework based in system dynamics could be useful for considering how to advance innovation.
Diagrams using system dynamics conventions were developed to link common themes across concept papers written by social work faculty members and graduate students (N = 19).
Transdisciplinary teams and ethical partnerships with communities and practitioners will be needed to responsibly develop high-quality innovative solutions. A useful next step would be to clarify to what extent factors that could "make or break" these partnerships arise from within versus outside of the field of social work and how this has changed over time.
Advancing innovation in social work will mean making decisions in a complex, ever-changing system. Principles and tools from methods that account for complexity, such as system dynamics, can help improve this decision-making process.
This article provides benchmark data on within-group effect sizes from published randomized clinical trials supporting the efficacy of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adults aged 18–65 years.
Within-group effect sizes were calculated via the Glass approach and adjusted for sample size using Hedges’s g then aggregated to produce benchmarks for symptoms commonly associated with BPD, such as self-harm, depression, and anger.
Aggregate within-group effect sizes are presented separately for treatment (DBT) and control (treatment as usual) groups and for interviewer assessed and self-reported outcome measures.
Community-based practitioners can use these benchmarks as a comparison tool to evaluate the ways in which they are adopting or adapting the DBT intervention and to determine if the intervention should be modified or replaced, given their unique practice setting and client population.
This article assessed the effectiveness of social networking strategies (networking strategic initiative [NSI]) to overcome stressful life events experienced in normal aging in Hong Kong.
A three-wave quasi-experimental panel design with an overall sample consisting of n = 288 Chinese elderly placed into two groups: NSI group: n 1 = 175 and comparison group: n 2 = 113. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted for over 30 months. Five outcome measures including subjective well-being, self-esteem, locus of control, sense of belonging, and collective power were investigated, using a generalized linear mixed model for repeated measurements.
Findings revealed those who were continuously active throughout the intervention period experienced considerable increases in self-esteem and sense of belonging.
No appreciable effects on any of the five outcome measures were found for those who were enrolled in the program and were inactive. The findings provide significant implications for future practice with community-dwelling elderly Chinese populations in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
This response article discusses opportunities to bridge social work and social innovation as a promising partnership to address the issues impacting vulnerable populations across the global context. It starts by revisiting the conceptualization of innovation in social work and continues by considering factors that contribute to the growing interest in social innovation and related concepts. This article concludes by discussing differences in social work and social innovation and how these differences can be turned into opportunities for a fruitful partnership that can push both fields forward.
The objective of this article is to describe the implementation of the Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), a manualized, evidence-based cognitive behavioral group treatment for childhood trauma at Cedar Centre, a community-based trauma treatment center, and describe the preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment.
Pre- and postmeasurements of emotion regulation, interpersonal problems, and traumatic stress symptoms using psychometrically validated instruments were collected. Outcomes were assessed for 85 individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse and participated in the first cycles of intervention at the center.
Results indicated significant reductions in difficulties in emotion regulation, interpersonal problems, and trauma symptoms among participants from pretreatment to posttreatment.
Overall, there was a positive response to the adoption and integration of the STAIR intervention into the program. Qualitative assessment identified the benefits perceived by both facilitators and group participants.
The aims of this study were to examine the effects of group cognitive–behavior therapy (CBT) on improving anxiety symptoms and enhancing personal growth among adolescents at risk of developing anxiety disorders in school settings in Hong Kong.
A total of 26 participants received an eight-session CBT group and 20 received treatment as usual in the waitlist control condition. Instruments measuring anxiety symptoms, types of anxiety in children, dysfunctional thoughts, and personal growth were used to assess the changes in severity of anxiety symptoms, dysfunctional thoughts, and personal growth among the participants.
A 2 x 2 mixed model analyses of variance were employed, results demonstrated significantly greater improvements in overall anxiety symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms, and personal growth—use of resources in the participants of the CBT group compared to the control group.
Group CBT may potentially improve anxiety symptoms of adolescents in school settings in Hong Kong.
Social innovation is defined by novelty and improvement. This definition requires social work practice to be more effective or efficient than preexisting alternatives. Practice innovation is accomplished by leveraging technical, social, and economic factors to generate novel interventions, diffusion or adoption of the interventions into broader use, and identification of the value created by the new approaches or processes. Innovation in social work practice is fundamentally hindered by the foundational trifecta on which the profession is built: (a) the structure of social work education, (b) diffusely focused professional organizations, and (c) siloed professional environments. This article explores the elements of social work education, professional organizations, and practice environments that impede innovation and offers recommendations for changes in each sector that can facilitate innovation.
In 2015, the University of Southern California School of Social Work convened the Social Work Innovation Roundtable with the goal of rigorously discussing the role of innovation in social work science and research. We convened a group of senior scholars in the field of social work along with emerging scholars (doctoral students and early career professors or researchers) to debate the practice of innovation, the nature of innovation, and how innovation may move social work forward. We posed the following questions to presenters and discussants: (1) Is innovation the enemy of science? (2) Does innovation have a role in science? and (3) Are innovation and scientific ideas simply different? During the course of 2 days, we argued over different perspectives on science and innovation with our colleagues. Out of those debates, this special issue of Research on Social Work Practice emerged.
The field of social work does not currently have a widely adopted method for expediting innovations into micro- or macropractice. Although it is common in fields such as engineering and business to have formal processes for accelerating scientific advances into consumer markets, few comparable mechanisms exist in the social sciences or social services. Given that beta testing is successfully used to scale innovation in business and engineering, why is there no method for beta testing in social work? Could this be the reason that innovations in social work practice remain decades behind scientific research findings? This article explores reasons for the scarcity of options for scaling innovation in the field of social work and proposes a method for shortening development cycles for social work innovations to ensure that advances reach consumers—and ultimately improve their lives—more quickly.
Changing social work from a profession with innovators to a profession that innovates will likely require an innovation movement. This article draws on lessons from a prior movement in social work to suggest implications for a future innovation movement. Empirical clinical practice (ECP), a movement in social work in the 1970–1990s, sought to transform social work into a profession that was thoroughly grounded in the empirical investigation. The success of ECP was stifled by four factors around investment from key stakeholders, developing useable and effective technologies, propagating the movement, and addressing workplace barriers. This article argues that an innovation movement will require early investment from many sectors and levels of the profession, effective arrangements for generating new options for addressing social problems, effective methods for diffusing and implementing the movement, and frank appraisal of organizational contexts that can stymie innovation.
The aim of this article is to address some of the questions Dr. Paula Nurius presents in her article, Innovation and Emerging Scientific Careers: Is Social Work Prepared to Compete in Today's Scientific Marketplace? Specifically, this article will focus on what we can do to better prepare our emerging research scholars to be successful innovators through trans-disciplinary training and educational activities. This article recommends two main ideas. The first main idea is that social work co-host meetings, lectures, roundtables and trainings with disciplines we do not tend to collaborate with, in order to build inter-disciplinary partnerships. The second suggestion is that students are socially integrated, via extensive interaction of outside disciplines, through customized semester-long rotation style trainings. By implementing these suggestions, we will be providing a space for our doctoral students to gain an understanding of how different disciplines' researchers, technologies, and/or methods can add to their ability to produce innovative ideas, encouraging creative and complex thinking and problem solving.
The Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative aims to focus the profession’s attention on how social work can play a larger role in mitigating contemporary social problems. Yet a central issue facing contemporary social work is its seeming reticence to engage with social problems, and their solutions, beyond individual-level interventions. Social work research, we contend, must more consistently link case and cause, iteratively developing processes for bringing micro-, mezzo-, and macrostreams of information together. We further argue that meaningful engagement with the initiative requires social work scholars and practitioners to actively scale up practice and research inquiry. We detail two key strategies for employing a scaled-up social work practice and research ethos: (a) employing a critical economic lens and (b) engaging with diverse publics. As proof of concept for these arguments, we offer an early example of progressive era social workers scaling up responses to a pressing social issue: infant mortality.
This article highlights how the social work academy can support innovative research, dissemination, and implementation and is a response to and extension of arguments made by Dr. Marilyn L. Flynn on innovation in social work. It argues that social work researchers need to strike a balance between the often slow and methodical scientific research community and the often rapid and reactive social innovation community to best respond to societal needs. From an emerging scholar’s point of view, it concludes by emphasizing how shifting priorities in social work tenure and promotion processes can broaden the impact of social work research.
This study was intended to adapt into Spanish and validate the short form of the Marwit–Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MMCGI), an instrument for the assessment of levels of grief in caregivers of patients with dementia.
The adaptation was based on the cross-cultural equivalence model that included forward and backward translations, use of a bilingual committee, and a comprehension test. The validation study was carried out with 100 Puerto Rican caregivers.
Semantic and content equivalence were attained as judged by the bilingual committee. Conceptual equivalence was only partially supported as factor analysis failed to replicate the three-factor structure proposed for the original English version. A one-factor structure was the best suitable for the Spanish version. On the other hand, correlations of the total scores of this version of the instrument with measures of constructs expected to be related to grief supported conceptual equivalence.
The Spanish version of the MMCGI was found equivalent to the English counterpart except for its dimensionality.
The purpose of this research is to provide an initial validation of a revision of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale—Revised (TAPS-R) with international transracial adoptive parents.
This study employed a cross-sectional, online survey design to recruit transracial adoptive parents from a parent support group, Families for Chinese Children.
Exploratory factor analysis reveals that the 47-item TAPS-R is a valid scale, which includes four factors: racial awareness, multicultural planning, integration, and coping skills. The analysis results of Cronbach’s α coefficient revealed that the scale as a whole and subscales have good or excellent reliability. Using correlational analyses, construct validity was established.
The TAPS-R proved to have sound reliability and validity to measure racial awareness and cultural and racial socialization practices and thus can be useful in transracial adoption parenting.
As the scientific marketplace rapidly evolves, we must keep revisiting strategic preparation of our doctoral students and early career scholars to be successful innovators in these contexts. As an inherently integrative, change-oriented, community-engaged, and context-sensitive discipline, social work has enormous potential as a value-added partner for greater cross-fertilization among scientists and stakeholders not only from the academy but also from clinical settings, laboratories, industry, and systems leadership. Yet social work researchers not uncommonly encounter perception challenges as they strive to bring their scientific potential and wares to the marketplace. This article argues that innovation and impact are now central expectations of research. Current research priorities increasingly require teams to function at a transdisciplinary level of theoretical and methodological integration and to develop translational partnerships. The article concludes with thoughts on educational directions to better prepare our T-shaped emerging scholars to be perceived and function as value-added research innovators.
This study aims to adapt "The Hwalek–Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S "East")" (Neale, Hwalek, Scott, Sengstock, & Stahl, 1991) to Turkish and to assess its validity and reliability while determining the factors that affect elder abuse.
The sample of the study is composed of 465 elderly women and men (60+ years of age) who live in different cities in Turkey. First, validity and reliability analyses of the H-S "East" are carried out. Subsequently, binary logistic regression analysis is performed to determine the factors that affect elder abuse.
In this study, the H-S "East" has a three-factor construction as found in the original scale. Inner consistency coefficient is found as .814. Elder abuse is mostly affected by "life satisfaction," "use of social benefits," "satisfaction with income," and "age."
The results show that the Turkish version may be used as a valid and reliable tool in determining elderly abuse in social work practice and also for the purpose of early diagnosis and in other relevant research. Moreover, when the factors that affect elder abuse are taken into account, care and support facilities for the social inclusion of elderly should be developed and relevant social policies should be revised.
This study examined the development and validation of the Effectiveness Scale of Child Familial Influencing Behavior. This measurement is constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of child familial influencing behaviors within three-generational relationships.
The effectiveness of child familial influencing behaviors was rated by two informants (parent and grandparent) on 601 children from Grade 1 to Grade 3 in China.
The Effectiveness Scale of Child Familial Influencing Behavior consisted of three factors with 12 indicators related to highly influential tactics, moderately influential tactics, and low influential tactics and showed satisfactory reliability, a good model fit, and strong construct validity.
The findings provided good evidence of the Effectiveness Scale of Child Familial Influencing Behavior as a reliable tool with which to evaluate child familial influencing behaviors in a multigenerational context. Implications for further social work practice and research are discussed.
This research article aims to measure the effects of group therapy on institutionalized elderly in terms of reducing depression and improving psychosocial functioning.
Thirty elderly nursing home residents were recruited, and 16 of them elected to receive group treatment for depression and 14 declined treatment. The Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects and the Geriatric Depression Scale were given to both groups when group work began and again when it ended.
Clients who received group treatment experienced reductions in depression and their psychosocial functioning improved.
Group work intervention was followed by reductions in the depression levels and improvements in their psychosocial functions among institutionalized elderly clients.
The purpose of this research was to (a) learn how confident social work students were with social work with groups’ ethics and standards, (b) explore strengths and challenges, (c) examine if group work experience impacts results, and (d) discover if confidence improved when the International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG) Standards became required class reading.
Social work students (n = 234) were given the Inventory of Foundation Competencies in Social Work with Groups (IC-SWG) at the beginning and end of 15-week group work classes. Descriptive statistics, analyses of variance, and t tests were conducted.
Students’ scores improved from pretest to posttest (p = .000). They were confident in their ability to respect and highly value diversity (mean = 3.5/4) but were challenged employing special skills with and understanding dynamics of mandated clients (2.99/4).
Incorporation of the IASWG Standards and group work experience were associated with greater competencies. The IC-SWG identified challenges that can be addressed in classrooms, field internships, and group work practice settings.
In light of the limited research into consumers’ experiences of group work services in South Africa, the study evaluated groups offered by a range of social service agencies in Gauteng to determine whether group interventions were perceived by users as developmental and empowering.
Program evaluation was employed to evaluate 47 groups. Interviews were held with 222 persons to elicit their views on the groups in which they had participated.
Main findings were that organizations offered a rich diversity of groups, and membership was inclusive. Benefits of group work included gaining support and friendship, acquiring confidence, normalization of experiences through sharing with similar others, and learning new skills.
The groups reflected the diverse nature of South African society and the complexity of social issues. The groups were also perceived as highly empowering and developmental; however, the group work modality would seem to be underutilized by social workers.
The extent to which people choose their professions and professions choose their practitioners is not always clear; it is in all likelihood a simpatico process. But, growing attention to the study of careers can help elucidate the nexus of personal and professional forces that underpins this complex dynamic. This line of inquiry can also advance knowledge of how it is that individual scholars come to shape the essential features and directions of a profession at a particular point in its history. I use oral life history methods to develop an account of Eileen Gambrill’s emergence as an "influential" in the course of American social work. I begin with a brief overview of the context of the project. I then describe the range of narrative methods which I drew on to craft an account of her personal and professional development vis-à-vis the profession’s zeitgeist at the time. I begin the account itself by defining an influential to establish her status in the field. I then turn to the alchemy of dispositional and situational conditions which, beginning in early life and extending throughout her formal education, furthered her development in this role. I close with a few examples of the significant outcomes of her influence as an integrative scholar who focused her career on bettering the lives of others through evidence-informed, expertly delivered, ethically responsible social work practice.
Many Asian Americans tend to report receiving lower quality services from direct service providers. Improving the cultural competence of social workers and other professionals who work with Asian Americans may address this dissatisfaction. To date, there are few tools to help educators and supervisors evaluate the level of cultural competence of social workers and other health professionals. This study reports on the development and testing of a cultural competence measure to evaluate social workers’ preparedness for working with Asian American clients.
Based on a sample of 294 student social workers, the final 29-item instrument is a reliable and valid tool.
The instrument shows strong content validity according to expert panelists, robust reliability, excellent model fit, and preliminary evidence of construct validity.
The validated Cultural Competency with Asian American Clients Scale could be used by social work educators in planning courses and assessing student readiness for work with Asian Americans.
This study explored the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the practice of cross-racial adoption (CRA) in East London, South Africa.
A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through individual interviews and focus group discussions from 23 participants. The data were analyzed qualitatively, using thematic analysis.
The results show that there are mixed perceptions among the participants, with White participants more likely than participants of other racial groups to support the practice of the CRA. The findings also revealed that the practice of CRA is a controversial, yet an increasing phenomenon in which most Black children are being adopted by White parents.
It is concluded that although the practice of CRA is an acceptable form of custody of children in need of care and protection, it is still an area that requires more attention from scholars and researchers. Pertinent recommendations have been made to various stakeholders.
In South Africa, the field of scale development and utilization in social work is referred to as "ecometrics," that is, the measurement of ecological constructs. There is, however, a lack of ecometric tools for social workers, particularly regarding strengths or resilience. Given the high vulnerability of South African youth, this article describes the design and validation of a youth resilience measure.
The Youth Ecological-Resilience Scale (YERS), a multidimensional, summated rating scale that measures youth resilience within an ecological framework, was designed and validated with a diverse sample of 575 young people, using ecometric techniques.
The YERS shows good levels of reliability and validity.
The YERS is suitable for group administration and research and also for assessment of individuals when triangulated with other assessment methods. Several studies of youth transitions using the YERS are described as well as suggestions for its use in social work practice.
This study examined the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) intervention on substance abuse and trauma-related problems.
A randomized controlled trial design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of SFBT in primary substance use treatment services for child welfare involved parents in outpatient treatment for substance use disorders. Mixed linear models were used to test within- and between-group changes using intent-to-treat analysis (N = 64). Hedges’s g effect sizes were also calculated to examine magnitude of treatment effects.
Both groups decreased on the Addiction Severity Index-Self-Report and the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40. The between group effect sizes were not statistically significant on either measures, thus SFBT produced similar results as the research supported treatments the control group received.
Results support the use of SFBT in treating substance use and trauma and provide an alternative approach that is more strengths based and less problem focused.
Due to the ethical concern around involuntary treatment, this study sought to investigate if youth participants in wilderness therapy who were transported to the program experienced different rates of change than those not transported.
Multilevel modeling techniques were used to investigate rates of change for youth between transported and nontransported youth over 5 points until 6 months postdischarge. In addition, repeated measures analyses of variance investigated parent reports of change over time across transport status, gender, and diagnosis.
The findings showed no differences between transported and nontransported youth in changes over time. Overall, all youth improved significantly with changes maintained postdischarge regardless of transport status.
This study shows that transporting youth to treatment does not appear to interfere with the treatment outcome; however, more research is needed to understand clients’ perception of the transport process.
This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the first part of the Chinese version of the CRIME-PICS II Scale, a self-administrated instrument assessing offending-related attitudes. Data were collected from three samples: male Hong Kong young offenders, female Mainland Chinese prisoners, and Hong Kong college students. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure that differed from the one proposed by Frude, Honess, and Maguire. The Chinese version of the scale was found to have good internal consistency (α = .90) and good test–retest reliability (r = .86) and also to present evidence of construct, concurrent, discriminant, and predictive validity. Overall, the Offending-Related Attitude Questionnaire (Chinese) proves to have great potential utility in the context of the Chinese criminal justice systems but will benefit from further validation studies.
In China where social work is a fledgling profession, practice research is still a novelty. This article aims to provide an overview of the development of social work practice research in mainland China.
This review analyzes the content of 206 Chinese journal articles published in the Peoples’ Republic of China since 1915 using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, with a focus on the question "who published what?"
The first social work practice research was published in 1999 and it has been increasing in recent years in China. They are predominantly conducted by academics and the collaboration between academics and practitioners is rare and can be further promoted.
Practice research could be stepped up to build a distinctive professional knowledge base for social work in China considering its unique geographical, cultural, socioeconomic, and political contexts.
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the bibliometric contributions of high-impact social work faculty.
Toward this end, we used a sample comprising fellows (N = 143) affiliated with the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). To quantify impact, we relied primarily upon the h-index (a measure of lifetime scholarly impact) and the m-index (which adjusts for career length).
Analyses revealed the mean h-index value for SSWR fellows (M = 26.44, SD = 14.72) was substantially lower than the mean for AASWSW fellows (M = 32.52, SD = 15.96), but minimal differences existed in m-index values. H- and m-index values for the 40 highest impact scholars ranged, respectively, from 33 to 93 and 1.13 to 3.33.
The results indicate the social work profession includes many researchers who are making an exceptional scientific impact.
This study was designed to examine whether preretirement intervention, through preparation programs conducted by social workers, enhances retirees’ healthy retirement transition, self-mastery, and well-being outcomes.
Data were gathered at preprogram, postprogram, and at 6-month follow-up. A total of 84 participants filled out pre- and postprogram questionnaires, of which 66 also completed follow-up assessment. Participants were 1–3 months before retirement at preassessment and 4–8 months after retirement at follow-up.
The preretirement program improved participants’ appraisal of retirement and created lower and more realistic expectations of postretirement work prospects. While these variables changed in the expected direction between pre- and postprogram assessment, participants’ scores at follow-up indicated less self-mastery, greater depressed affect, and less positive feelings regarding retirement.
The short-term value of retirement programs was supported and revealed the importance of follow-up programs to maintain short-term gains and to address additional long-term developments.
This study examined the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) in improving mental health and promoting postmigration growth for Mainland university students in Hong Kong.
Thirty-six Mainland students with mild-to-moderate levels of psychological distress have completed a 8-session CBI group. Various mental health measures have been administered at the pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up tests.
The levels of psychological distress, acculturative stress, and negative emotions and negative thoughts of the participants were significantly reduced, while their positive emotions and postmigration growth were significantly increased upon completion of the CBI group. The positive effects were maintained at 3-month follow-up.
CBI group appears to be an effective intervention approach for improving the mental health and promoting postmigration growth for Mainland university students in Hong Kong. Implications for social work practices when engaging with Chinese international students were provided.
Parental divorce has strong impacts on children. Evidence-based programs to support young children after parental divorce are rare. The U.S.-developed Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) is one of these. CODIP’s effectiveness outside the U.S. setting is to be further replicated. This study aimed at cultural adaptation of CODIP for Dutch 4- to 8-year-olds, evaluation of the feasibility of adapted CODIP-Netherlands modules (CODIP-NL) in the Dutch setting, and comparison with U.S. results.
A pilot study (N = 43) was conducted, comprising nine CODIP-NL groups.
Results showed intermediate and end users to be satisfied. Outcomes improved regarding mother-, teacher-, and group leader–reported child functioning. Standardized effect estimates were smaller than those found in the United States.
CODIP-NL seems to be a feasible and satisfactory method to reduce divorce-related problems in Dutch 4- to 8-year-olds. This study could provide guidance to researchers interested in adapting research-based interventions to different cultural settings.
This mixed-methods process evaluation examined the feasibility of a parenting program delivered by community facilitators to reduce the risk of child maltreatment in low-income families with children aged 3–8 years in Cape Town, South Africa (N = 68).
Quantitative measures included attendance registers, fidelity checklists, satisfaction surveys, and engagement in home practice activities. Qualitative data included parent interviews, facilitator focus groups, and transcripts from parent groups and facilitator supervision sessions.
Quantitative results show high levels of participant involvement, implementation, and acceptability. Thematic analyses identified seven themes related to program feasibility: (a) supporting participant involvement, (b) engagement in collaborative learning, (c) strengthening facilitator competency, (d) delivering nonviolent discipline skills, (e) contextualizing content, (f) receptivity to existing practices, and (g) resistance to new skills.
Findings suggest that parenting programs derived from evidence-based principles may be feasible in South Africa when situated within a culturally relevant context.
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Chinese children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD features.
This study adopted a randomized controlled trial design without blinding. Participants were randomized into either the intervention group (n = 32) and offered PCIT by trained PCIT practitioners or the waitlist control group (n = 32) and offered PCIT after the intervention group had completed treatment. Parent participants were requested to complete questionnaires on their children’s behavior and their parental stress. PCIT practitioners observed parent–child interactions according to a coding system.
Analysis was by intention to treat. The results indicated a significant decrease in child behavior and attention problems, parental stress, and negative parenting practices and an increase in positive parenting practices in the intervention group at postintervention (p ≤ .002 in all cases).
This study provided promising evidence on the effectiveness of PCIT in Chinese children with ADHD or ADHD features.
The measurement of Family Feedback on Child Welfare Services (FF-CWS) is gaining prominence as an efficacy indicator and is coherent with concerns about family-centered practice and empowerment. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument that would overcome the scarcity of psychometrically sound measures in this field.
Following item construction and selection, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with a sample of 263 Spanish (52%) and Portuguese (48%) caregivers of children involved with CWS were conducted.
Three subscales were identified: Intervention Efficacy, Perception of Workers, and Satisfaction with the Intervention Process. In general, all dimensions showed good reliability, convergent, and criterion-related validity results. Multigroup analyses confirmed measurement invariance for both countries.
The FF-CWS Questionnaire is a brief self-report measure that can be a useful assessment tool to frontline practitioners, agency managers, and policy makers for program evaluation and planning.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a social contact and education intervention to improve attitudes to mental illness in first-year social work students. This was a 3-month cluster randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: intervention (87) and control group (79). The intervention was a workshop led by an OBERTAMENT activist (a person with a mental illness trained in communication skills and empowerment by a social worker). We assessed intended future behavior toward people with mental illness, personal and perceived stigma, and mental health–related attitudes (self-reported questionnaire). The intervention improved social work students’ attitudes (d 0.50, p < .05) and reduced personal stigma toward people with mental illness (d = 0.35, p = .04) as well as improving their future intended behavior 2 weeks after the intervention (d = 0.51, p = .01). The intervention impact on authoritarian attitudes toward people with schizophrenia was maintained after 3 months (d = 0.94, p = .01). Long-term impact needs to be improved.
To examine the components affecting the quality of the implementation and their impact on the outcomes of the "Growing Up Happily in the Family" program targeted at parents with children aged 0–5.
At-risk and non-at-risk parents (N = 196) participated in 26 groups in local social services. Adherence, adaptations, quality of delivery, group and participant responsiveness, and implementation barriers were examined as predictors of attendance rate and changes in parental child-rearing attitudes, parental sense of competence, and parenting stress using hierarchical linear regressions analyses.
Greater participant responsiveness and fewer implementation barriers predicted higher attendance rates. These implementation variables, as well as greater program adherence, fewer crucial adaptations, and better didactic functioning of the sessions, predicted positive parental changes.
The level of implementation contributes to the program effectiveness, suggesting the need to provide a high-quality and well-coordinated implementation to achieve the intended program outcomes in child welfare populations.
To evaluate three approaches adopting collaborative depression care model in Los Angeles County safety net clinics with predominantly Latino type 2 diabetes patients.
Pre–post differences in treatment rates and symptom reductions were compared between baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups for each approach: (a) Multifaceted Depression and Diabetes Program (MDDP) grant–hired social workers dedicated for depression care, (b) Diabetes–Depression Care-Management Adoption Trial (DCAT) supported care (SC) by clinic social workers in diabetes disease management teams, and (c) DCAT-automated care-management technology-facilitated care (TC) model. All social workers were guided by a depression care protocol.
All approaches significantly increased treatment rate, the largest improvement being MDDP (40%), followed by TC (30%) and then SC (20%). Similar patterns were found in symptom improvement (≥50% depression score reductions) and self-rated health. TC was the only approach to significantly improve patient diabetes self-care.
Activated social workers and technology facilitation provide promising effective adoption of collaborative depression team care in safety net.
This study aims to investigate the effects of the Thank you–Sorry–Love (TSL®) program on posttraumatic growth (PTG) and cortisol level in parents of children with cancer.
A total of 15 mothers of children with cancer were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 7) with the TSL intervention or a control group (n = 8) without any intervention. PTG and cortisol level were checked 3 times at the pretest, posttest, and 10-week follow-up.
PTG scores were significantly different between the two groups at the posttest and the follow-up test. Cortisol level was only significantly different between the two groups at the posttest.
The TSL program may be a possible intervention for parents of children with cancer.
In response to "The Child Welfare Cartel," defenders of the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) make three errors: First, restricting federal funds to schools of social work is not authorized by the statute cited in the creation of NCWWI. Second, social work is not the only discipline engaged in child welfare, denying the emergence of Child Advocacy Studies as a competitor. Third, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not implausible in child welfare due to the complex issues presented by maltreated children and troubled families. This incorrect contention ignores the numerous field experiments deployed in psychology and nursing to the considerable benefit of those disciplines. Apologists for NCWWI thus make assertions typical of a cartel, resulting in outcomes that are unnecessarily substandard and expensive. If social workers are superior to nonprofessionals in child welfare, defenders of NCWWI should conduct an RCT putting that claim to test.
To gain insight into client experiences with shelter or community care services for homeless people, homeless youth, and abused women and identify priority improvement areas.
Seven hundred and forty-four clients rated their experiences and 116 clients rated the services’ importance.
Clients had most positive experiences with the client–worker relationship and least positive experiences with the results of services. Abused women’s service providers scored higher than homeless adults and youth service providers. Day and night shelters scored lowest, followed by crisis shelters, supported housing, and outreaching teams. The results of care have the highest need for quality improvement for homeless adults and youth.
Clients’ experiences with shelter and community care services in the Netherlands are generally positive, with a strong client–worker relationship forming the basis of good quality care. Monitoring outcomes and increasing the focus on results are integrated in recent approaches aimed at improving the quality of shelter care.
Home visitation has the potential to improve parent, child, and maternal outcomes and has become a widely implemented prevention program across the United States. The purpose of this research was to use a randomized controlled trial to assess the short-term effectiveness of the Arizona Healthy Families program across a range of outcomes. Two hundred and forty-five families were randomly assigned to the experimental group (Healthy Families) or control group (Child Development assessment only). Results revealed significant findings across four domains including safety and resources, parenting attitudes and behaviors, health and maternal outcomes, and mental health and coping. These results were further corroborated with an analysis of qualitative findings that analyzed linguistic differences between how the treatment and control group described their parenting. These results add to the existing literature on the effectiveness of the Healthy Families model of home visitation.
It is critical to assess hospice professionals’ discrimination between adaptive and maladaptive reactions to terminal illness in persons at the end-of-life to assure targeted intervention aimed at maintaining quality of life. The proposed measure, the Hospice Professionals Understanding of Preparatory Grief scale (HPPG), contains affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to terminal illness and asks respondents to identify which reflect adaptive and maladaptive responses.
Hospice professionals across three states (n = 196) completed the novel HPPG via online survey.
Initial evidence via expert panel review, confirmatory factor analysis, and domain restructuring suggests good content and factorial validity. Final reliability (α stratified = .861) indicates good internal consistency.
The HPPG is the first measure to assess hospice professionals’ understanding of reactions to terminal illness and serves as an initial examination of this critical skill in hospice professionals including social workers. The HPPG can be used as a self-assessment or measure of continuing education.
This study examined normative change in children’s levels of social competence and parent–child interactions (PCIs) from kindergarten through second grade as well as relations between levels of PCI and children’s social development.
Multiple waves of data were collected from parents and teachers of 379 children ranging in age from 4 to 61/2 years. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to estimate change over time in social competence controlling for children’s exposure to early learning programs such as home visiting and preschool programs. Next, frequency of PCI was entered as a time-varying predictor of children’s social competence levels.
Results indicated discrepancies between parent and teacher reports of children’s social development. Parents reported normative growth in children’s social competence, whereas teachers reported declines in this area. Parents also reported decreases in PCIs over time. Parent-reported social competence scores were positively associated with levels of PCIs, whereas no significant association was found between teacher-rated social competence scores and levels of PCI.
These results highlight the importance of viewing children’s social competence as a dynamic variable related to a multitude of individual, familial, and social factors. Findings also emphasize PCIs as a potential target for interventions aimed at enhancing such competence.
There is substantial evidence that poorly designed and reported research can mislead decision making in clinical care. This review investigates the methodological quality of Swedish trials of a wide array of psychological and social interventions.
The review includes 302 articles published in peer-reviewed journals during 1990–2014, which evaluated a psychological or social intervention; included a randomized or nonrandomized control group with a pre–post- or pre-follow-up design; and targeted individuals in order to prevent or rehabilitate from physical, psychological, or social problems. The results are based on the information reported in the articles.
Overall, methodological quality increased with time. However, more recent studies contained methodological deficits. For example, few had used blinded data collectors, reported power analyses, or searched for adverse events.
The results indicate a potential risk of biased results in both older and newer trials. Possible implications for practice and research are discussed.
This article reports a study that developed and validated the Perceived Social Work Competence Scale (PSWCS) for assessing social work students’ competence in Mainland China.
The indicators were generated by a broad empirical review of recent literature, confirmed by experts, and indigenized by means of two focus groups of students. Two separate studies were conducted, using samples of social work students. Exploratory factor analyses and reliability tests were conducted on a cross-validation sample (n1 = 291) of social work students. Confirmatory factor analyses and tests of predictive validity were conducted on the second sample (n2 = 300).
The 48-indicator PSWCS (including nine subscales) demonstrated excellent internal consistency, acceptable test–retest reliability, satisfactory factorial validity, and positive correlation with the students’ grade point average and their satisfaction with their field experience.
The PSWCS is important for enabling students to assess their competence and for enabling educators to improve field education.
This review evaluates the effectiveness of Active Labour Market Programme (ALMP) participation on employment status for unemployment insurance recipients.
We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to conduct a systematic review.
A total of 73 studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised by the review authors. The available evidence suggests that there is a general effect of participating in ALMP. The findings are mixed, however, depending on the approach used to investigate the effect, with no effect found of being assigned to ALMP participation at a particular moment.
The available evidence does suggest that there is an effect of participating in ALMP, but the effect is small and we found no effect of being assigned to ALMP participation at a particular moment.
This review assesses the evidence about the effects of detention on the mental and physical health and social functioning of asylum seekers.
We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to conduct a systematic review. Meta-analytic methods were used to quantitatively synthesize the study results.
Primary study effect sizes for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, while the asylum seekers were still detained lies in the range 0.35–0.99, all favoring the nondetained asylum group.
There is some evidence to suggest an independent adverse effect of detention on the mental health of asylum seekers. The conclusions should however be interpreted with caution as they are based on few studies. More research is needed in order to fully investigate the effect of detention on mental health.
This review evaluates the evidence on the effects of cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) on drug use reduction for young people in treatment for nonopioid drug use.
We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to conduct a systematic review of randomized and nonrandomized trials. Meta-analytic methods were used to quantitatively synthesize study results.
The search yielded seven studies that met inclusion criteria. Each of the seven studies compared CBT to another intervention.
The review found that there was no evidence that CBT interventions perform better or worse than the comparison interventions and additional research is needed. The number of studies included in this review was limited, and therefore should the overall results be interpreted with caution.
In this response to David Stoesz’ critique, "The Child Welfare Cartel," the authors agree that child welfare research and training must be improved. The authors disagree, however, with Stoesz’ critique of social work education, his assessment of the most-needed forms of child welfare research, and his depiction of the goals and activities of the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI). Rather than contributing to child welfare challenges and problems, the authors argue that the NCWWI is leading efforts to address the challenges.
This review evaluates the evidence on the effects of functional family therapy (FFT) on drug abuse reduction for young people in treatment for nonopioid drug use.
We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to conduct a systematic review of randomized and nonrandomized trials.
The search yielded two studies that met inclusion criteria. Only one study provided numerical results on the effect of FFT on drug use reduction.
There is insufficient evidence to allow any conclusion to be drawn on the effect of FFT for young people in treatment for nonopioid drug use. There is a need for more research and particularly for more methodologically rigorous studies in the field of treatment for young drug users.
Violence against children increases in adolescence, but there is a research and practice gap in research-supported child abuse prevention for the adolescent years. A pilot program for low-resource settings was developed in collaboration with nongovernmental organizations, government, and academics in South Africa, using research-supported principles.
This study used a pre-post design to test initial effects of a 10-session parenting program with 60 participants (30 caregiver–adolescent dyads) in high-poverty rural South Africa. Areas requiring further testing and adaptation were also identified.
Pre-post findings show medium to large program effects in reducing child abuse and adolescent problem behavior, as well as large effects in improvements of positive parenting, and perceived parent and adolescent social support.
There is potential to reduce child abuse, improve parenting, and reduce adolescent problem behavior in rural South Africa through parenting programs. Further development, testing and longer term follow-up are required to ascertain potential for scale-up.
The objective was to examine reference errors in research articles published in Research on Social Work Practice. High rates of reference errors in other top social work journals have been noted in previous studies.
Via a sampling frame of 22,177 total references among 464 research articles published in the previous decade, a sample of 500 references were randomly selected and verified against the original work for accuracy in the following fields: author name(s), publication year, article title, journal title, volume, and page number(s).
Almost 27% of references contained at least 1 error (0.35 errors per reference); 173 errors in total. The plurality of errors occurred in article titles (13.2%). Two factors significantly related to the likelihood of error: reference age and number of authors.
Comparison to reference error rates in other social work journals is discussed, as are suggestions to authors, editors, and educators regarding error reduction.
As a pluralistic field of scholarship and practice, community development offers insights useful to social development, especially the realm of social work. Among these contributions, of particular interest are the ways in which place matters. Assessing conceptualizations of community and community development, this essay addresses the value of community development scholarship and offers recommendations for future research. The latter include paying more attention to demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and trends in relation to the population-level impacts from development initiatives.
Promoting recovery in mental health services is hampered by a shortage of reliable and valid measures, particularly in Hong Kong. We seek to cross validate two Chinese language measures of recovery and one of recovery-promoting environments.
A cross-sectional survey of people recovering from early episode psychosis (n = 121) and family members (n = 49) was taken. Two recovery measures, the Mental Health Recovery Measure and the recovery subscale of the Peer Outcomes Protocol, and one measure of recovery-promoting environments, the Recovery Self-Assessment, were used. The Psychosis Recovery Inventory was incorporated to assess construct validity.
Internal consistency reliability for each measure was high (r = .71–.94); one-factor solutions were parsimonious. People in recovery rated their risk for relapse lower than did their family members.
Moderately strong positive correlations among recovery measures lend support to construct validity. Several "recovery-promoting environment" items should be reassessed for cultural fit in Hong Kong.
Scientometric studies of social work have stagnated due to problems with the organization and structure of the disciplinary literature. This study utilized data science to produce a set of research tools to overcome these methodological challenges.
We constructed a comprehensive list of social work journals for a 25-year time period and searched for all available article records using 35 different databases. Customized software was developed to restructure article records into a single analyzable database. We then computed the annual journal growth from the database.
A population of 90 disciplinary journals was established, and 33,330 article records were retrieved from 80 of these journals. Rapid and consistent growth in the number of social work journals was observed, particularly from 1997 up to 2005.
The population list of social work journals, database of article records, and customized software builds the foundation for future scientometric studies in social work.
Adult relationships provide critical support for adolescents because of their potential to foster positive development and provide protective influences. Few studies examine multiple ecological layers of adult relationships in connection with well-being and depression. This study examines the influence of relationships from multiple contexts for adolescents and their mental health.
Data from the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey was used for this analysis; a sample of 7th-, 9th-, and 11th-grade students (N = 14,931) was drawn from 6 school districts in Southern California.
Regression analyses revealed that parent, teacher, and community adult support were all significantly positively associated with well-being and significantly negatively associated with depression.
Social support explained more variance in well-being than in depression, indicating that adult support may be more important for supporting well-being. This study supports the belief that individual categories and combinations of adult support are important.
This article provides benchmark data on within-group effect sizes from published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) supporting the efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for traumatized children.
Within-group effect-size benchmarks for symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression were calculated via the Glass approach and adjusted for sample size using Hedges’ g.
Overall TF-CBT and control group benchmarks are presented, as well as specific benchmarks for sexual abuse and mixed trauma, and whether included studies utilized intent-to-treat analysis.
Community practitioners can use these benchmarks as a comparison tool to evaluate whether the way they are adopting or adapting the TF-CBT intervention is satisfactory, needs to be modified, or should be replaced by a different intervention approach. These benchmarks also have potential utility for future implementation research on TF-CBT assessing which service provision conditions are associated with effect sizes approximating benchmarks provided in this article.
We argue that the dominance of an empiricist epistemology in social work research steers much of the research away from studying and explaining the structural forces that cause the conditions of oppression, exploitation, and social exclusion that are at the roots of the social problems addressed by the profession. It does so because it assumes that the research enterprise can be insulated from the broader cultural, socioeconomic, and political forces that inherently slant the research to echo dominant ideologies that celebrate individualism. In contrast, we present the feminist standpoint epistemology, which directs researchers to start from the daily lives and conditions of the oppressed and marginalized. Such strong objectivity leads the researchers to interrogate the structural determinants of the oppressed and marginalized. We propose that it provides a more effective starting point for social work intervention research that supports the mission of the social work profession.
Dissemination of research is the most challenging aspect of building the evidence base. Despite peer review, evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of papers leave out details that are necessary to judge bias, consider replication, or initiate meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Reporting guidelines were created to ensure minimally adequate reporting of research and have become increasingly popular since the 1990s. There are over 200 guidelines for authors to assist in reporting a range of study methodologies. Although guidelines are freely available, they are underutilized and there is criticism regarding assumptions about methodologies targeted by guidelines. As journal editors lean into endorsements, social work authors may benefit from considering guidelines appropriate for their work. This article explores pros and cons of guideline use by authors and journals and presents some suggestions for the field of social work, including assessment of whether profession-specific reporting guidelines are needed, and cautions regarding limitations.
The purpose of this study was to identify effective treatment to manage the depression of older residents.
Using Klein and Bloom’s criteria, we analyzed the number of subjects, designs and methodologies, residential types, intervention types and duration of treatment, standardized measures, and findings. Data searches were conducted to classify empirical studies and to review empirical literature published from 2007 to 2014. A systematic research synthesis of 25 articles was conducted to investigate how various treatments affected depression among older residents.
The results show that antidepressant medication treatment appears less efficacious in treating less severe depression.
These findings reveal that minor depression should be treated initially with a nonpharmacologic intervention to avoid unnecessary medication risks. The findings further suggest the need for more comprehensive analyses of longitudinal research and the need for more studies that examine the combination of medication and psychotherapy for depressed older adults.
Children in out-of-home placements typically display more educational, behavioral, and psychological problems than do their peers. This systematic review evaluated the effect of kinship care placement compared to foster care placement on the safety, permanency, and well-being of children removed from the home for maltreatment.
Review authors independently read titles and abstracts identified in the searches, selected appropriate studies, assessed the eligibility of each study, evaluated the methodological quality, and extracted outcome data for meta-analysis.
Outcome data from the 102 included quasi-experimental studies suggest that, as compared to children in foster care, children in kinship care experience fewer behavioral problems and mental health disorders, better well-being, less placement disruption, fewer mental health services, and similar reunification rates.
This review supports the practice of treating kinship care as a viable out-of-home placement option. This conclusion is tempered by methodological and design weaknesses of the included studies.
David Stoesz offers a sweeping critique of the Children’s Bureau and social work education by claiming the existence of a "child welfare cartel." He also attacks the quality of social work education and research, which he claims has poorly invested government funding and helped create the unmitigated failures of the American child welfare system. However, closer examination reveals that many of his claims, while dramatic, are actually ill conceived and unsupportable. We attempt to clarify and inform readers about some significant aspects of the field of child welfare and the contemporary responses being made by the federal government in partnership with social work educators and researchers.
To test the effectiveness of Houvast: a strengths-based intervention for homeless young adults.
A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 10 Dutch shelter facilities randomly allocated to an intervention and a control group. Homeless young adults were interviewed when entering the facility and when care ended. Repeated-measures analyses and logistic regression analyses were conducted by the principle of intention-to-treat framework (N = 251).
Improvements were demonstrated on quality of life; satisfaction with family relations, finances, and health; employed or in school; depression; care needs; autonomy; competence, and resilience in both conditions. A higher proportion of homeless young adults who received care according to Houvast were still receiving care at follow-up and successfully completed the trajectory compared to those who received care as usual.
Homeless young adults seem to benefit from service provision in general. Further research on the effectiveness of Houvast is needed after sufficient model fidelity has been achieved.
To assess evidence of the effectiveness of school-based education programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). The programs deliver information about CSA and strategies to help children avoid it and encourage help seeking.
Systematic review including meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, and quasi-RCTs.
Twenty-four studies with 5,802 participants were included. Child self-protective skills, odds ratio = 5.71, confidence interval = [1.98, 16.51]; factual, standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.61 [0.45, 0.78]; and applied knowledge, SMD = 0.45 [0.24, 0.65], increased in the intervention group, and knowledge gains were retained at 6 months, SMD = 0.69 [0.51, 0.87]. There were no differences in anxiety or fear, SMD = –0.08 [0.22, 0.07], and findings regarding disclosure of abuse were inconclusive.
Children’s self-protective skills and knowledge can be increased by participation in school-based sexual abuse prevention programs. However, it is unknown whether gains in skills and knowledge actually decrease the likelihood of CSA.
Although the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) is a specific focus of Stoesz’s article, a more expansive and thought-provoking critique is made of the NCWWI within the context of a purported overreliance and dependency on the Children’s Bureau, concerns regarding the quality of social work education, and the development of a "professional cartel in child welfare ..." in the social work profession. Stoesz’s assertions are examined and some of his observations are reinforced within a broader exploration and discussion of how the events he describes (which are paralleled by events in Florida) may be a by-product of sociological influences shaping social work’s efforts to receive social sanction as a profession. It is argued that the profession need not attempt to monopolize or engage in behaviors meant to gain legislative or social sanction at the expense of advancing knowledge and better informing practice trends and policy actions. Toward this end, professional cartels should be confronted and multi- and interdisciplinary professional practice can and should take place within child welfare systems.
This article is a critique of David Stoesz' descriptions of organizational issues in child welfare, and more specifically, the relationships between the U.S. Children's Bureau and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute. The focus is on Stoesz perspectives and assessments of sub-entities (cartels) that are currently influencing funding and programmatic efforts to prepare child welfare employees. The critiq ue also includes Stoesz' perspectives of current child welfare training efforts and issues related to child welfare as a profession. The review ends with a set of summary conclusions about the merit of the Stoesz article.
The corruption of the social work enterprise is not simply episodic but systemic and long-standing including education, research, governance, and practice. Reform is unlikely since the constituency within the field and outside of it that wishes to change the situation is small and ineffective. The corruption of social work reflects the unfortunate social values of the nation that refuses to allocate sufficient resources to address deep social problems, notably economic and social inequality. Social work should severely cut back: eliminate bachelor of social work programs and reduce master’s education to no more than 20 programs that also offer doctorates but only jointly with social science departments. There are too many social workers and not enough good ones.
Despite an emphasis on a biopsychosocial understanding of human behavior and the relevance of biosocial research to social work practice, it is unclear whether social work is contributing to biosocial research and knowledge.
Systematic review procedures were employed to locate studies that included biological variables (e.g., genetic or physiological factors) related to behavior and were published in a social work journal between 2000 and 2015. Seventy-five social work journals were searched. Studies were screened and coded by two independent reviewers.
Eleven studies were eligible for this review; one was a behavior genetics study, two were molecular genetics studies, two were neurological studies, and six studies examined physiological factors such as skin conductance and salivary cortisol.
Findings suggest that social work as a discipline is not contributing new knowledge to advance the "bio" component of the biopsychosocial framework. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
This study examines the psychometric strength, including cross-ethnic validity, of two subscales of Muris’ Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children: Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) and Social Self-Efficacy (SSE).
A large ethnically diverse sample of 3,358 early and late adolescents completed surveys including the ASE and SSE. Analyses focused on the subscales’ psychometric properties for the aggregate sample as well as for specific racial/ethnic subgroups.
For the ASE, Cronbach’s α for the aggregate sample is .85, ranging from .84 to .86 across racial/ethnic subgroups. For the SSE, the aggregate Cronbach’s α is .81, ranging from .77 to .86 across these subgroups.
While aggregate findings indicate psychometric strength, analyses of cross-ethnic validity find some factor structure and item loading differences across racial/ethnic subgroups, indicating the need to ensure accurate measurement of self-efficacy across diverse youth samples.
Responding to David Stoesz’s invited article criticizing the Children’s Bureau and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI), the author’s inaccurate assertions are challenged, and new information is provided about the significant work underway to support the child welfare workforce. The Children’s Bureau has made historic investments in workforce capacity building, which bring multiple universities, public, and tribal child welfare systems into a partnership designed to support a multilevel approach to workforce development. Information that counters the author’s spurious claims is provided with regard to the structure of NCWWI and the evaluation protocol being implemented.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a trauma-informed approach that was adapted for psychiatric residential treatment (PRT) for children aged 5–17.
Data were extracted from case files of 100 youths who received traditional PRT and 105 youths who received trauma-informed PRT (TI-PRT). Outcome measures included change in functional impairment, physical restraints and locked seclusion room incidents, length of time in care, and discharge placement type.
Results of a repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that youth who received TI-PRT experienced greater improvements in functional impairment. Results of a zero-inflated Poisson showed that youth in TI-PRT had fewer seclusion room incidents. Finally, the average length of time in care was significantly shorter for the TI-PRT group.
The results support trauma-informed PRT as a promising approach for helping youth achieve greater stability in functioning and for addressing issues of long-standing concern in residential care settings.
This article reports on an examination of the psychometric properties of the 28-item Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28).
Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α, t-tests, correlations, and multivariate analysis of variance were applied to data collected via interviews from 593 at-risk adolescents (12–17 years) to identify the factor structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and floor and ceiling effects of the CYRM-28.
A four-factor structure was identified comprising two contextual factors, individual and family factors. The CYRM-28 and its factors show good internal reliability, stable test–retest properties, and no floor or ceiling effects. The measure also showed good construct validity.
The CYRM-28 shows good overall validity on this group of New Zealand youth, and researchers and social workers can have some confidence in its usefulness as a measure that can be used to assess resilience in youth from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
To examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on gambling behavior and symptoms, urges, and financial outcomes.
Systematic review and meta-analytic procedures were employed to search, select, code, and analyze studies conducted between 1980 and 2014, assessing the effects of mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of disordered gambling with adults.
Thirteen studies met criteria for this review and seven met criteria for meta-analysis. Effects were moderate to large for gambling behaviors/symptoms (g = 0.68, 95% CI = [0.39, 0.98], p < .01), gambling urges (g = 0.69, 95% CI = [0.18, 1.20], p < .01), and financial outcomes (g = 0.75, 95% CI = [0.24, 1.26], p < .01). Heterogeneity was low and nonsignificant.
The findings provide support for mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of disordered gambling. However, these results are necessarily tentative, limited by the number and quality of eligible studies, and differing conceptualizations of mindfulness.
This study investigated the utility of the risk assessment "Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth" (SAVRY) within the social services in Stockholm County, Sweden.
SAVRY assessments of 56 adolescents were compared to assessments guided by another instrument (Adolescent Drug Abuse Diagnosis [ADAD]; n = 38) and assessments without support of a structured method (n = 38).
The results showed that social workers conducting SAVRY assessments documented a significantly larger number of risk and protective factors compared to the other assessments, and these factors predicted, with a few exceptions, reoffending to a larger extent. SAVRY summary risk rating significantly predicted the occurrence of serious violent crimes (area under the curve [AUC] = .80, p < .01) and less serious violence (AUC = .70, p < .05).
SAVRY performed at least as well in naturalistic settings as in previous studies conducted in more controlled environments. Furthermore, the SAVRY performed better than the other structured instrument (ADAD).
We tested the reliability and validity of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) in a sample of children living in orphanages in South Korea.
Our study sample consisted of 334 children aged 13–18 obtained using a convenience sampling method. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to identify the factor structure of the 24 self-efficacy items and used a Pearson correlation to explore the scale’s validity.
The findings show the SEQ-C is a reliable scale with a three-factor model measuring social, academic, and emotional self-efficacy. Construct validity was also supported by finding a significant negative correlation between self-efficacy and depression. Conclusions: Our study informs social workers and researchers that the SEQ-C measure is a useful tool for practical evaluation and intervention that can be used for children with disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds in South Korea.
This review evaluates the evidence of the effects of multidimensional family therapy (MDFT) on drug use reduction in young people for the treatment of nonopioid drug use.
We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to conduct a systematic review of randomized and nonrandomized trials. Meta-analytic methods were used to quantitatively synthesize study results.
The search yielded five studies that met inclusion criteria. MDFT was found to be more effective than other treatments on drug abuse problem severity and drug use frequency in the short run but not in the long run and demonstrated positive effects on treatment retention compared to control conditions.
While additional research is needed, the review offers support for MDFT as a treatment to young nonopioid drug abusers. The number of studies included in this review was limited, however, and this should be considered when interpreting the results.
The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether Native American clients seen at a University Counseling Center had different treatment outcomes than did Caucasian clients according to the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ) given at the first and final sessions.
Participants included self-identified 21 Native American and 105 Caucasian clients who received services over the past 7 years and who had OQ-45 scores.
American Indian total scores on the OQ-45 were not that much different from Caucasian scores. As a whole, both groups showed no significant change in OQ-45 scores at the end of treatment.
Given the lack of research on this important group of color, these findings provide a unique comparison to a previous studies and suggest further research is needed about the effectiveness of therapeutic outcomes and practices with Native American clients.
This study explored the feasibility of stepped care trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (SC-TF-CBT) relative to TF-CBT with children (aged 8–12).
Children (N = 33) with post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were randomly assigned (2:1) to SC-TF-CBT or TF-CBT. SC-TF-CBT consisted of Step 1, parent-led therapist-assisted treatment, and Step 2 (nine TF-CBT sessions). TF-CBT consisted of 12 therapist-directed sessions. Baseline, post-Step 1, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up assessments occurred. Cost-related data were collected throughout the treatment.
In all, 64% (intent-to-treat) to 82% (completers) responded to Step 1. Group x Time interactions were not statistically significant for PTSS (p = .888), severity (p = .576), and internalizing (p = .862)/externalizing (p = .974) symptoms, indicating comparable improvements in outcomes across both conditions. There were no significant differences in parental treatment credibility (p = .440), expectations (p = .664), and satisfaction (p = .768). SC-TF-CBT total costs were significantly lower than TF-CBT (Effect Size [ES] = 1.61, confidence interval [CI] = [0.65, 2.59], p < .0001).
Step 1 may be a viable service delivery approach although further research is needed.
Although previous research has explored the efficacy of differential response (DR) programs in child welfare, there have been no studies to date about coding decisions between designations by child protection service agencies. Research has explored client satisfaction with DR as well as rates of recidivism and removal/placement but with limited attention paid to the rationales behind coding decisions and recoding, once an initial designation pathway is assigned. This descriptive study uses data previously gathered by child protection social workers to qualitatively evaluate the fidelity of implementation of family development response (FDR) in British Columbia and the integrity of the program with regard to its stated objectives. Based on a random sample of intakes, decision-making fidelity to code as FDR or investigation (INV) was examined by exploring rationales behind coding at critical decision points and mechanisms for recoding during family involvement with child protective services. Subsequently, this study examined whether cases that had been coded as FDR differed substantially from INVs in terms of service provision, outcomes, and appropriateness of FDR for high-risk cases.
The objective was to examine experimental and quasi-experimental studies about interventions that (i) included behavioral, psychological, educational, or vocational components; (ii) involved cancer survivors aged 18 years or older; and (iii) assessed employment outcomes.
The aims were both to describe the variety of interventions that have been studied using rigorous methods and to estimate intervention effects using systematic review and meta-analysis methodologies.
We found 12 studies evaluating the effects of psychosocial interventions on the employment of cancer survivors (N = 2,151). Overall, there were positive effects on employment status but no evidence of an effect on hours worked and sick leave.
Despite the positive effect of psychosocial interventions, methodological shortcomings of the included studies overall make it likely that there was bias in the results and too few studies to provide sufficient evidence to recommend particular practices. This review brings attention to the need for additional rigorous studies.
This article advances understanding of social work science by examining the content and methods of highly utilized or cited journal articles in social work.
A data base of the 100 most frequently cited articles from 79 social work journals was coded and categorized into three primary domains: content, research versus nonresearch, and, for research articles only, method used.
Findings show that knowledge utilization occurs on a conceptual level (related to professional developments, theory, and service needs of specific populations) as well as an instrumental level (such as related to intervention effectiveness). Fifty-one percent of highly cited articles were empirical and, of these, 33% relied on descriptive methods, 45% on explanatory methods, and 22% on control methods used primarily to study intervention effectiveness.
Operationalizing the utilization of scientific knowledge in terms of the demand for specific journal articles reveals the content and methodological domains that characterize extant social work science. Six strategies in research, practice, and education are proposed to advance the further development of social work science.
We examine how frontline workers and supervisors delivering a research-supported intervention (RSI) to reduce child neglect negotiated system-related challenges, the pragmatics of RSI implementation, and their professional identities and relationships with clients.
We conducted semi-structured interviews, small group discussions, and focus groups with frontline workers and supervisors in one large county over two time periods. We used iterative coding to analyze qualitative data.
Frontline workers navigated several aspects of RSI implementation and sustainment: (1) contract requirements and information dissemination, (2) fidelity, (3) competing demands and crises, (4) structure versus creativity, and (5) relationships with clients.
Workers dynamically negotiated multiple system- and provider-level (or outer- and inner-contextual) demands influencing RSI provision for clients with complex service needs. Results affirm the need to attend to the unintended consequences of implementing new contract, reimbursement, and other system or organizational processes and to address the "committed work" supporting RSI delivery.
We assessed citation impact scholarship of women in the top 25-ranked schools of social work in the United States.
We used a mixed methodology. Part 1 was a secondary data analysis of the top-25 U.S. News and World Report ranked schools from 2012 using the Hirsch h-index over a 10-year period. Qualitative interviews were conducted with graduates from top-ranked schools. We then examined the faculty websites.
The mean h-score was 18.64. The majority of these women were employed at the University of Washington (n = 6), followed by Columbia University and the Universities of Southern California (n = 3, respectively), Michigan, and California at Berkeley (n = 2, respectively).
The overall impact scores for these women are significant and speak to a number of factors including negotiating long-standing systemic and structural variables. We continue to describe elements of research cultures, which are essential to our profession’s academic development in today’s corporate university cultures.
School refusal is a psychosocial problem associated with adverse short- and long-term consequences for children and adolescents. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effects of psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with school refusal.
A comprehensive search process was used to find eligible randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing the effects of psychosocial treatments on anxiety or attendance outcomes. Data were quantitatively synthesized using meta-analytic methods.
Eight studies including 435 children and adolescents with school refusal were included in this review. Significant effects were found for attendance but not for anxiety.
Evidence indicates that improvements in school attendance occur for children and adolescents with school refusal who receive psychosocial treatment. The lack of evidence of short-term effects on anxiety points to the need for long-term follow-up studies to determine whether increased attendance ultimately leads to reduced anxiety.
To replicate the results of Parrish and Rubin’s continuing education workshop in the evidence-based practice (EBP) process utilizing different workshop facilitators with participants in a different geographic location.
We used a replicated, one-group pretest–posttest design with 3-month follow-up to evaluate the effectiveness of a 7-hr, continuing education workshop. Social workers’ (N = 45) knowledge of, attitudes toward, views of feasibility, intentions to use, and current use of the EBP process were assessed.
Three of four cohorts of participants showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest in the overall measure of the EBP process (p < .05). Participants’ scores significantly improved over time regarding their familiarity with, attitudes about, and intentions to use and current use of the EBP process (p < .001).
Parrish and Rubin’s continuing education workshop in the EBP process appears to be an effective means to train social workers in the EBP process.
The teamwork life skill is a critical outcome desired in many positive youth development interventions; however, limited versatile, user-friendly measures of this construct exist.
This study examines the psychometric properties of the Teamwork Scale for Youth, an assessment designed to measure youths’ perceptions of their teamwork competency.
The Teamwork Scale for Youth was administered to a sample of 460 youths. Confirmatory factor analyses examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the scale across time. Correlations between teamwork and perceived social competence and commitment scores were also examined.
The revised 8-item Teamwork Scale for Youth was found to demonstrate acceptable factorial validity and measurement invariance across time. Additionally, strong reliability and concurrent and predictive validity of the scale were established.
The Teamwork Scale for Youth is a brief, easily administered, psychometrically sound tool that can be used with confidence in social work research and practice.
The Working Alliance Inventory remains a widely studied measure of quality of therapeutic relationships between the practitioner and client. No prior study has examined the psychometrics and validity of the Working Alliance Inventory–Short (WAI-S) in a sample of families, social workers, and trained observers within child protection services. Surveys were completed by 130 families, social workers concerning 274 cases, and observers following 165 home visits during the first wave of data collected from a randomized controlled trial of child protection services. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on three versions of the WAI-S and demonstrated moderate to good model fit. Convergent construct validity was found with other standardized measures. Results support the use of the WAI-S during in child protection services practice and research. Future research into family engagement in child protection social work services should focus on the working relationship.
Family support programs commonly use self-sufficiency matrices (SSMs) to measure family outcomes, however, validation research on SSMs is sparse. This study examined the reliability of the Colorado Family Support Assessment 2.0 (CFSA 2.0) to measure family self-reliance across 14 domains (e.g., employment).
Ten written case studies were developed. Family advocates (n = 24) independently coded each case study on each domain of the CFSA 2.0. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated to determine the level of agreement between participants. Rating accuracy was calculated by subtracting the correct score for each domain and case study from the score given by the raters.
ICCs ranged from .79 to .96. Across all domains and case studies, family advocates were 84.4% accurate. Allowing for minor deviations (off by 1 on the 5-point scale) shows 96% accuracy.
A well-constructed SSM can be used to collect reliable and objective data on family self-sufficiency.
This study examined the efficacy of Hands-On Parent Empowerment-20 (HOPE-20) program.
Eligible participants were parents residing in Hong Kong with target children aged 2 years attending nursery schools. Cluster randomized control trial was adopted, with 10 schools (110 participants) assigned to intervention group and 8 schools (63 participants) to control group using random number table, without blinding of participants. Intervention group attended 20 parent training sessions based on social learning theory. Children were individually assessed on preschool concepts and language skills. Parents completed child behavior and parental stress questionnaires.
Intention-to-treat analysis (173 participants and 18 schools) indicated improvement in primary outcomes: child preschool concepts (d = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.38, 1.01]) and child behavior problems (d = 0.67, 95% CI: [0.35, 0.99]), together with language skills (d = 0.98, 95% CI: [0.65, 1.30]), and parental stress (d = 0.71, 95% CI: [0.39, 1.02]).
The results suggested that HOPE-20 program was beneficial to Chinese families.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences between intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting attitudes by race by comparing demographic, parenting, and IPV indicators for African American and White men.
The study employed a nonequivalent, control group design in a secondary analysis of 111 men.
Analyses indicated that (1) African American men had more children; (2) chi-square tests revealed no statistically significant differences between African American and Caucasian men with respect to IPV perpetration and parenting attitudes; and (3) a logistic regression model indicated that the number of children and a higher risk category for parenting attitudes were significant predictors of race group membership.
These findings reveal that having more children is related to a higher level of stress on intimate partner relationships, and these stressors are not evenly distributed across racial groups. Batterer intervention programs should include parenting skills to help perpetrators better cope with such stresses.
The probity of the Children’s Bureau’s National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) is examined with respect to the status of child welfare as well as the performance of social work education. By requiring that funding go only to accredited schools of social work, which is not authorized by relevant provisions of the Social Security Act, NCWWI effectively establishes a cartel that excludes other disciplines. Alternatives to improve child welfare services and staff training are considered.
Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the 6-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6).
A subsample of emerging adults, aged 18–29 (n = 20,699), from the 2013 National Survey of Drug Use and Health were used in this study.
Each of the models (one-factor, two-factor depression and anxiety and second-order two-factor psychological distress by depression and anxiety) demonstrated good fit, with significant loadings on each factor. The second-order two-factor model and the two-factor model were equivalent and a better fit than the one-factor model.
Findings suggest that researchers and practitioners may confidently use the K6 to screen for psychological distress symptoms within the emerging adult population.
This article provides benchmark data on within-group effect sizes from published randomized clinical trials that supported the efficacy of problem-solving therapy (PST) for depression among adults. Benchmarks are broken down by type of depression (major or minor), type of outcome measure (interview or self-report scale), whether PST was provided to elderly participants in poor health, and whether an intent-to-treat analysis was conducted. Practitioners can compare these benchmarks to their effect size in providing PST with depressed clients as a basis for deciding whether the way they are adopting or adapting this intervention is satisfactory or needs to be modified or replaced by a different intervention approach. These benchmarks also have potential utility for future implementation research on PST for depression.
The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of an 11-item Personal Safety Decision Scale (PSDS) in a sample of child welfare workers.
Data were derived from a larger cross-sectional online survey to a random stratified sample of 477 public child welfare workers in a mid-Atlantic State. An exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the construct validity of the revised scale.
Results indicated the presence of a two-factor structure in PSDS. CFA resulted in a revised 7-item, two-factor structure. The revised PSDS internal consistency reliability was .78.
A valid and reliable measure can be useful for assessing the level of perceived home visit risks that child welfare social workers may experience. The scale can be used to explore the risk and protective factors and worker behaviors that surround workers’ safety concerns.
The need for psychometrically sound measurement approaches to social work educational outcomes assessment is increasing.
The research reported here describes an original and two replication studies of a new scale (N = 550) designed to assess an individual’s self-efficacy regarding social work competencies specified by the Council on Social Work Education as part of the accreditation of social work programs.
This new measure, the Self-Efficacy Regarding Social Work Competencies Scale (SERSWCS), generally performed in line with our expectations.
The SERSWCS is a measure that is based on substantial theoretical and empirical work, has preliminary evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the data it produces, can be used with large numbers of students in an efficient manner, is neither expensive or subject to user restrictions, and provides views of outcomes that have utility for pedagogical considerations at multiple curricular levels.
We assessed the rate of recovery from schizophrenia in community-based psychosocial rehabilitation and whether psychosocial attributes predicted the achievement of recovery beyond demographic and clinical characteristics.
We used data from 246 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after admission to psychosocial rehabilitation.
The proportion of participants who showed recovery during either 6-month period and the full 1-year period was 19.86% and 7.53%, respectively. Although predictors of recovery for the 1-year period could not be reliably estimated due to its low rate, higher levels of intrinsic motivation and more positive family relationships at baseline predicted recovery for either 6-month period after controlling for initial functioning capacity.
One in five individuals with schizophrenia who engage in intensive community-based psychosocial rehabilitation can achieve periods of recovery during treatment. Psychosocial attributes at the start of treatment are important contributors to subsequent recovery.
This is a replication of a study that examined the effects of teaching foundation competencies in group work to social work students and assessed their self-confidence in applying these skills. This study improves on the first by utilizing a controlled design.
Twenty-six master of social work students were taught group work competencies derived from the International Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups’ (IASWG) Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups using didactic activities and micro-skill exercises. Students were assessed 4 times on their confidence in group work competencies using a validated 70-item inventory. Group work skills were divided into three blocks and taught successively in an abbreviated multiple-baseline design.
The t-tests indicated significant increases in confidence ratings after training on the respective skills but not before skills training.
The results provide additional support for the effectiveness of the teaching approach in building student confidence in using IASWG Standards.
This study examines three preparatory strategies that can be used during treatment sessions to bridge the gap between clinician recommendations for client participation in 12-step programs (TSPs) and client adherence to such recommendations.
A sample of 284 clinicians completed an online survey. Clinicians responded to items measuring their willingness to motivate client participation in TSPs, integrate 12-step principles into sessions, and form positive attitudes toward 12-step culture. Analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Clinician attitudes toward 12-step culture had a significant effect on clinician willingness to motivate client participation in TSPs. Clinician attitudes toward 12-step culture also mediated the effect of integrating 12-step principles into treatment sessions on willingness to motivate client participation in TSPs.
Because positive attitudes toward 12-step culture play a central role in the referral-making process, it is recommended that clinicians cultivate positive attitudes toward 12-step culture.
Chinese people generally lack knowledge of mental illness. Such phenomenon may lead to a delay in seeking psychiatric treatments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program in improving mental health knowledge of the general public in Hong Kong.
A quasi-experimental design was adopted whereby 138 participants received MHFA training and 139 partook in seminars on general health, respectively. All participants filled out a standardized questionnaire before, at the end, and 6-month after the training.
Findings demonstrated that MHFA training might be effective in enhancing participants’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma, and improving perceived confidence in providing help to people with mental illness. Effect size statistics revealed mostly modest to moderate improvements in major variables in the experimental group.
It is recommended that culturally attuned MHFA program can be used as prevention strategy to promote good mental health in Chinese communities.
To determine the suitability of the Elementary School Success Profile for Children (ESSP-C) for assessment and comparison of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students.
Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis and invariance testing were conducted to determine the ESSP-C’s validity for use with Black/African American and White students. Latent mean comparisons were performed to determine statistically significant differences in school belonging and social support between racial/ethnic groups.
The ESSP-C demonstrated partial measurement invariance at a level (93% invariant) that supports the validity of the measure for Black/African American and White students. Black/African American students reported a significantly higher mean level of school belonging compared to White students.
The ESSP-C can be used to make valid assessments and comparisons of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students, which may be useful in guiding school social work practice and intervention.
To review and assess theory and research supporting DIR/Floortime™, a method proposed for treatment of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Published materials describing the principles of DIR/Floortime™ were evaluated. Published outcome research articles were assessed for the adequacy of their design and implementation and the extent to which their conclusions were supported.
The theoretical basis of DIR/Floortime™ appears to be generally plausible. Of the 10 outcome research articles in print, all concluding that DIR™ effectively treated ASD, five provided a comparison group, or used a randomized design, or did both. These studies failed to equalize the duration and frequency of DIR™ and the comparison treatment.
DIR™ can be considered by social work practitioners as a possibility for evidence-based practice (EBP), but not as an evidence-based treatment (EBT). Further outcome research needs to concentrate not only on randomized design but on other design issues.
This study evaluated the benefits of a "survivor to thriver" strengths-based group intervention program to facilitate posttraumatic growth in women survivors of child sexual abuse.
A quasi-experimental, one group, pretest, posttest, time-delay design was employed using qualitative methods to evaluate the benefits of the intervention with 10 purposively selected women with a history of child sexual abuse. Six group sessions were conducted as well as a delayed follow-up session. Qualitative data were collected using drawings, narratives, and transcriptions.
Qualitative thematic content data analysis portrayed enabling processes of PTG such as emotional awareness, decisive action, posttrauma identity, and a healing group context.
These themes suggest growth outcomes. However, a longitudinal study is recommended to establish efficacy and to inform practice with replicable interventions.
This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students’ knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric properties were evaluated. Specifically, the factor structure and the internal consistency of the PKA-HTQ were evaluated.
Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a replication EFA were conducted on two independent samples of university students, an initial validation (n = 325), and cross-validation (n = 212) sample.
The EFA revealed a three-factor structure, that is, self-appraisal of knowledge/skills (α = .89), worldview (α =.78), and help-seeking behavior (α =.66); this three-factor structure was supported by replication EFA.
The PKA-HTQ questionnaire shows promise as a meaningful, potentially reliable and valid measure.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between parenting attitudes and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and identify factors associated with program completion for a 26-week batterer intervention program (BIP).
The study employed a nonequivalent, control-group design (comparing program completers to dropouts) in a secondary analysis of 111 men court ordered to the BIP.
Correlational and logistic regression analysis indicated (1) a modest relationship between the parenting attitudes and the IPV perpetration, (2) a significant model for predicting parenting attitudes scores using number of children and racial group, and (3) BIP treatment completion could be successfully predicted by education.
These findings reveal characteristics of male batterers, as they relate to parenting attitudes and provide preliminary evidence suggesting that men in treatment for IPV offenses endorse a host of negative parenting attitudes. Implications of these findings were explored and discussed.
(1) To compare demographic, mental health, service usage, and emotional and behavioral characteristics and strengths of youth receiving care from depressed versus nondepressed caregivers and (2) to determine whether a community-based program for reducing problematic behaviors and bolstering strengths is equally effective for youth with depressed versus nondepressed caregivers.
Data from 165 caregiver–youth dyads were analyzed using Pearson’s 2 tests, unpaired t-tests, and paired t-tests to determine pretreatment differences between groups and differences in youth outcomes over time.
Results indicated that youth with depressed caregivers accessed different services, exhibited more problematic behaviors, and possessed fewer strengths. However, youth with depressed caregivers also showed significantly more improvement over time than did youth with nondepressed caregivers.
Findings suggest that additional outreach to depressed caregivers about available services is needed. Additionally, caregiver depression may not always have as negative of an impact on youth outcomes as previously thought.
This study examined the efficacy of the Parent and Child Enhancement (PACE) program on child learning, child behavior problems, and parental stress, using randomized controlled trial design, in social services centers.
Eligibility criteria were (1) children aged 2 years at program commencement, (2) low-income, new immigrant, or single-parent families, and (3) parent–child dyads being Hong Kong residents. Intervention group dyads were offered the PACE program (40 two-hour sessions on child learning and parenting). Primary outcomes included child preschool concepts, child behavior problems, and parental stress. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention (76 dyads) and control group (73 dyads) using a random number table, without blinding.
Intention-to-treat analysis with 149 dyads indicated improvement in child preschool concepts, decrease in child behavior problems and parental stress in the intervention group, compared with the control group (d = 0.12–0.73).
The results provided evidence for the efficacy of the PACE program.
Since the introduction of evidence-based practice in South Korea, it has gained significant attention for its potential to promote the efficacy of social work services and to integrate knowledge and practice in mental health social work. In order to see how empirical research in South Korean mental health social work has changed, we examined publication trends found with the journal Mental Health and Social Work, analyzing a total of 402 articles published from 1994 to 2013. A content analysis was performed with a focus on research methods and results, and the types of research questions and the designs reported. We found that (1) the number of empirical research articles increased over the past 20 years, (2) research on factors affecting clients’ lives or service outcomes was found to be dominant, and (3) correlational studies were most prevalent. We conclude that while a quantitative basis for mental health social work has increased, the rigor of the research needs to be further developed. Several suggestions are included at the end of this article with an aim to help promote more balanced evidence research and utilization of evidence in the field of mental health social work in South Korea.
Cyber bullying represents a new and alarming form of bullying that potentially leads to serious and long-lasting consequences for young people; yet, there is a dearth of research on the assessment of cyberbullying behaviors among emerging adults. Thus, this study aims to close this gap by assessing the development and validation of the cyberbullying behavior scales for application in social work research and practice settings.
Two scales, cyberbullying perpetration (CBP) and cyberbullying victimization (CBV), were validated using a purposive sample of 286 undergraduate students aged 18 to 25.
Both CBP and CBV scales showed excellent reliability (α = .93 for CBP and α = .95 for CBV), good fit, and strong convergent validity.
The cyberbullying behavior scales provide valid and reliable measures of emerging adults’ bullying behaviors. Implications for further social work research and practice are discussed.
This study tested the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), compared with Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in alleviating academic procrastination.
A total of 60 (53.3% male) undergraduates suffering from academic procrastination were randomly assigned to two treatment groups (ACT and CBT) and a control group. The procrastination symptoms and related psychological mechanisms were assessed immediately after the closure of treatment and at 3-month follow-up (FU).
Both therapies showed remarkable short-term effects in decreasing procrastination, but ACT had a better long-term effect. Participants achieved self-esteem enhancement through treatment of both ACT and CBT. While ACT significantly decreased negative affect and improved neuroticism, CBT had a stronger effect on time management.
The findings suggest that both CBT and ACT are effective interventions for procrastinators but may have different therapeutic mechanisms.
The purpose of this study was to examine the construct and predictive validity of the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2).
The validity of the AAPI-2 was evaluated using multiple statistical methods, including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and latent class analysis. These analyses were conducted using data collected from a culturally diverse sample of 2,160 low-income parents.
Although the AAPI-2 yielded high reliability coefficients, analyses of the instrument’s validity diverged significantly from the results reported by the instrument’s developers. Specifically, the instruments’ reported five-factor structure was not supported in this study. Moreover, parents’ AAPI-2 scores were not associated with child abuse as originally hypothesized. However, when the AAPI-2 was analyzed as a categorical latent variable, the results were useful in identifying parents who were unlikely to abuse or neglect their children.
Further replication and extension research on the AAPI-2 with other low-income populations is warranted.
Following up an Research on Social Work Practice article published a decade ago, this study aimed to examine reference error rates among five, widely circulated social work journals.
A stratified random sample of references was selected from the year 2013 (N = 500, 100/journal). Each was verified against the original work to detect errors among author name(s), publication year, article title, journal title, volume number, and page numbers. Interrater consistency was 0.88.
In the sample, 163 (33%) references contained at least 1 error, producing 258 total errors. Author names held the highest error rate (0.26) and the volume number held the lowest (0.04). The highest error rate was found in Social Service Review (0.48), statistically significantly higher than the remaining journals.
Reference accuracy in social work journal articles has increased marginally. Substantial reference errors in articles among widely circulated journals may portray an aggregate lack of polished, scholarly writing/editing skills within the profession.
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of gender and other variables commonly associated with intimate partner abuse perpetration on program completion and pretreatment abusiveness profiles among a sample of men and women ordered into a 52-week batterer intervention program (BIP). Method: The study employed a posttest only design with nonequivalent groups (comparing program completers to dropouts and men to women) in an analysis of 175 clients mandated into a BIP. Results: Analysis indicated that there were no significant differences between men and women in terms of program completion and that women were significantly more likely than men to report engaging in severe physical abuse perpetration, and a logistic regression analysis indicated that dropouts were 6 times more likely to have initiated physical abuse compared to completers. Conclusion: These findings reveal characteristics of BIP program participants as they relate to self-reported abusiveness and provide preliminary evidence suggesting that both BIP pretreatment profiles and treatment completion rates of men and women are similar, with implications for policy and treatment.
The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of child behavior change over time in a replication of the KEEP intervention.
The study sample was drawn from the treatment group of the Maryland replication of KEEP (n=65). Change over time was analyzed using multilevel linear mixed modeling.
Parents’ use of positive reinforcement relative to discipline was associated with the rate of child behavior change among program participants; parents with the lowest initial levels of reinforcement reported the greatest decrease in child problem behaviors. Other participant characteristics were not associated with child behavior change during the study period.
The results indicate the efficacy of an evidence-based foster parent training program for reducing child problem behaviors and underscore the utility of teaching parents to use more positive responses relative to discipline as a robust path to improved child outcomes.
This study aims to translate and test the reliability and validity of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness-Cantonese (ISMI-C).
The original English version of ISMI is translated into the ISMI-C by going through forward and backward translation procedure. A cross-sectional research design is adopted that involved 295 participants randomly drawn from a population of Chinese consumers participated in different kinds of community-based mental health services.
Results show that the Cronbach’s α coefficient of the ISMI-C is .93. With regard to validity test, the ISMI-C shows significant and negative correlation with measures on self-esteem and quality of life. Also, an explorative factor analysis yields five factors that are consistent with previous research results.
This study shows that the ISMI-C is a reliable and valid measure. ISMI-C can facilitate the development of interventions in reducing self-stigma for people with mental illness across Chinese societies.
Attrition is a common problem in psychotherapy and can be defined as clients ending treatment before achieving an optimal response.
This longitudinal, archival study utilized data for 3,728 clients, using the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2. A Cox regression proportional hazards (hazard ratios) model was used in order to better understand who is likely to attrit when considering (1) demographics, (2) diagnostic categories, and (3) process variables (e.g., recent symptom change).
A pattern emerged, with younger clients and those reporting less education and lower incomes being more likely to end. Clients who demonstrated a recent status change were more likely to remain in treatment.
Consistent with the large-scale STAR*D study, clients with more social and economic challenges demonstrated more risk. Adults diagnosed with a substance or obsessive compulsive disorder–related disorder showed the most elevated risk. Engagement strategies are discussed, with the goal of better supporting recovery.
To construct a needs assessment instrument for older people using a standardized terminology (International classification of functioning, disability, and health [ICF]) and assess its psychometrical properties.
An instrument was developed comprising questions to older people regarding their perceived care needs. The instrument’s reliability, validity, and utility were tested. Forty-one social workers and 251 older people participated.
The questions were sufficiently unambiguous (inter-rater reliability, intraclass correlation = .60–.80); measured a person’s care and service needs to a satisfactory extent (criteria validity, agreement between social workers’ and older people’s assessments = 72–94%); both social workers and older people considered the questions useful; and the needs of older people were documented in social records to a greater extent when the instrument was used.
The psychometric properties of the instrument support its use by social workers to gain relevant information on elder care needs.
This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of The "Thank You, Sorry, Love" (TSL) family therapy program in potentially improving the marital relationships and health of North Korean refugee women.
The participants included 12 married North Korean female refugees in their 20s to 40s. Using a blinded assignment, six received the TSL family therapy program and six did not receive any treatment. Pretests (just before the program), posttests (just after termination of the program), and follow-up tests (1 month after termination of the program) were conducted.
The program participants experienced a statistically significant decrease in marital violence and an increase in their total antioxidant activity levels.
TSL family therapy has the potential to contribute to improving the lives of traumatized North Korean refugee women. Larger scale replication studies involving random assignment would be a useful next step in evaluating the TSL program.
Faith-based interventions have emerged culturally sensitive way to address mental health issues among African Americans. This systematic review explores the scope and efficacy of faith-based mental health intervention outcomes among African Americans. Extracted data included the study population, setting, study design, intervention, adaptations, outcome measures, data analysis, and results. Methodological quality and sociocultural adaptations were also examined. The literature search identified 627 articles from 9 targeted databases. Five studies met inclusion criteria for this review. All five studies reported improvement in mental health outcomes and most studies sought to increase knowledge of mental health issues. Intervention settings, outcomes of interest, age groups, and attention to sociocultural modifications varied greatly. This review highlights a gap in the literature regarding African Americans and faith-based interventions. We discuss the potential for collaboration between social work professionals and clergy and the need to make faith-based interventions more accessible.
This study assessed the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) exposure as an assessment and treatment modality for youth with social anxiety disorder (SAD).
Forty-one adolescents, 20 of which were identified as having SAD, were recruited from a community sample. Youth with and without SAD were exposed to two social virtual environments—party and public speaking—and two neutral virtual environments.
All youth reported significantly higher ratings on the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) during the party and public speaking scenarios compared to the two neutral environments, while youth with SAD reported significantly higher SUDS in the public speaking and party environments than those without SAD. Youth also demonstrated acceptable levels of presence and immersion in the VR environments.
VR exposure treatment appears to be feasible for youth with SAD, highlighting the need for further research on its development.
To scope evaluations of Indigenous parenting programs designed to improve child psychosocial outcomes.
Electronic databases, gray literature, Indigenous websites and journals, and reference lists were searched. The search was restricted to high-income countries with a history of colonialism.
Sixteen studies describing evaluations of 13 programs were found. Most were controlled studies from United States and Australia, targeting child social, emotional, behavioral and mental health outcomes, and these were delivered to groups of parents. Program content focused most often on child development and learning, child behavior management, and parent–child interactions. Some studies reported improvements in child and parent outcomes, though the majority used self-report measures and some were noncontrolled studies.
This scoping review provides the first known map of evaluations of programs targeting parents of Indigenous children. There were few rigorous evaluations of effectiveness. A rigorous systematic review is needed to evaluate the strength and extent of these findings.
Using the Head Start Impact Study data, this study examines Head Start’s impacts on social–emotional outcomes for children with disabilities.
Among 4,442 children, 570 children were reported to have disabilities. Ordinary least squares regression was used to determine whether the number of disabilities, having an individualized education plan (IEP), and receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) affect social–emotional outcomes for children with disabilities and whether Head Start’s impact differs depending on these factors.
Children with multiple disabilities, an IEP, and SSI had lower social–emotional scores. Head Start impact was found for the following subgroups: children with no disabilities, children who never received an IEP, children living in a higher income household, and Black children.
Head Start should identify potential disabilities early and support the provision of adequate services to increase social–emotional outcomes for children with disabilities.
This article reviews the origins, conceptual bases, psychometric properties, and limitations of consumer satisfaction measures in social welfare and behavioral health. Based on a systematic review of research reports published between 2003 and 2013, we identify 58 consumer satisfaction measures. On average, these measures have acceptable reliability (mean Cronbach’s α = .85). However, the research on the concurrent and predictive validity of consumer satisfaction is inconclusive. We identify the following three core aspects of consumer satisfaction: (a) satisfaction with alternative elements of service, (b) promotion or recommendation of a program based on a recent service experience, and (c) subjective appraisal of change or problem resolution related to participation in a service. Attrition bias, reactivity, and confounding of ratings with the image of service providers complicate and condition the interpretation of consumer satisfaction as an outcome measure.
This study examines the impact of social work interventions in aging on quality of life (QOL) and cost outcomes in four categories (health, mental health, geriatric evaluation and management, and caregiving).
Systematic review methods are employed. Databases were searched for articles published in English between 2004 and 2012 that report outcomes of social work interventions for aging individuals (age ≥ 50) and/or their caregivers/families. Of the 464 identified articles, 45 representing 42 studies met inclusion criteria.
Seventy-one percent of the studies report significant QOL outcomes. Twenty-one studies include cost outcomes, with 15 (71.4%) documenting significant cost savings. Twelve (80%) of the studies reporting significant cost outcomes examine social work interventions in health, including care coordination and end-of-life/palliative care.
The findings suggest that social work interventions in aging have a positive and significant impact on QOL and cost outcomes. Applications for social work practice and research are discussed.
This study assesses social workers’ orientation toward the evidence-based practice (EBP) process and explores which specific variables (e.g. age) are associated.
Data were collected from 341 Dutch social workers through an online survey which included a Dutch translation of the EBP Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS), along with 13 background/demographic questions.
The overall level of orientation toward the EBP process is relatively low. Although respondents are slightly familiar with it and have slightly positive attitudes about it, their intentions to engage in it and their actual engagement are relatively low. Respondents who followed a course on the EBP process as a student are more oriented toward it than those who did not. Social workers under 29 are more familiar with the EBP process than those over 29.
We recommend educators to take a more active role in teaching the EBP process to students and social workers.
Objective: People who are homeless experience many barriers that affect their ability to gain and sustain work. In this study, we investigate whether personal job coaching support contributes toward employment success. Methods: The short- and long-term employment outcomes of 2,480 clients participating in a labor market program were analyzed. Results: Clients being supported by a job coach have significantly higher chances of gaining employment than those not being supported. This holds particularly true for the youngest age-group. Furthermore, results also indicate that job coaching improves clients’ chances of successfully sustaining employment. Conclusions: Personal approaches and individual coaching seem to be promising strategies in social work practice and specifically in return to work programs for people who have experienced homelessness.
The widespread adoption of research-supported treatments by mental health providers has facilitated empirical development of quality assurance (QA) methods. Research in this area has focused on QA systems aimed at assuring the integrity of research-supported treatment implementation, while examination of QA systems to assure appropriate documentation of the implementation has received extant attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to pilot the initial development of a standardized QA system to assist mental health providers in effectively maintaining records of their implementation of a research-supported treatment. After a baseline of record-keeping errors was established, a QA program was implemented. Results indicated that QA audits were reliably conducted, frequency of errors decreased significantly upon the implementation of QA, and the QA program was determined to be feasible. A significant negative linear relationship was found between frequency of QA audits and frequency of errors. Study implications for research-supported treatments are discussed in light of these results.
To conduct an initial validation of the mental health provider stigma inventory (MHPSI). The MHPSI assesses stigma within the service provider–client relationship on three domains—namely, attitudes, behaviors, and coworker influence.
Initial validation of the MHPSI was conducted with a sample of 212 mental health employees and graduate student counseling interns. Scale conceptualization and development, content validation, and construct validation measures are discussed.
Preliminary psychometrics indicated good model fit for a three-factor multidimensional scale. Reliabilities were strong (coefficient αs ranged from .83 to .93) and the global stratified α was .95. Evidence of construct validity supported the hypotheses about the accuracy of underlying constructs.
The MHPSI appears to be a reliable and valid measure of mental health provider stigma. As social workers comprise the front lines of mental health service provision, the MHPSI may be a valuable tool for guiding agency trainings and social work education.
Objective: Increasing rates of mental health needs in child welfare clients highlight the importance of training child welfare workers in effective mental health interventions. This pilot study evaluates the effects of training public child welfare workers and interns in modularized research-supported treatments (RSTs). Methods: We compared knowledge of and attitudes toward RSTs and barriers and facilitators to their use in a sample of 26 field instructors and 11 master of social work students trained in modularized RSTs with an untrained sample of 55 field instructors and 36 students. Results: Trained field instructors had higher knowledge scores at follow-up and were more open to adopting RSTs, as compared with untrained field instructors. Fewer barriers and more facilitators were associated with more positive attitudes toward RSTs across all groups. Conclusions: Interventions to address attitudes, barriers, and facilitators may facilitate the uptake of RSTs in child welfare.
Two studies examined the validity of using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) to assess growth following the transition to grandparenthood as an aid for social workers seeking to promote strengths-based interventions for this population.
In Study 1 (n = 210 grandparent/offspring pairs), first-time grandparents’ spontaneous answers to a qualitative open-ended question regarding changes following the birth of their first grandchild were compared to their responses to the PTGI. To corroborate these responses, the PTGI was also completed by the grandparent’s offspring. Additionally, the study examined the applicability of the five-factor structure of the PTGI to the population of first-time grandparents. In Study 2 (n = 202 couples), grandparents’ PTGI responses were compared with reports of their growth furnished by their spouses.
The PTGI can indeed be considered an effective instrument for measuring growth following the transition to grandparenthood and may therefore be used in designing strengths-based social work practices.
This study evaluated the effects of the Adoption Preservation, Assessment, and Linkage (APAL) postpermanency program.
A quasi-experimental, posttest-only design was used to estimate the program’s effects on youth discharged from foster care to adoption or legal guardianship. A random sample was surveyed (female = 44.7%; African American = 94%) and tracked with administrative data. The primary analysis estimated the program’s effect of being assigned to the intervention, whereas a supplementary analysis estimated the effects of actually receiving the services.
The APAL program was associated with higher levels of caregiver commitment, fewer youth behavior problems, and lower odds of placement discontinuity.
Offering postpermanency outreach services to families might help reinforce caregiver commitment and promote children’s well-being.
This article describes the Standard Interview for Evidence Use (SIEU), a measure to assess the level of engagement in acquiring, evaluating, and applying research evidence in health and social service settings.
Three scales measuring input, process, and output of research evidence and eight subscales were identified using principal axis factor analysis and parallel analysis of data collected from 202 state and county child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice systems leaders.
The SIEU scales and subscales demonstrate strong internal consistency as well as convergent and discriminant validity.
The SIEU is easy to use and can be administered as a complete scale or as three smaller scales to separately examine evidence in acquisition, evaluation, or application. The measure demonstrates potential in understanding the role of research evidence in service settings and in monitoring the process of evidence-based practice and application of scientific principles in social work practice.
This article presents the Journey of Hope (JoH), a school-based intervention for children who have experienced a collective trauma such as a natural disaster. Through the use of group work, the JoH focuses on building coping skills and enhancing protective factors to help children recover.
This quasi-experimental research included 102 children impacted by tornadoes in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2011.
Through an hierarchical linear model analysis with (n = 48) from the JoH group and (n = 54) from a wait-list control group, the outcomes indicate that after participation in the JoH youth had increased coping skills, F(100) = 5.270, p < .05, and prosocial behaviors, F(95) = 4.286, p < .05. This is the first quasi-experimental design to be conducted on the JoH; findings provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of this broad-based postdisaster intervention.
Future replication studies with larger samples in other societies impacted by a natural disaster are needed to further evaluate the JoH’s impact in enhancing coping and building resilience.
Growing emphasis on program and practice evaluation in social work education coalesces with a growing interest in evaluation capacity building (ECB) within the interdisciplinary field of evaluation. However, the literature on ECB, while recognizing the importance of imparting knowledge and skills to individuals, largely ignores the potential contribution of courses that are offered as part of academic degree-granting programs.
This article describes a seminar on program evaluation within a postgraduate course leading to a master of social work degree attended by currently employed social workers. The students were required to plan the evaluation of a program conducted by their respective agencies and carry out the evaluation, if possible. A survey was conducted among the graduates.
Almost all respondents reported that the seminar had improved their own evaluation capacity, and about a third reported enhanced evaluation capacity of their respective agencies. The ECB effect was strongest when stakeholders were involved in the evaluation.
An academic seminar can contribute to ECB, this contribution could be enhanced by designing the seminar with this purpose in mind.
The study had two objectives (a) to adapt for Chinese children an intervention designed to strengthen the social information–processing (SIP) skills of children in the United States, and (b) to pilot test the adapted intervention in China.
Adaptation of the Making Choices program involved reviewing Chinese literature on child development, translating and back-translating a treatment manual, modifying intervention content, and engaging experts to review program materials. Children (n = 91), ages 8–10, in five after-school child care centers in Tianjin, China, received the program. After propensity score adjustments, the skills of children who received the program were compared to the skills of children (n = 123) recruited from neighborhood primary schools.
The adapted program appears to have strengthened encoding skills. Patterns for other information-processing skills were promising but mixed.
The program has the potential to strengthen the SIP skills of children in China.
Objective: This article describes the evaluation of permanency roundtables, an intervention to help youth in foster care achieve legal permanency and the challenges evaluators faced in finding and using appropriate comparison data. Method: In 2009, permanency roundtables were conducted for 496 children in Georgia, most of whom had spent extended time in care. Half (50%) achieved legal permanency within 24 months of the roundtables. Results: Five potential sources of comparison data, none of which provide an ideal comparison, are presented and discussed. Conclusions: Ideally, evaluators should plan for one or more comparison groups at the very beginning of the evaluation. However, post hoc comparisons should not be dismissed altogether. The challenge for evaluators is to generate valid comparison groups to determine whether an intervention made a significant improvement, despite challenges such as limited funding, tight timelines, and unmeasured contextual differences between groups.
Objective: Psychometric details of the Parental Press for Academic Achievement and Postsecondary Planning Scale (PPS), developed by Chicago Consortium of Chicago School Research, are scarce. The purpose of this study was to reexamine the properties of this 7-item measure. Method: The study utilized cross-sectional, self-reported data from 100 low-income, first-generation undergraduate students at a university in the southern United States. Results: Factor analysis on the PPS revealed two dimensions with all items loaded, accounting for 81.44% of the variance. Reliability of the PPS was sound, that is, average interitem correlation was .62 and Cronbach’s α and split-half coefficients were .918 and .923, respectively. Convergent validity was suggested via significant correlations between the PPS and its theoretically similar constructs, that is, valuation of high school (r = .32) and parental support for college (r = .82). Conclusion: The PPS appears to be psychometrically appropriate for appraising students’ perceptions of parental support for academic success and postsecondary education.
The Flourishing Scale (FS) was developed to measure psychological well-being from the eudaimonic perspective, highlighting the flourishing of human functioning. This article evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the simplified Chinese version of FS among a Chinese community population.
A total of 433 participants from 17 different communities in southwest China completed a questionnaire package that included FS, Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, and Brief Symptom Inventory-18.
The results demonstrated excellent internal consistency, solid one-factor structure, strong convergent and discriminant validity, and incremental validity. Flourishing was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between total virtue and psychological distress.
FS was proved to be appropriate for use in assessing psychological well-being among a Chinese community population, which may be recognized as a promising tool to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for evidence-based social work practice.
Conduct secondary data analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of Massachusetts’ Adolescent Outreach Program for Youths in Intensive Foster Care (Outreach) for increasing social support (SS) among enrolled youth.
194 youth in intensive foster care under the guardianship of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families with a goal of independent living (IL) or long-term substitute care, and born between August 1985 and December 1990 (67% female, 66% White, 27% Hispanic) participated in the study between September 2004 and March 2009.
We hypothesized that Outreach compared to services as usual (SAU; control group) would increase participants’ SS and that there would be racial/ethnic disparities in SS as a function of the Outreach. Treatment effects were tested using mixed-effect models.
Outreach did not increase foster youth’s SS, compared to SAU. No racial/ethnic disparities in program effect were detected. Discussion and Applications to Social Work: Providers of IL services should reconsider how best to build and strengthen SS among the foster youth they serve.
Beyond Violence (BV), a new prevention program for women with assaultive offenses, demonstrated feasibility in previous studies. This study’s purpose is to assess the efficacy of BV using a randomized control trial.
Eligible women were randomly assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) and the experimental condition (BV). Measures of mental health and anger were administered to women at pre- and postintervention.
Outcomes reveal positive changes for both groups. Significant between-group differences favor BV on measures of anxiety and anger. Moreover, BV is cost-effective with only 20 sessions compared to 44 sessions for TAU.
The demonstrated effectiveness of BV is promising for this underserved population of women. Next steps: Replication and assessing long-term outcomes.
McBeath and Austin define the concept of research-minded practitioners, describe the organizational contexts, structures, and strategies for supporting this type of practitioner. Further, the authors propose a research agenda to establish effective organizational development strategies to support research-minded practitioners, align their efforts with organizational improvement processes, and culminate in new directions for practice research. This response to McBeath and Austin disagrees with their characterization of evidence-based practice, their definition of practice research, and their conceptualization of the research-minded practitioner as something different from an evidence-based practitioner. While McBeath and Austin are commended on their analysis of organizational barriers to research-minded practice, the redundancy of the concept of research-minded practice is questioned by reiterating commonly held definitions of evidence-based practice.
Achieving the goals of social work requires matching a specific solution to a specific problem. Understanding why the problem exists and why the solution should work requires a consideration of cause and effect. However, it is unclear whether it is desirable for social workers to identify cause and effect, whether it is possible for social workers to identify cause and effect, and, if so, what is the best means for doing so. These questions are central to determining the possibility of developing a science of social work and how we go about doing it. This article has four aims: (1) provide an overview of the nature of causality; (2) examine how causality is treated in social work research and practice; (3) highlight the role of quantitative and qualitative methods in the search for causality; and (4) demonstrate how both methods can be employed to support a "science" of social work.
This article provides an overview of some common challenges and opportunities related to cultural adaptation of behavioral interventions. Cultural adaptation is presented as a necessary action to ponder when considering the adoption of an evidence-based intervention with ethnic and other minority groups. It proposes a roadmap to choose existing interventions and a specific approach to evaluate prevention and treatment interventions for cultural relevancy. An approach to conducting cultural adaptations is proposed, followed by an outline of a cultural adaptation protocol. A case study is presented, and lessons learned are shared as well as recommendations for culturally grounded social work practice.
Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a resilience-based framework that accentuates positive traits in youth. PYD constructs are characteristics that are hypothesized to promote healthy development. However, measures to assess PYD constructs are lacking.
An instrument was created to assess PYD. One hundred and forty youth between the age of 7 and 18 (M = 11.6) completed the measure over five time points. Data were then analyzed using psychometric analysis techniques.
Findings suggest that the instrument is a reliable measure of PYD. The scale shows good reliability, with an overall Cronbach’s α of 92.
The Bridge-PYD may be a useful tool for program evaluation and the assessment of theoretical constructs in the PYD models.
Objectives: To assess the efficacy of educational and skills-based interventions to prevent relationship and dating violence in adolescents and young adults. Methods: We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and other databases for randomized, cluster-randomized, and quasi-randomized studies of interventions to prevent relationship or dating violence. We conducted meta-analyses for episodes of relationship violence, behaviors, and attitudes. Results: We included 38 studies (15,903 participants) in this review, of which we included 33 studies in the meta-analyses. The risk ratio for episodes of relationship violence was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.53, 1.13]). The standardized mean difference (SMD) for attitudes toward relationship violence was 0.06 (95% CI: [–0.01, 0.15]). The SMD for behavior related to relationship violence was –0.07 (95% CI: [–0.31, 0.16]). Subgroup analyses showed no statistically significant differences by setting or type of participants. Conclusions: We found no evidence of effectiveness of interventions on episodes violence, attitudes or behaviors.
The study reported the effectiveness of a home visit program for disadvantaged Chinese parents with preschool children, using cluster randomized controlled trial design.
Participants included 191 parents and their children from 24 preschools, with 84 dyads (12 preschools) in the intervention group and 107 dyads (12 preschools) in the control group. Outcome measures included parent report and direct assessment of children.
Linear mixed-method regression results indicated significant increase in child preschool concepts, decrease in parent-reported parenting stress and child behavior problems, and improvement in parent-reported social support, self-efficacy, child oral health practices, and healthy feeding practices. The parent assistants delivering the home visit programs reported decrease in child behavior problems and parenting stress, and increase in self-efficacy and social support from pretraining to posttraining and completion of home visits.
The results provided encouraging evidence that the home visit program was effective with Chinese families.
The increasing role of systematic reviews in knowledge production demands greater rigor in the literature search process. The performance of the Social Work Abstracts (SWA) database has been examined multiple times over the past three decades. The current study is a replication within this line of research.
Issue-level coverage was examined for the same 33 SWA core journals and the same time period as our 2009 study.
The mean percentage of issues missing in the current study was 20%. The mean percentage of issues missing in the current study was significantly greater than the mean percentage of issues missing in the 2009 study.
The research of other groups, and that of our own, has failed to prompt the National Association of Social Workers Press (NASW-P) to act. SWA was failing, it is failing, and NASW-P has failed to correct those failures.
For approximately 35 seconds on January 10, 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the small Caribbean nation of Haiti. This research used a preexperimental one-shot posttest to examine the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated trauma symptomatology from the earthquake experienced by a sample of adult Haitians who were living in temporary shelters located in "tent cities" in Port-au-Prince and a comparative group of displaced individuals who left the capital city and took up residence in the northern rural town of Terrier Rouge. Sixty-five (N-65) participants completed the Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R) to assess the severity of trauma symptomology in the study groups. Data presented are comparisons between the groups on total IES-R scores and the measure subscales for intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Based on the scores on the measure for the comparison groups 4 months after the earthquake, the findings suggests that all participants in the study exceeded the threshold of an acute stress disorder and most likely experienced PTSD. Implications of using the data in future longitudinal studies on trauma in Haiti are also discussed.
This research examines the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale (PCWS). This instrument is designed to assess child welfare workers’ understanding of how society views their role and their work.
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized to analyze data on 538 child welfare workers.
The final model consisted of three latent variables with 14 indicators related to stigma, value, and respect (2 = 362.33, p = .00; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .09; 90% confidence interval [CI]: [.08, .09]; comparative fit index [CFI] = .96; Tucker–Lewis Index [TLI] = .95).
The way in which workers believe others view their work suggests an increasingly complex prototype for understanding workforce issues. Those wishing to examine societal factors related to child welfare workforce issues could use this validated instrument.
A systematic review was conducted to examine effects of indicated interventions to reduce symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) experienced by mental health workers.
Systematic review methods were employed to search, retrieve, select, and analyze studies that met study inclusion criteria.
Over 4,000 citations were reviewed, 159 full-text reports were screened, and two studies were fully coded and determined to be ineligible. No studies met criteria for inclusion in this review.
There is compelling evidence of psychological effects of working with trauma victims; however, no rigorous evidence meeting eligibility criteria was found to inform how to intervene most effectively with mental health workers who experience symptoms of STS. While it is important to provide effective interventions to helpers who may be experiencing symptoms related to secondary trauma, it seems apparent that there is yet more we need to do in order to advance efforts in evaluating the outcomes of practices currently being used and under development.
U.S. tenure-track positions have steadily declined over the past 30 years and emphasis on research productivity has escalated. To achieve higher research and scholarship goals, the literature revealed that African American scholars have additional issues to overcome beyond the usual hurdles and challenges confronting other faculty. This study explored current research productivity by examining citation impact scores (h-indices) collected from Publish or Perish of African American scholars in top 25 ranked schools of social work cited in the 2012 U.S. News and World Report. The resultant sample consisted of N = 14 scholars with h-index scores of 9 and higher. Results revealed nonsignificant statistical differences between specified subgroupings, and 80% of these scholars overexceeded their respective school mean h-index scores. Future research calls for a more comprehensive knowledge of faculty research and scholarship activities overall, including unique subgroups of Social Work scholars such as African Americans.
Purpose: This systematic review studied the impact of exhaustion of unemployment benefits on the exit rate out of unemployment and into employment prior to benefit exhaustion or shortly thereafter. Method: We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to prepare this review, and ultimately located 12 studies for final analysis and interpretation. Twelve studies could be included in the data synthesis. Results: We found clear evidence that the prospect of exhaustion of benefits results in a significantly increased incentive for finding work. Discussion: The theoretical suggestion that the prospect of exhaustion of benefits results in an increased incentive for finding work has been confirmed empirically by measures from seven different European countries, the United States, and Canada. The results are robust in the sense that sensitivity analyses evidenced no appreciable changes in the results. We found no strong indication of the presence of publication bias.
Purpose: This review evaluates the evidence on the effects of brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) on drug use reduction for young people in treatment for nonopioid drug use. Method: We followed Campbell Collaboration guidelines to prepare this review and ultimately located three studies for final analysis and interpretation. Results: The results are mixed: BSFT does not seem to have better or worse effects on drug use frequency and family functioning than other treatments but has positive effects on treatment retention compared to control conditions. Longer retention in treatment has been identified as a consistent predictor of a favorable outcome from drug use treatment. Discussion: Although it is possible that the length of follow-up in the included studies was insufficient to detect significant changes, it should be noted that the evidence we found was limited, in terms of both the number of studies and their quality.
Three themes are central to preparing doctoral students for the professoriate: identity formation, scientific integration, and intellectual communities. In this article, we argue that these three themes are not separate pillars but interlocking circles. Our main thesis is that (1) social work must develop into a distinct integrative scientific discipline; (2) this recognition is core to the identity formation of doctoral scholars and, reflectively, their identity formation is central to the future development of social work as a scientific discipline; and (3) the sustainability of social work as a scientific discipline is dependent upon the development of intellectual communities. Developing social work as an integrative discipline will foster and congeal the identity of our scholars while allowing them to flourish within intellectual communities. Implications include nurturing a scientific sense of identity through a dialogical approach to doctoral education, creating and supporting intellectual communities, and making identity formation explicit in mentoring practices.
Recent research on psychosocial interventions addressing the well-being of women with HIV/AIDS has brought new options for practitioners. This study critically reviews the treatment features, methodological quality, and efficacy of these interventions.
A comprehensive search between 2000 and 2011 identified 19 studies employing 10 different interventions.
In all, 11 studies were methodologically strong and 12 reported interventions superior to other treatments. Among those with positive results, Cohen’s effect sizes ranged from small (d = 0.33) to large (d = 1.50) across well-being outcomes. The Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management/Expressive Supportive and Structural Ecosystems Therapies ranked as probably efficacious. The Teaching, Raising and Communicating with Kids and the Maternal HIV Self-Care Symptom Management programs were ranked as promising treatments.
In today's climate, it is becoming increasingly important to provide social work students with practice knowledge on research-supported social work interventions. CSWE has placed greater emphasis on using research-based knowledge to inform and guide social work practice, and the field has recognized the value of adhering to the evidence-based practice model in all facets of social work practice. It is at this juncture when social work educators are expected, with ever-diminishing resources, to offer training in evidence-based practice to social work students and practitioners that SAMHSA has developed a series of practice kits on a variety of research-supported treatment programs. Structuring portions of social work education around these toolkits would be one way of promoting a more research-supported curriculum content.
Objective: Though sparse in previous years, research on the mental health of Black men has recently experienced a gradual increase in social work journals. This article systematically organizes and critically examines peer-reviewed, social work evidence on the mental health of Black men. Methods: Twenty-two peer-reviewed articles from social work journals were examined based on their contribution to social work research and practice on the mental health of Black men. Results: The social work evidence on Black men’s mental health can be grouped into one of four categories: psychosocial factors; mental health care and the role of clinicians; fatherhood; and sexual orientation, HIV status, and sexual practices. Conclusions: This representation of the social work literature on Black men’s mental health neglects critical areas germane to social work research and practice with this population. Implications include ways to extend current social work research and practice to improve the health for Black men.
Based on a review of economists’ debates on mathematical economics, this article discusses a key issue for shaping the science of social work—research methodology. The article describes three important tasks quantitative researchers need to fulfill in order to enhance the scientific rigor of social work research. First, to test theories using empirical data, researchers should follow the positivistic/postpositivistic principles. Second, social work researchers should incorporate the latest advances in methods from other disciplines. Third, researchers should use quantitative methods to address the most pressing and challenging issues of social work research and practice.
Due to evidence linking education and development, funding has been invested in interventions relevant to getting youth into school and keeping them there. This article reports on a systematic review of impact studies of these school enrollment interventions. Reports were identified through electronic searches of bibliographic databases and other methods. To be eligible, studies (1) assessed impact on primary or secondary school enrollment outcomes; (2) used a rigorous design; (3) were conducted in a low- or middle-income nation; (4) included at least one quantifiable measure of enrollment or related outcomes; (5) were available before December 2009; and (6) included data on participants post-1990. A coding instrument extracted data on study characteristics from each report. Standardized mean difference effect sizes were computed for the first effect reported. The sample includes 73 evaluations. The average effect size was positive across all outcomes. However, the results varied. Studies that focused on building new schools and other infrastructure interventions reported the largest average effects.
Conceptualized by social work deans and actualized with the support of major social work organizations, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare was established in 2009. This article describes the historical context and creation of the Academy, whose objectives include recognizing outstanding social work scholars and practitioners; informing social policy by serving as a signal scientific source of information for the social work profession and agencies seeking information; promoting the examination of social policy and the application of research to the design and development of more effective public policies, social welfare programs, and social work practice; and celebrating excellence in research, education, and practice. The Academy’s 72 members have been selected using the methods of the National Academy of Science. The Academy’s first substantive effort is the Grand Challenges of Social Work Initiative, designed to help transform social work science, education, and practice around visionary and achievable challenges.
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. Method: The Cochrane Collaboration’s criteria for data synthesis and study quality assessment were used. Electronic bibliographic databases and web searches were used to identify randomized and quasi-randomized trials comparing psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy with treatment as usual or no treatment/waiting list control for children and adolescents up to the age of 18 who had experienced sexual abuse at any time prior to the intervention. Results: There are no randomized and quasi-randomized trials that met the inclusion criteria. Conclusion: As no eligible studies were identified, we cannot draw any conclusion as to the effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for this population. This important gap emphasizes the need for further research into the effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy in this population. Directions for future research in this area are discussed.
Purpose: As the number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) rises, attention is increasingly focused on employment outcomes for individuals with ASD who are exiting public school settings. This review aimed to identify what works in transition programs to help students with ASD obtain competitive employment after graduation. Method: Authors combed through the literature to find all research that could definitively identify interventions that predictably led to employment for transitioning youth. Results: While no definitive conclusions can be drawn based upon the current review, the authors identified qualitative research that addressed elements of potential successful employment placements for individuals with ASD. Discussion: Future research efforts are needed to develop studies that utilize rigorous experimental designs to determine the relative effectiveness of the various interventions being utilized in transition programming for students with ASD. This review is published in its entirety in the Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews.
Objective: This study assessed whether perceived social support (PSS) is a factor in improving physical and functional well-being observed among cancer patients receiving collaborative depression care. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of data collected in a randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of collaborative depression care. PSS was measured at 12 months; physical and functional well-being were assessed at 18 and 24 months post-baseline. Mediation analyses via a bootstrapping method were conducted. Results: Significant mediation of PSS at 12 months predicted better physical and functional well-being at 18 months and 24 months. Conclusion: Depressed cancer survivors are likely to benefit when social workers provide psychosocial depression care aimed at activating social support, thereby improving physical and functional well-being.
Objective: This study examined which individual factors predict mental health court diversion outcome among a sample of persons with mental illness participating in a postcharge diversion program. Method: The study employed secondary analysis of existing program records for 419 persons with mental illness in a court diversion program. Results: Analysis revealed that unemployment was a significant predictor of program completion. Employment and symptom severity were predictive of partial program completion, while participants who did not complete programming were more likely to have a concurrent disorder and were more likely to be residentially unstable than participants who did complete programming. Conclusion: These findings discuss characteristics of persons with mental illness, as they relate to the likelihood of completing diversion programming.
Objectives: To estimate the impacts of Sweden’s Contact Family/Person Program (CFPP) for older children on participants’ long-term outcomes related to mental health problems, illicit drug use, public welfare receipt, placement in out-of-home care, educational achievement, and offending. Method: We analyzed longitudinal register data on more than 1,000,000 individuals born between 1973 and 1984, including 6,386 individuals who entered CFPP at 10–13 years of age, with a follow-up until 2008. The program impact was estimated by means of propensity score matching. Results: Outcomes for those who had received the intervention were not better than that for matched peers who did not receive the intervention. Conclusions: The results did not find support for CFPP effectiveness in reducing risks of compromised long-term development in older children.
Objective: To assess the impact of a parenting intervention, Familias: Preparando la Nueva Generación (FPNG), intended to support children, on parents heavy drinking. We hypothesized that parent participants of FPNG would reduce their heavy drinking at 1-year follow-up. Methods: Parents (N = 281) of middle school children from a large, low-income metropolitan area in the Southwest United States participated in a randomized control trial over 2 years. Results: A logistic regression analysis using the maximum likelihood test determined that at Wave 3, parents receiving FPNG reduced heavy drinking behaviors compared to parents in the youth-only condition (odds ratio = .86, p < .05). Conclusions: Participating in the parenting program can effectively curb heavy drinking behaviors in parents—an important mechanism through which one may expect changes in youth risk behavior. The practice, policy, and research implications of these unintended findings are promising to the overall effectiveness of a parenting intervention for Mexican-heritage families.
As John Brekke has observed, social work does not use the word "science" to define itself, suggesting a need to articulate a science of social work. This article discusses the science of social work and its relationship to social work practice in the United States, arguing that a "rapprochement" between practice and science should be effected to their mutual benefit. It begins by unpacking both the definitions of social work and of science; considers epistemologies; and underlines the importance of theory in social work science and practice. The article concludes with ideas for identifying common ground and enhancing the practices of both scientists and practitioners in our field. These suggestions include acknowledging shared aims of improving care and services, fully embracing methodological pluralism, using theories and exploring domains within the field that are important to both practitioners and scientists, developing sustainable structures where scientists and practitioners can come together on an equal footing to learn from each other and to collaborate in practice-relevant research, and developing a knowledge broker service for practitioners.
Objectives: A meta-analysis was conducted in order to generate more understanding regarding the efficacy of aftercare programs in reducing the recidivism rates of juvenile offenders reentering their communities following a period of custody. Method: 30 eligible primary studies were obtained through a systematic literature review and were coded. Recidivism was the outcome variable and 11 moderating variables were grouped according to either a sample, treatment, methodological, or study characteristic. A summary effect size was computed while moderator analyses and meta-regression were also conducted. Results: The summary effect size of aftercare programs was non-significant but subgroup univariate and multivariate analyses yielded significant treatment effects for samples of youth who averaged over 16.5 years of age and whose predominant index offense was violent. Well-implemented aftercare programs also yielded substantial treatment effects. Conclusion: The findings suggest that under specific conditions aftercare can reduce recidivism rates for youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
Objectives: This article reports the first science mapping analysis of the social work field, which shows its conceptual structure and scientific evolution. Methods: Science Mapping Analysis Software Tool, a bibliometric science mapping tool based on co-word analysis and h-index, is applied using a sample of 18,794 research articles published from 1930 to 2012 in 25 main social work journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports of the Web of Science. Results: Published research social work field concentrated in eight main thematic areas: children, social services, health care, violence, women, HIV/AIDS, social workers, and education. HIV/AIDS and violence have recently attracted the interest of the social word scientific community, while the rest are classical thematic areas that still attract the interest and efforts of the researchers. Conclusion: This conceptual and empirical analysis shows how research themes have evolved in social work.
Objectives: Recruitment of the needed doctoral level social workers is impeded upon when doctoral graduates experience greater educational debt burden, modest salaries, and limited opportunities for student loan debt repayment. The purpose of this article is to describe a promising opportunity to reduce doctoral level social workers’ educational debt, the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program (NIH LRP). Methods: Based on the authors’ experiences in applying for the NIH LRP, we outline the major components of the program and discuss its usefulness—not only in its potential for loan forgiveness but also in outlining an early career trajectory. Results: The NIH LRP has the potential to provide instrumental support across multiple dimensions for early career PhD-level social workers. Conclusions: The NIH LRP application process requires the thoughtful consideration and planning necessary to achieve a successful early career experience for doctoral social workers to conduct research on social work practice.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Hong Kong Chinese families, using randomized controlled trial design. Methods: The participants included 111 Hong Kong Chinese parents with children aged 2–7 years old, who were randomized into the intervention group (n = 54) and control group (n = 57). The participants were requested to complete a set of questionnaires on child behavior problems and parenting before and after intervention. They were also assessed by PCIT therapists using Dyadic Parent–Child Interaction Coding System: Abbreviated Version (3rd edition) before and after intervention. Results: The results indicated significant decrease in child behavior problems, parenting stress, negative emotions, negative parenting practices, and increase in positive parenting practices in the intervention group, compared with the control group. Conclusion: The results provided encouraging evidence that the PCIT was effective with Hong Kong Chinese families.
Objective: To examine the effects of school-based interventions on the well-being of military-connected children (i.e., dependents of U.S. military service members, veterans, or reserve component members) who attend public or private elementary or secondary schools with parental deployment, parental reintegration, parental military-related trauma or death, or frequent moves. Method: Systematic review methods were employed to search, retrieve, select, and analyze studies that met inclusion criteria. Results: Over 1,400 citations were reviewed and 22 full-text reports were screened. One study met criteria for inclusion in this review. Effects on anxiety, self-esteem, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were not significant. Discussion: The paucity of intervention research in this area is surprising, given the increased awareness and research on the stresses and impacts of military deployment and other unique stressors related to military life on children. The results of this systematic review support the need for further development and testing of school-based interventions that address the needs of military-connected children.
Objective: This article examines the measurement invariance of Family, School, and Peer Influence on Volunteerism Scale (FSPV) across genders using the mean and covariance structure analysis approach. Method: A total of 2,845 Chinese high school adolescents aged 11 to 15 years completed the FSPV scale. Results: Results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are consistent with those of previous studies and support the four-factor model of the FSPV scale in each gender. Multiple-group CFA demonstrates the gender invariance of factor pattern, factor loadings, factor covariances, and intercepts of the measured variables across samples. The empirical findings indicate that male adolescents perceive more influences on volunteerism from families, schools, and peers than female counterparts. Both groups perceive extrinsic influence to be similar. Conclusion: The FSPV scale is gender invariant and can be used in assessing the perceived influence of social systems on volunteer service participation among Chinese adolescents for both genders.
Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of mutual aid groups for high school students. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was applied to 242 adolescents, where every other adolescent was assigned to the intervention or the control condition. The study evaluated the influence of implementing mutual aid groups in decreasing perceived risk of substance use, favorable attitudes toward substance use, and reducing substance use while increasing group engagement. Participants were assessed at baseline, during Sessions 2 and 7, and treatment exit. General linear mixed-effects models were used to detect significant differences between treatment and control conditions. Results: Findings indicated mutual aid groups significantly reduced favorable attitudes toward drug use and decreased alcohol and marijuana usage compared to the control group. In addition, the adolescents in treatment significantly increased their group engagement. Conclusions: Results support mutual aid group work models for reducing alcohol use and increasing group engagement for high school youth.
Intervention research is an important, yet often neglected, focus of social work scholars and investigators. The purpose of this article is to review significant milestones and recent advances in intervention research. Methodological and analytical developments in intervention research are discussed in the context of science and social work. Critical Time Intervention, a psychosocial approach to preventing homelessness and improving mental health outcomes among adult populations, is described as an example of rigorous intervention research in social work.
Objectives: The existing literature on the impact of workplace conditions on client care suggests that good cultures and climates provide the best outcomes for clients. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and climate and the proportion of children and youth successfully discharged from a large organization in New York state.Method: Thirty-three child and youth programs with existing culture and climate data evaluated outcome information from 1,336 clients exiting its services.Results:Programs reported as having bad culture and climate yielded superior client outcomes, measured as discharge to a lower level of care and successfully completing.Conclusion: This study and its conclusion point to a gap in knowledge concerning the relation between workplace culture and climate and the impact on client care and workers’ perceptions; this warrants further investigation in similar studies of agencies and their outcomes.
Objectives: The study examined the effects of the Self-Management Training and Regulation Strategy (STARS) on disruptive behavior, authority acceptance, social competency, and student–teacher relations. Method: All fourth- and fifth-grade students (N = 762) in seven schools and 42 classrooms were screened for disruptive behaviors. Using a cluster randomized design, 60 students in 23 classrooms and 48 students in 19 classrooms with highest levels of disruptive classroom behaviors were randomized to STARS or a control comparison condition. Multilevel models compared study conditions on all outcomes. Results: Study conditions were balanced at pretest. STARS students demonstrated improved teacher-rated disruptive behavior, social competence, authority acceptance, and relations. Conclusions: Selective programs targeting autonomy support improve social competencies and relationships that are important for school success.
Dyadic developmental psychotherapy (DDP) is a mental health intervention intended primarily for children with problematic attachment histories. It has received increased attention in the United Kingdom and the United States in the last few years. DDP has been publicized as a research-supported treatment, but a review of research shows that it does not meet ordinary standards for this category. In addition, DDP appears to be based on a number of questionable metaphors that have been used in attempted explanations of personality development and mental illness. Some unanswered questions about the background assumptions of DDP are presented. Caution about this method of therapy is recommended.
Objective: This research examines the psychometric properties of two subscales of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Multicultural Council’s Organizational Cultural Competence Assessment, which together have been used to assess organizational cultural competence in child welfare agencies. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to analyze data on 478 child welfare workers. Results: Six models were generated based upon the theoretical literature. The best-fitting model was unidimensional (2 = 13.18, df = 9, p = .15; root mean square error of approximation = 0.03; comparative fit index = 0.99; Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.99). Discussion and applications to social work: Factors that are more proximal to client interaction were stronger indicators of organizational cultural competence than those that were more distal. Those wishing to examine organizational cultural competence in voluntary child welfare settings should consider using the validated form of the AUCD instrument.
Objective: Little empirical attention has been paid to the validity scales of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of cases identified by the validity scales and its analytical impact. Methods: The current study compares regression models using data from two community samples (n = 3,724 and n = 2,245) and two samples of at-risk youth (n = 1,758 and n = 204). Using Chow tests to compare coefficients, we demonstrate the implications of removing cases identified by the TSCC validity scales. Results: The Underresponse (UND) scale identified 8% of the community sample and 20% of the at-risk sample. Chow tests revealed significant group differences based on the UND scale for all TSCC subscales. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the analytical impact of the TSCC validity scales and provides statistical evidence for the removal of invalid cases.
Objectives: Empirical evidence suggests substance dependence creates stress system dysregulation which, in turn, may limit the efficacy of verbal-based treatment interventions, as the recovering brain may not be functionally capable of executive level processing. Treatment models that target implicit functioning are necessary. Methods: An RCT was conducted to examine the effects of a dual-processing (DP) intervention compared to a didactic standard care (RP) model on brain function change in substance-dependent adults (N=29). Results: fMRI analyses showed decreased amygdala activation simultaneous with increased frontal lobe (medial frontal gyrus and ACC) activation in the DP group during passive watch condition, while the RP group showed continued amygdala activation simultaneous to frontal lobe activation during drug stressor presentation at post-treatment. Conclusions: Our study offers preliminary evidence that DP acts on neural functioning in ways that increase regulatory response in the presence of drug stressor cues by enhancing top-down functioning and diminishing amygdala reactivity.
Social work education grounded in social work practice has been recently challenged to examine the role of science in its history, core constructs and domains, philosophical underpinnings, and graduate curriculum. Doctoral education has been added to the scrutiny at the recent Science in Social Work Roundtable in Doctoral Education. Based on Lev Vygotsky’s scaffolding approach to facilitate learning, this article discusses doctoral student education with the four stages of (1) positioning doctoral students for a scientific career, (2) promoting doctoral students as scholars of the academy, (3) promulgating doctoral students as scientists of the profession, and (4) preparing doctoral student to be stewards of the discipline.
Objective: This study examined the validity and reliability of a person-directed care (PDC) measure for nursing homes in Korea. Method: Managerial personnel from 223 nursing homes in 2010 and 239 in 2012 were surveyed. Results: Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis for the first sample generated a 33-item PDC measure with eight factors. Item analysis for the second sample resulted in 32 items. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the acceptability of the revised instrument with seven factors of 30 items (2 = 650.96, root mean square error of approximation = .059, nonnormed fit index = .88, comparative fit index = .90, and incremental fit index = .90). The overall scale had high internal consistency and reliability (α = .925). Conclusion: Findings from this study confirm the validity of the revised Korean PDC scale.
Objective: This study examined the influence of oncology social workers’ expectations regarding aging (ERA) and ERA with cancer (ERAC) on their clinical judgment. Methods: Oncology social workers (N = 322) were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes describing a patient with lung cancer. The vignettes were identical except for the patent’s age and gender. Structural equation modeling served as the primary tool for testing the study hypotheses. Results: Significant differences were found in clinical judgment based on patient’s age, and social workers’ ERA and ERAC which affected diagnostic and treatment judgment for all patients. Lack of congruence was also found between the diagnosis and treatment phases of care for older patients. Emotional reaction was more often reported for the younger patient. Conclusion: Results suggest a barrier to "whole patient" care for all cancer patients and a need for student and practitioner training to place greater emphasis on the treatment phase of patient care.
Larry Palinkas advances the developing science of social work by providing an explanation of how social science research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, can improve our capacity to draw casual inferences. Understanding causal relations and making causal inferences -- with the promise of being able to predict and control outcomes -- is fundamental to the scientific enterprise. This response builds on Palinkas paper with two points: (1) The search for causality is inevitable, i.e., hard-wired into research decision-making process. (2) Thinking slowly about research methods, i.e., avoiding the influence of heuristics that may influence decision-making in predictable ways, will reduce bias and improve causal inferences.
Objectives: This study is the first review to be conducted to evaluate measures of wandering behavior for identifying people with dementia at risk of getting lost. Method: Drawing upon systematic review search strategies, the relevant literature was reviewed for wandering instruments using MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The psychometric properties of these were evaluated with reference to establishing the risk of getting lost. Results: The search yielded 34 instruments. Of these, one wandering-specific measure and four measures of behavioral change in dementia met inclusion criteria. The ability of these to confidently evaluate the risk of getting lost remains uncertain. Conclusion: Further research is required to more fully evaluate the psychometric properties of the retrieved instruments. This process is made complex by difficulties in defining wandering and getting lost and methodologically, by the absence of a criterion reference. Methodological developments are required to enhance assessment-focused reviews in the psychosocial intervention field.
While social work must be evaluative in relation to its diverse areas of practice and research (i.e., values-informed research), the purpose of this article is to propose that values are within the scope of research and therefore research on practice should make values a legitimate object of investigation (i.e., research-informed values). In this article, the fact/value debate in social work research is considered by offering reflection on the history and philosophy of this debate and by offering summary thoughts on how social work must engage with normativity (i.e., the ought, what matters most to people, and how the world and people matter) so the debate moves beyond mere questions about the relevance of values to the questions we ask, the methodologies we engage, the theories we promote, the interventions we support, our engagements with our many and diverse publics, and the investigation of values as causes.
Objective: This article brings the discussions on incorporating perceived importance across study areas into the study of client satisfaction and cautions the use of multiplicative scores (multiplying satisfaction and importance scores) as a weighting method. An alternative weighting method is provided. Method: Analyze data from a client satisfaction survey of 103 clients of a publicly funded elderly case management service unit located in a large U.S. Midwest region city. Results: The alternative weighted score correlated higher with all the global client satisfaction measures than the multiplicative score. Conclusion: Using multiplicative scores to represent global client satisfaction should be avoided. The proposed alternative weighting method is a reasonable way to incorporate perceived importance to represent global client satisfaction.
Objective: The present study was a pilot evaluation of the effectiveness of the Parent and Child Enhancement (PACE) program in enhancing child development for disadvantaged families with children aged 2 to 3. Method: Participants included 23 parent–child dyads who attended 2-hr sessions twice weekly for 20 weeks. Parents and children were assessed before and after program participation on child cognitive skills, learning motivation, behavior problems, parental stress, and social support. Where appropriate, teacher-reported measures were obtained. Results: The results indicated significant improvement in child cognitive scores, learning motivation, prosocial behavior, and a significant decrease in child behavior problems. Conclusion: The results provided limited initial but encouraging evidence for the effectiveness of the PACE program in promoting child outcomes. Implications for social work practice were discussed.
Contemporary research models are becoming increasingly transdisciplinary (TD), multilevel, community-connected, and bent on expediting the movement of research to impact. This requires not only fresh thinking about the science of social work but an educational architecture that fosters both cross-disciplinary understanding of complex underlying determinants and the ability to translate that knowledge into effective, sustainable action. This article illustrates the need for greater intentionality and coherence in preparing social work practitioners and researchers for participation in this changing landscape. We focus here on doctoral level training, but underscore opportunities for a robust educational "pipeline" linking undergraduate and graduate professional degree preparation to that at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. We summarize selected literature that defines and operationalizes TD translational research, reflect strategically on social work’s positioning within this scientific "marketplace," and offer recommendations for capacity building in social work doctoral education.
There are two purposes to this article. The first is to update the science of social work framework. The second is to use recent discussions on the nature of realist science and on social work science to propose a definition of social work as an integrative scientific discipline that complements its definition as a profession.
The emerging discourse on science in social work (SW) has generated much-needed analysis of the profession’s status as a scientific enterprise. Brekke raised critical issues that must be addressed for SW to become a science. This response examines the contextual factors that led to the call for SW science. It also relies on a comparative analysis of attempts by other professions and disciplines to become scientific to discuss critical challenges and opportunities for SW to evolve to science status in the highly contentious scientific environment of the 21st century.
Longhofer and Floersch argue for more expansive thinking about the modes of social science research predominant in contemporary social work science. This commentary concurs with aspects of their article that we see as compatible both with social work aims and with current trends and imperatives in research and practice, including mixed methods and participatory studies, translational research, the scholarship of engagement, and rapidly emerging interest in collective impact. At the same time, it encourages the authors to extend their analyses by grounding them more thoroughly in the specifics of contemporary social work research, encouraging collective dialogue about the implications of their proposals, and recognizing that contemporary transdisciplinary and translational research endeavors are typically more fully aligned with these proposals than this article allows.
Relationships are central to the profession of social work; relationships with allied disciplines, among professional social work organizations, and between classroom and field education. However, embedded within these relationships are historical tensions, and contemporary opportunities that can advance both the science of social work and the status of the profession. This article mainly highlights opportunities for advancing professional relationships between Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and National Association of Social Work (NASW) and provides exemplars for strengthening relationships between the classroom, field education, and practicing social work professionals. We argue that deepening the connections between CSWE and NASW as well as the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) require parallel efforts to link research, evidence-based practices, and the training and education of future social workers.
Purpose: This study describes the development and validation of the Group Climate Instrument for Children aged 8 to 15 years (GCIC 8-15), which purports to measure the quality of group climate in residential care. Methods: A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on data of 117 children in Dutch residential youth care. Reliability analysis was performed and concurrent validity was tested. Results: An adequate fit of a two-factor model indicated construct validity of the GCIC 8-15. Reliability coefficients were good, and a significant correlation between perceived group climate and treatment motivation supported concurrent validity. Discussion: The GCIC 8-15 can be used to identify positive and negative aspects of group climate in residential youth care and enables further group climate research with children.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a sexual abuse prevention education in a sample of Chinese preschool children in Beijing, China. Method: One hundred and fifty preschool children were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (N = 78) or the wait-list control group (N = 72). Children were posttested on sexual abuse prevention knowledge and self-protection skills gains. Results: Following program participation, preschool children in the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge about sexual abuse prevention and higher levels of self-protection skills compared with children in the wait-list control group. Conclusions: Findings suggest that it is feasible to implement the sexual abuse prevention education with Chinese preschoolers. Applications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Professional social workers and other mental health providers have for many years been involved in delivering treatment and support services focused on the needs of adults with severe mental illnesses living in the community. While some models have evolved largely through practice experience, others have developed through research paradigms in which program developers have attempted to systematically test their models by employing randomized trials and other rigorous approaches to assess impacts. Critical time intervention (CTI) is a time-limited care coordination model intended to prevent homelessness and other adverse outcomes among adults with severe mental illness during periods of transition. After briefly tracing its roots in assertive community treatment—a pioneering earlier model of community care—this article describes CTI, the evidence for its effectiveness, preliminary efforts toward its broad dissemination, and offers thoughts about its further development and potential for adaptation.
This article describes the development and validation of the Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS).
Data were collected from 301 undergraduates at a small university in the Northeast and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis augmented by random qualitative validation.
The resulting survey contains 39 questions and has six factors that meet empirical standards for validity and reliability. The UPPTS provides information regarding undergraduate students’ perceptions of those living in poverty in three areas: (1) general attitudes toward those living in poverty, including a sense of the students’ underlying explanation for why someone may be poor; (2) understanding of and empathy for those living in poverty; and (3) commitment to addressing poverty via direct action or support for programs/services that aid those in poverty.
The UPPTS builds upon the concepts of a lack of social empathy and cognitive distancing as principal reasons why people fail to do more to help the poor via either direct action or support for programs that will aid the poor. Further, social work and other educators may use the UPPTS to guide their efforts in poverty education and to track the progress of their efforts with undergraduate students.
Objectives: This article reports the effects of a culturally grounded parenting intervention to strengthen positive parenting practices. Method: The intervention was designed and tested with primarily Mexican origin parents in a large urban setting of the southwestern United States using an ecodevelopmental approach. Parents (N = 393) were randomly assigned three treatment conditions: (1) a parenting and youth intervention, (2) a youth only intervention, or (3) a control group. A measurement model for positive parenting was first evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, followed by structural equation modeling to estimate the effects of the intervention on positive parenting (i.e., baseline to follow-up). Results: As hypothesized, parents in the intervention group reported higher rates of positive parenting compared to parents in youth-only condition. Conclusion: The results are promising and add to growing evidence that interventions tailored to the cultural characteristics and environments of parents and their children can strengthen positive parenting.
Social and psychological interventions are often complex. Understanding randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of these complex interventions requires a detailed description of the interventions tested and the methods used to evaluate them; however, RCT reports often omit, or inadequately report, this information. Incomplete and inaccurate reporting hinders the optimal use of research, wastes resources, and fails to meet ethical obligations to research participants and consumers. In this article, we explain how reporting guidelines have improved the quality of reports in medicine and describe the ongoing development of a new reporting guideline for RCTs: Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials-SPI (an extension for social and psychological interventions). We invite readers to participate in the project by visiting our website, in order to help us reach the best-informed consensus on these guidelines (http://tinyurl.com/CONSORT-study).
Objective: Because forgiveness is an important aspect of studies in marital relationships, there is a need for a culturally relevant measure of forgiveness for Chinese couples. This study aims to validate the Transgression-related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory in marital relationships within a Chinese context (C-TRIM). Method: Data were collected from 665 married individuals in Hong Kong who completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: It is suggested that C-TRIM is a one-factor scale consisting of 12 items. It is also found that C-TRIM and benevolence are two distinct dimensions in measuring forgiveness in a marriage. C-TRIM represents negative forgiveness, whereas benevolence refers to positive forgiveness. Conclusion: C-TRIM demonstrates to be a valid and reliable scale with which to assess the forgiveness level of individuals toward their offending partner in Chinese communities.
In this article, the authors responded to nine commentaries by 17 contributors to their article, Issues in Differential Response. The authors found that a majority of the respondents agreed with the major conclusions of Issues in Differential Response. However, there were varying degrees of disagreement regarding the significance of some of the article’s conclusions. The authors point out and discuss the considerable divergence in the respondents’ definitions of differential response (DR), their assessment of DR reform’s empirical support, and their assessment of its potential for progressive development as an evidence-informed model for child welfare practice. The authors conclude that research claims and public belief regarding DR reform’s safety and effectiveness exceed its scientific support, and they make suggestions for improving model building and outcome research for DR reform.
Purpose: Autistic disorder (AD), Asperger’s syndrome (AS), and pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) have been removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth Edition (DSM-5). It now contains the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. This study assessed how people with AD and AS felt about the DSM-5 ASD criteria. Method: Phenomenological analysis of discussion forum dialogue among participants (N = 76) with AD and AS was conducted. Results: Discussions demonstrated agreement that the PDD-NOS diagnosis should be removed from the DSM-5. People with AD and AS were concerned about the inclusion of medical or neurobiological research, functioning, reciprocity, and gender bias in the ASD diagnosis. Discussion: Social workers should acknowledge the feelings of people with AD and AS when they use the DSM-5.
Purpose: To evaluate the claim, made repeatedly during Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition debates over eliminating the bereavement exclusion (BE), that "uncomplicated" depressive reactions have elevated suicidality like other major depressive disorder (MDD), so exclusions risk missing suicidal cases. Method: We found no published evidence assessing suicide risk specifically in uncomplicated depression. Using data from four epidemiological surveys, we calculated suicide attempt rates both concurrently and predictively for those with histories of no MDD, uncomplicated MDD, and standard MDD. Results: Both concurrently and predictively, uncomplicated MDD suicide attempt rates were no greater than no-MDD history rates and less than standard MDD rates. Discussion: Excluding uncomplicated cases from MDD poses no risk of missing elevated suicidal rates typical of depression. The "suicide" argument used to support BE elimination was spurious.
A number of proxies have been used in child welfare workforce research to represent actual turnover; however, there have been no psychometric studies to validate a scale specifically designed for this purpose. The Intent to Leave Child Welfare Scale is a proxy for actual turnover that measures workers’ intention to leave. This scale was validated in the current study by a CFA. The resulting factors were compared to actual turnover. Nearly two in three workers who indicated that they had considered looking for a job in the past year actually left their agencies (60.0%). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the Intent to Leave Child Welfare Scale. The best fitting model consisted of three factors with acceptable fit statistics (X2 = 28.6, p = 0.04; RMSEA = 0.05, 90% RMSEA CI = 0.01-0.08; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.98). Identified latent factors included "thinking," which included observed variables related to workers thinking about leaving their current jobs; "looking," which included observed variables related to workers searching for a new job; and "acting," which included observed variables related to workers actually taking physical steps to seek a new job. Once a good fitting model was identified, binary logistic regression was conducted to determine odds ratios to predict who actually left their agencies. Each of the identified latent factors was significantly predictive of actual leaving (thinking: OR = 1.24, p = 0.00; looking: OR = 1.25, p = 0.00; acting: OR = 1.28, p = 0.01).
Objective: To examine the follow-up effectiveness of brief parent training (BPT) for children with emerging or existing conduct problems. Method: With the use of a randomized controlled trial and parent and teacher reports, this study examined the effectiveness of BPT compared to regular services 6 months after the end of the intervention. Participants included 216 children (3–12 years) and parents randomly assigned to BPT or a comparison group. Results: BPT had beneficial effects on caregiver assessments of parenting practices (i.e., positive parenting and harsh discipline) and child conduct problems in the families 6 months after the intervention. The effects of BPT in schools and day care centers were limited. Compared to posttest the effects sizes were smaller and number of significant effects lower. Conclusion: Although effects decreased over time, this study demonstrate that a short-term manual-based intervention (3–5 sessions) could be effective in reducing conduct problems 6 month after the intervention.
Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to explore psychometric properties of two versions of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory in a Swedish social service sample. Method: Social workers employed at 22 Swedish child protections agencies participated in the data collection. Both classic test theory approaches and Rasch analysis were used. Seventy-five (46 double) protocols of the Early Childhood version and 65 (43 double) protocols of the Middle Childhood version were obtained. Results: The interobserver reliability and Rasch reliability displayed acceptable results. Targeting was satisfying for the middle and more adequate home environments. However, there were mixed results concerning model fit. Conclusion: The scores may be used to identify families with inadequate home environments where children may be at risk.
Objectives: To investigate whether a new model that delegates some out-of-home care services from the public to the private and not-for-profit sectors in England enhances practitioners’ job control and stress levels. Methods: A 3-year longitudinal matched-control evaluation examined changes in Karasek demand-control model and Maslach burnout levels of 2,050 staff working in five social work practice (SWP) pilots, their host local authorities and comparable sites. Results: Mixed-effect models indicated no significant difference in main outcomes among SWP staff when compared to staff in host and comparison local authorities. There were notable differences in relation to job insecurity and social support. Conclusion: The minimal effects observed may relate to the diverse nature of SWPs with no specific work model predominating.
Growing evidence has linked early trauma with severe psychiatric consequences. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating mental health condition found among some youth in foster care and foster care alumni. However, the current child welfare practice response has not met the demands in both assessment and intervention. This critical review aims to use the evidence to reshape the child welfare response to trauma in children and adolescents. We begin with research on the psychiatric consequences of child maltreatment and issues related to diagnostic assessment for PTSD. Next, we compare major foster care/alumni studies showing considerably higher rates of PTSD among young foster care recipients and alumni than among nationally comparable groups. To inform practice on childhood trauma, we then summarize current evidence-based interventions showing effectiveness with PTSD. Finally, we address new dimensions, such as gene–environment research, posttraumatic growth, and implications for reshaping child welfare practice and foster care.
Objective. This pilot study examined the effect of increasing field instructors access to information about evidence-based practices (EBPs) on their level of knowledge and attitudes about EBPs. Method. Eighteen field instructors received training and access to a library with extensive online journals. Half were randomly selected to also receive a brief training and subscription to PracticeWise, which includes an online modularized treatment manual for children's mental health disorders (MATCH). Participants completed three interviews by telephone at baseline, six weeks, and 12 weeks. Results. An increase in knowledge of EBPs occurred in the PracticeWise condition, which was reported to be significantly more helpful than the journals. Unexpectedly, attitudes about EBPS became more negative overall, but greater use of MATCH was related to an increase in positive attitudes. Conclusions. Supporting field instructors' consultation of materials with direct practice relevance might positively influence attitudes that could otherwise be a barrier to learning EBPs.
Objective: This study examined whether and to what extent researchers addressed intervention fidelity in research of after-school programs serving at-risk students. Method: Systematic review procedures were used to search, retrieve, select, and analyze studies for this review. Fifty-five intervention studies were assessed on the following components of intervention fidelity: strategies to enhance fidelity, measurement of fidelity, and use of fidelity data in data analysis and interpretation. Results: Of the 55 studies examined, only 55% reported well-defined intervention procedures, 42% used an intervention manual, 33% provided training on the intervention, 24% provided supervision for the implementers, 29% measured fidelity, only 4% used fidelity data in their analysis, and no studies reported the reliability of fidelity measures. Conclusion: Findings indicate an overall lack of attention to and reporting of intervention fidelity in after-school intervention studies. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Axis IV, one of the five dimensions of clinical description, has provided a way to report psychosocial and environmental problems that may affect the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prognosis of a psychiatric disorder. Originally conceived in DSM-III as a way to rate and rank the severity of particular environmental stressors, axis IV was simplified for DSM-IV to a more straightforward listing of psychosocial factors, given the reliability and validity problems with quantifying the etiologic contribution of specific stresses to mental disorder. In the newest manual, however (DSM-5), the entire multiaxial system has been quietly eliminated. How and why multiaxial assessment was abandoned, and what this implies for social work theory and practice, are addressed in a conceptual review that traces the history and empirical evidence, positive and negative, for incorporating a psychosocial dimension into the diagnosis of mental disorder.
Increasingly, female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are charged with IPV perpetration and mandated by courts or child protective services to receive domestic violence services. A critical need exists for evidence-based interventions targeting the needs of this unique population, but such research is scarce. To address this gap, we evaluate a novel intervention developed by two community-based agencies and delivered to 70 female IPV victims who are primary caregivers for children and mandated to services. Using a quasi-experimental design, IPV perpetration and victimization data are collected at three time points: baseline, program completion, and 3-month follow-up. Analyses use binary logistic regression to control for clustering and to incorporate time-varying covariates. Results show statistically significant reductions in both IPV victimization and perpetration at program completion. This study also provides evidence for the feasibility of recruiting and retaining this vulnerable group of IPV victims in research studies conducted in community-based settings.
Objectives: This study examines the implementation and effectiveness of Parenting Wisely, an Internet-based parenting skills intervention. The study assesses whether parents benefit from Parenting Wisely participation and whether the delivery format influences program effectiveness. Method: This study uses a quasi-experimental design. Participating parents (N = 144) come from a rural, impoverished, ethnically diverse county in a Southeastern state. The intervention is delivered via four formats: parents-only intensive workshop, parents-only 5-week group, parent and adolescent 5-week group, and parent and adolescent online format. Results: Findings show an association between Parenting Wisely participation and improvements in family problem solving, family roles, family involvement, parenting self-efficacy, parenting sense of competence, and decreased adolescent violent behavior. Effect sizes vary by delivery format. Conclusion: Positive program effects vary by delivery format and outcome. Practice implications are discussed.
Objective: The goal of this study was to test the degree to which client clinical characteristics and environmental context and social workers’ practice values and experience influenced support for client’s autonomy and willingness to engage in shared decision making (SDM), and whether willingness to engage in SDM was mediated by support for autonomy.Method: A randomized factorial survey of social workers working with adults with severe mental illness was employed. Eighty-seven social workers responded yielding 435 vignettes.Results: Hypotheses were partially supported. Diagnosis, symptomology, threats of harm, treatment adherence, substance use, and social workers’ values and experience predicted support for autonomy and willingness to engage in SDM. Willingness to engage in SDM was modestly mediated by support for autonomy.Conclusion: Helping social workers avoid bias in decision making is critical to the goal of supporting clients’ autonomy, building their capacity, minimizing disempowerment, and promoting recovery.
This study highlights Dr. Elsie Pinkston and colleagues’ research on the effectiveness of behavior parent training and examines the application of single-parent training group (SPG) programs to three parent–child dyads exposed to distressed family circumstances.
Single-system evaluation designs were conducted with two single birth parents, one single foster parent, and each parent’s three respective children, in an effort to appraise the results of a SPG program.
Two of the three parent–child dyads benefited from the SPG. Results suggested that there were changes in parent reinforcement and attention behaviors and children’s noncompliant behaviors.
Behavioral improvements in single parent and child dyads lend support for the effectiveness of the parent training group for single parents. Implications for practice and future research on SPG programs are discussed.
Social work practice emerges from research conducted with outcome studies that attempt to capture the "change" that social work services are designed to influence. However, it is unclear the extent to which social workers are prioritizing, and thereby producing, publications that investigate this change. We find that both the number and the percentage (relative to other methods) of outcome studies published in core social work journals show a strong positive upward trend from 2000 to 2004 and then a downward trend from 2004 to 2011; both of these publication trends were lower in 2010 and 2011 than they were in 2001. Some journals publish significantly more outcome studies than other journals. The social work profession is most interested in results that can be readily used by social work practitioners; thus, the profession should focus on increasing the rate of outcome studies being published in social work journals.
Objective: Professional social workers and emergency workers operating in war contexts may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to traumatic events. Impact of trauma must be accurately assessed by researchers via robust models of measurement. In this article, measurement models for the 13-item Children’s Revised Impact of Event scale (CRIES-13), Arabic version were assessed in an adult population operating in a war context. Method: A sample (N = 218) of in-service adult Palestinian helpers was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Findings supported adoption of a bidimensional model comprising two normally distributed measures labeled intrusion and avoidance as a quantitative screening tool for PTSD in contexts of military violence. Conclusion: The solid psychometric properties of CRIES in an adult population suggest its use as a short version of the Impact of Event scale–Revised (IES), Arabic version (IES-R-13).
In their critique of differential response (DR), Hughes and colleagues raise a number of important issues that are central to broader efforts at the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) including the need for greater reliance on evidence-based practice in child welfare, more rigorous evaluation methodologies, and a robust set of measures and instruments to guide practice and evaluation. ACYF is pursuing these goals with projects to increase focus on child well-being, improve associated measures, promote the use of evidence-based programs, and expand the evidence base. We believe that DR is a promising practice and expect forthcoming results from an ACYF-sponsored multisite evaluation of DR to significantly enhance the evidence base. Future efforts can build on these results by focusing on social and emotional well-being in addition to safety and permanency, using demonstrated assessments to monitor outcomes, and offering families in both alternative and investigative pathways evidence-based services.
This is a response to the document by Hughes et al. in this issue that offers a critique of the status of differential response (DR). We find the document to be helpful in intent, but do not find that it reflects scientifically sound methods, and contains many mischaracterizations of the status, impetus, research, and evaluation of DR to date. We attempt to define DR, provide a national overview, and in doing so clarify some inaccuracies portrayed by the authors on the implementation of DR. Second, we provide some observations about the critique of the research, our sense of what is coming, and what is needed in the way of research and evaluation going forward.
Ronald Hughes and his colleagues have written a groundbreaking article on child welfare’s use of differential response. Their research addresses the matter from a "lessons learned" and "ways to improve" approach. Our comments focused on three key issues: (1) the importance of evidence-based practice; (2) the recognition that no one practice modality can be a cure-all for child protection; and (3) the necessity of better quality training for child welfare professionals. We believe the value of this article goes beyond theoretical and ideological discussion, but should be used to promote and support research-informed knowledge in policy and practice.
This reaction article highlights areas of agreement and disagreement with the study conducted by Hughes, Rycus, Saunders-Adams, Hughes, and Hughes on the current state of research and practice in differential response (DR). Overall, we agree with several of the arguments put forth by Hughes et al. regarding the limitations of DR research and the lack of a consistently defined and implemented DR practice model. These areas of agreement offer common ground on which to work together to move the field forward. However, we have concerns about the methodological rigor of the Hughes et al. study and questions about some of their findings and conclusions. We draw upon our current evaluation of a five-county DR research and demonstration project in Colorado to provide recommendations for enhancing the design and implementation of research on DR.
Ronald Hughes, Judith Rycus, and their colleagues have produced a seminal review of differential response (DR) programs implemented across the nation. Their review questions nearly every aspect of the DR movement, beginning with the concept on which all DR programs are based and ending with serious concerns about the quality of evaluations conducted to date. Given current support for DR initiatives and wide variation of existing DR models, not all in the social sciences will agree with their conclusions. Nevertheless, this review represents the type of analysis critical to advancing practice in the field. Although many issues are raised in the Hughes et al. review, our response focuses on four critical points, which we believe represent the core problems identified. These include the concept that serves as the foundation for the DR movement, the role of assessments, and the primary problems with evaluations conducted to date.
The upcoming fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has incited vociferous debate among academics, clinicians, and the general public. Two contested changes are eliminating the bereavement exclusion from the major depressive disorder diagnosis and creating a new category for intense and prolonged grief called persistent complex bereavement-related disorder. This article critically analyzes research and debate regarding these two changes and considers the likely implications for bereaved parents and other traumatically bereaved groups, who may be especially vulnerable to consequences of the two proposed changes.
Hughes, Rycus, Saunders-Adams, Hughes, and Hughes’s article represents an important effort to critically examine the foundation of thought and empirical evidence associated with the rise in prominence of differential response (DR) within child welfare systems throughout the United States. The insights and criticisms offered are an important contribution to the professional literature. The arguments and perspective put forward can best be understood within the context of continuing conflict and debate (within child welfare) stemming from the countervailing influences of the principle of least intrusion and demands to ensure child safety. Although effective arguments are put forth that support many of the conclusions and interpretations, there are a few comments that require further discussion and reflection. More specifically, it is unclear if there is sufficient evidence to support their claim that children in DR alternative tracks may or are at a more heightened safety risk.
The Hughes et al. paper is critiqued generally and in specific areas. The weak nature of the authors’ empirical work is discussed along with their enigmatic writing and vague and incorrect use of references, and their simultaneous use of sweeping statements of opinion and narrow analytical focus. This review examines the authors’ errors regarding differential response (DR) and child safety, confusion of child safety and family risk, incorrect portrayal of DR family assessments, incomplete review and analysis of inconsistency in pathway (track) assignment, incomplete analysis of external validity, and mistaken interpretation of field experiments. A short essay on the purpose of DR is presented along with other literature which readers are encouraged to read and interpret for themselves.
With the upcoming release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) there has been a necessary critique of the DSM-IV including questions regarding how to best improve the next iteration of the DSM classification system. The aim of this article is to provide commentary on the probable direction the DSM-V is headed with regard to panic attacks, panic disorder (PD), and agoraphobia (AG). The DSM-V Work Group’s recommendations for panic attacks, PD, and AG are reviewed, and important diagnostic questions and concerns are raised. Future research directions are discussed that will hopefully help improve our understanding of anxiety and our ability to accurately diagnose and classify these conditions.
This article is a response to "Issues in Differential Response", a review of the current evidence pertaining to differential response (DR) programs in child protective services (CPS). In my view, the Hughes, Rycus, Saunders-Adams, Hughes, and Hughes article suffers from several weaknesses. First, DR programs are critiqued as if they were a manualized intervention rather than a policy orientation, resulting in unhelpful conclusions. Second, the strength of existing evidence pertaining to child safety in DR is framed in an overly negative way. Finally, I attempt to place our understanding of DR in a broader perspective reflecting the continuing evolution of CPS and policies.
This article is an invited commentary and analysis of the authors’ completed systematic evaluation of Child Protective Services (CPS) differential response (DR) models. I write this commentary based on 25 years of public child welfare experience followed by 13 years as a social work professor and researcher. In their review of DR, the authors’ identify critical and unresolved issues in DR implementation and program evaluation as well as recommendation to improve DR within CPS. In the course of the authors’ evaluation, they completed interviews with key informants in states that have implemented DR; an important contribution to CPS literature. Concepts, issues, and controversies in the DR literature are discussed in view of CPS practice models and history of policy making.
Differential response (DR), also referred to as alternative response (AR), family assessment response (FAR), or multiple track response, was developed to incorporate family-centered, strengths-based practices into child protective services (CPS), primarily by diverting lower risk families into an assessment track rather than requiring the traditional CPS investigation. Since the program’s inception, researchers have conducted several large evaluation studies of DR programs, and a large body of research and program literature has been published touting the success and benefits of DR. In response to significant concerns about the clarity and consistency of DR program models and the validity and generalizability of its associated research, the authors undertook a comprehensive, three-pronged evaluation to provide guidance in shaping the ongoing development of DR programs. This report summarizes the methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations from the review.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the historical construction and empirical support of two child and adolescent behaviorally based mental health disorders: oppositional defiant and conduct disorders. Method: The study utilized a historiography methodology to review, from 1880 to 2012, these disorders’ inclusion in psychiatric nosology systems, related historical and medical system material, and published empirical literature. Results: Analysis found limited reliability support and almost no construct or criterion validity support for either early dynamic classification diagnoses or today’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder’s (DSM’s) descriptive symptomology categories. Conclusion: This is cause for concern because of the high diagnostic prevalence rates for these child and adolescent disorders, diagnostic-driven practice within the field, and the inordinate influence of the DSM on the clinical social work profession.
In this article, I address the issue of comorbidity and its prevalence in the prior Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) classification systems. The focus on the topography or form of presenting problems as the venue for determining mental disorders is scrutinized as the possible cause. Addressing the function of problem behaviors, that is, positive symptoms, would appear to be an alternate approach that accounts for context variables. I propose an alternate function-based classification system that could be used by social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. Two major functions (diagnostic classifications) are presented; (a) socially mediated access and (b) socially mediated escape. Under these two major categories, there are specific motivative conditions that set the stage for whatever behavior is functional in a given social context. A functional approach to assessing human behavior is more of a person-in-environment perspective than classification schemes presupposing so-called mental disorders.