Search

Background: Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a neurological condition characterized by perceptual distortions, most of which are visual in nature (metamorphopsias). Over the past decade there has been a movement in contemporary figurative painting away from strict mimesis toward depicting distortions of the painting's subject, called disrupted realism. In certain cases the similarities between the distortions in those paintings and those characteristic of AIWS are so striking that we suspect that artists may have experienced distorted perceptions themselves and used them for creative inspiration. Methods: To empirically test this hypothesis we interviewed 20 painters who frequently use distortions in their work, using the SIntAD, a tailor-made, semi-structured questionnaire. We then carried out a phenomenological analysis of the perceptual phenomena reported on, and compared them with those in their paintings. Results: Of the artists interviewed, 85% reported on having experienced positive disorders of perception in general (comprising hallucinations, perceptual distortions and other perceptual phenomena), with 55% reporting on a total number of 15 metamorphopsias. Most artists had not been aware of having these distortions to their perception. Nonetheless, most did not use these specific distortions in their work, but rather different types. Conclusion: Symptoms of AIWS and other positive disorders of perception are common among contemporary painters who frequently use distortions in their figurative work, although perhaps not more common than in the general population. Artists in the disrupted-realism movement tend not to mimic their own perceptual distortions in their work, although they do feel inspired to distort their work in different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As concerns for reproductive rights continue to be debated across the United States, the June 24th, 2022, U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Mississippi case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade essentially upended the disciplinary foundations and ethical underpinnings of helping professions. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) does not mandate the integration of reproductive justice content in social work education. And yet, threats to bodily autonomy burgeon across the United States prior to and after the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, affecting the populations social workers serve. The time has come to talk about, not around, reproductive justice in social work education as well as how social workers are being subverted from using their professional training and ethical commitment to clients. It is the intent of this article to explore approaches for safeguarding professional values and ethical principles during these sociopolitically tumultuous times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' pioneering work focused on dying, yet some clinicians persist in prescribing it as a path through grief. We surveyed 964 mental health clinicians who completed a five-section mixed methods survey: two sections assessed knowledge with multiple choice questions and a case study to assess clinicians' knowledge-base and approach to grief/loss in practice. Analysis of four items related to Kübler-Ross' model and 66/962 case studies indicates ongoing use of "stages" and Kübler-Ross' model. Only 330 (34.2%) of the clinicians were deemed knowledgeable; 462 (47.9%) were questionable; and 172 (17.9%) were misinformed, continuing to use Kübler-Ross' stage theory for grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prenatal counseling about maternal-fetal surgery can be traumatic and confusing for pregnant people. It can also be technically and emotionally complex for clinicians. As maternal-fetal surgery rapidly advances and becomes more common, more evidence is needed to inform counseling practices. The objective of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the methods clinicians currently use to train for and provide counseling, as well as their needs and recommendations for future education and training. Methods: We used interpretive description methods and interviewed interprofessional clinicians who regularly counsel pregnant people about maternal-fetal surgery. Results: We conducted 20 interviews with participants from 17 different sites who were maternal-fetal medicine specialists (30%), pediatric surgeons (30%), nurses (15%), social workers (10%), a genetic counselor (5%), a neonatologist (5%), and a pediatric subspecialist (5%). Most were female (70%), non-Hispanic white (90%), and practiced in the Midwest (50%). We identified four overarching themes: (1) contextualizing maternal-fetal surgery counseling; (2) establishing shared understanding; (3) supporting decision-making; and (4) training for maternal-fetal surgery counseling. Within these themes, we identified key practice differences among professions, specialties, institutions, and regions. Conclusion: Participants are committed to practicing informative and supportive counseling to empower pregnant people to make autonomous decisions about maternal-fetal surgery. Nevertheless, our findings indicate a dearth of evidence-based communication practices and guidance. Participants identified significant systemic limitations affecting pregnant people's decision-making options related to maternal-fetal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy loss is exceptionally common, yet there exist few interventions for clinical providers to assist parents who are expecting again. Perhaps even less prevalent are practice models for parents who have terminated a pregnancy due to fetal anomaly (TOPFA). In this article, we present the "Double Rainbow" acronym, which provides evidence-supported guidance for counseling people experiencing a subsequent pregnancy after TOPFA. Using prompts of: Remember; Rehearse & Anticipate; Attach & Internalize; Interrogate decision; Neutralize; Normalize; Bond; Breathe & Observe; Optimize health; Weave and Whole story, we tie intervention techniques to evidence-based treatments and clinical practice examples. Filling a gap for guidance for effective intervention with people during subsequent pregnancies after termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomaly, we aim to improve such treatment while also encouraging evaluation of the approach, encouraging evaluation of its use with broader populations. The double RAINBOW approach weaves together evidence-based therapies while also attending to the work of distinguishing past losses and promoting parental attachment and caregiving systems in clients who have terminated a pregnancy due to fetal anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As aggressive cultural and legislative attacks on abortion rights and access continue, we call upon social workers to pursue the liberatory aims of the reproductive justice (RJ) movement. We argue that the RJ framework, rooted in feminist theory, aligns with social work's social justice ethos and goals, appropriately guiding advocacy and intervention. After outlining the central aims and tenets of the RJ movement, we consider policies that impair RJ and those that could promote RJ, focusing on enhancing body sovereignty, childbearing, and parenting. We conclude with concrete recommendations for how social workers can pursue RJ professionally and personally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite social work's stated commitment to abortion rights, research on this topic is not prolific within the discipline (Begun et al., 2016). If we are to live up to our ethical principles, this should be changed. The authors posit that increasing students' exposure to and understanding of abortion is necessary in the preparation of competent social work practitioners. Using Begun et al.'s (2016) Social Workers' Abortion Attitudes, Knowledge, and Training questionnaire, the authors expanded the survey by creating additional questions about social work curriculum coverage and training experiences, as well as further content on abortion. Findings indicate that most social work students believe abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances, and also that abortion laws should be less restrictive in the United States. Reported religion and political affiliation had significant effects on several of the abortion attitude statements. Only 7.2% of respondents indicated that abortion is regularly discussed in social work classrooms, and only 2.7% of respondents report they have received training on the topic of abortion in their field placement. The results suggest that social work curriculum coverage on reproductive justice is tenuous and inconsistent at best, leaving students to grapple without the necessary professional foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the current sociopolitical reality surrounding reproductive rights in the United States, and the ambivalence of social work education in integrating reproductive justice into the curriculum and professional preparation of students for practice. The authors deconstruct a multisystem equivocation that manifests through the silence of Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) guidance on the issue, and the tenuous position of social work education programs within shifting institutional climates. A call to action is made with a specific proposal for CSWE and social work programs to consider for effective professional preparation of students and the fulfillment of the profession's aspiration to protect human rights to autonomy and self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women who have terminated a pregnancy due to fetal anomaly (TOPFA) may experience disenfranchised grief, societal stigmatization, and lack of support. A history of legislative attempts to criminalize TOPFA providers, public misunderstanding, and poor healthcare experiences may create reluctance in women to seek face-to-face counseling. While recent publications have assessed the grief reactions and help-seeking of women who TOPFA, few have provided an informed approach to therapeutic intervention for clinical social workers. This article attempts to provide a practice model through a composite case study utilizing the proposed ACCEPT model. The ACCEPT model incorporates elements of modern grief theory and consists of acknowledging disenfranchised grief, connecting emotions to the loss, continuing bonds, exploring distortions, practicing new skills, and telling the story. Implications and recommendations for social work engagement, awareness, and therapeutic support of this population are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased advocacy for the informed consent model of transgender health care specifies that patients should be in control of access to receiving medical interventions such as hormone therapy or surgery. However, in practice, mental health clinicians, including clinical social workers, are increasingly called upon by medical providers to serve as gatekeepers for these processes. It is frequently the role of social workers to assess transgender clients' baseline mental health and their understanding of the consequences of treatment, and to forward recommendations to medical providers regarding the readiness of patients to transition. Therefore, social workers assisting transgender clients must be aware of the ethical standards that are particularly pertinent to their work with this marginalized and oppressed population. They must also be prepared to address unique ethical dilemmas that may be especially challenging to resolve. In this article we apply the most commonly utilized bioethical framework known as Principlism to describe the ethical standards and values that are particularly important to consider when working with transgender clients, namely autonomy; beneficence; nonmaleficence; and social justice. Because clinical social workers are frequently in the position of balancing client self-determination with their role as gatekeepers, a framework for resolving resulting ethical dilemmas is described (I CARE) and applied to three case examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being an intern dealing on topics including perinatal end-of-life case, neonatal intensive care unit and diagnosis of adrenal tumor.

Research indicates that disparities exist in the access of hospice and palliative care between the white majority and minority populations. Minorities living in federally designated medically-underserved areas may face barriers in accessing these services for a variety of reasons originating from within and outside these communities. Furthermore, research has not explored the experiences of hospice social workers in medicallyunderserved areas straddling the worlds of hospice institutions and outpatient home environments. This article explores and synthesizes relevant literature around medicallyunderserved minorities' access to hospice and offers solutions for social workers bridging majority white hospice institutions and medically-underserved minority patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explorations on the relationship between undergraduate research assistants and their supervisors have yielded often conflicting results, sometimes indicating that these relationships are highly rewarding and beneficial to both parties while, at other times, suggesting that undergraduate assistants do little more than drain faculty time with few relevant contributions to the actual projects (Potter, Abrams, Townson, & Williams, 2000). This article focuses on a narrative of both supervisor and research assistant experiences working in an internship setting over the course of one academic year, and on perceptions regarding why the relationship was productive and enhanced the teaching and learning of both parties involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neophyte and experienced clinicians alike often question whether so-called "wounded healers" are more effective therapists than those who cannot personally relate to what clients have experienced. This narrative discusses my professional and personal development in the field of death and dying from the perspective of an individual academically proficient in grief theory but devoid of personal experience, to that of intimately informed bereaved mother. The healing effects of narrative, personal observations of grief, and implications for clinical practice are discussed. Please note that some details from clinical practice, all names and identifying features of patients have been altered to ensure complete confidentiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]