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As the United States grows more racially and ethnically diverse, Koreans have become one of the largest ethnic minority populations. We conducted this qualitative study to explore the perspectives of Korean immigrant parents about their child’s future and the factors that shape those perspectives. We used modified grounded theory methods. Twenty Korean immigrant parents of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities participated in the study. Four themes emerged: navigating complicated and limited service systems, maintaining safety and relationships through work and higher education, ongoing parental care at home, and the need for culturally relevant adult services. We discuss implications for culturally responsive practice and inclusive research.

Discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, even prior to the pandemic, little research explored the experiences of Asian American families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. This brief report summarizes the results of a survey conducted between May and July 2020, in the immediate aftermath of state and local lockdowns due to the pandemic. Twenty-five Asian American caregivers of children with autism and other developmental disabilities completed the survey and reported on the pandemic's impact on their household. Most of the caregivers were mothers, immigrants, Chinese, raising children with autism, and highly educated. Participants' primary concerns were the disruption of their children's educational and therapeutic services. We discuss research limitations and implications.

We report on the adaptation and delivery of a peer-led, 14-session manualized program, Parents Taking Action, among parents raising Black children with autism in low-income neighborhoods. We engaged a community advisory group made up of parents and grandparents of Black children with autism, a Black self-advocate, clinicians, and other stakeholders to culturally adapt the intervention. Three Parent Leaders delivered the program to seven Black mothers of children with autism. We collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data on intervention implementation. Our study revealed key participation barriers and facilitators facing families of Black children with autism, particularly financial and other material burdens, which can inform efforts to better serve parents experiencing the effects of poverty and racism.

The number of Asian American children with autism is steadily increasing. Previous research reports that parents of children with autism experience higher stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Immigrant families of children with autism are particularly vulnerable to poor access to healthcare, social services, information, and other supports. This scoping review examined the current literature focused on East Asian American families raising children with autism, with an emphasis on study characteristics and overall findings. We identified nine articles that reported on the caregiving experiences of this population. Our review revealed that extant studies focused on East Asian families used limited research methods and small samples. The studies we reviewed found variations in the ways in which East Asian parents understand autism, navigate services, access available community and family supports, and experience stress.

Each year, millions of children in the United States are exposed to intimate partner violence. Although the body of research on these children and factors that enhance their resiliency is growing, little is known about children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have also been exposed to intimate partner violence. This knowledge gap is notable given the prevalence of intellectual and development disabilities among children, as well as the numerous challenges facing these children and their families (e.g., medical and behavioral challenges, parenting stress, and financial burden). Informed by prior research and our practice experience, this commentary highlights information for service providers working with families experiencing both intimate partner violence and intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to providing an overview of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence and an overview of intellectual and developmental disabilities, the commentary summarizes the limited research exploring the intersection between these two issues and offers recommendations for enhancing research and practice. Recommendations center on the importance of training, wrap-around and tailored services, community partnerships, and intervention research focused on survivors and their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Korean American (KA) immigrant parents of children with development disabilities (DDs) for their children with DDs living in the southeastern U.S. Using the Contextual Model of Family Stress as an organizing theoretical framework, we examined differences based on cultural characteristics, parents’ gender, child’s age, and diagnosis. Twenty KA parents of children with DDs participated in the study. We used grounded theory methods to analyze the data. Four major themes emerged including source of difficulties, source of support, perceptions of developmental progress, and personal transformations. The results indicated that KA parents shared similar experiences, but they varied depending on internal and external factors. Despite higher risk of stress, participants reported reframing challenges positively and using different types of support. However, parents who recently immigrated, lacked spousal support, and had children with severe symptoms appeared more vulnerable. We discuss implications for professionals working with this population.

Parenting stress is correlated with negative child and parent outcomes. Accurate parenting stress assessments are critical to inform appropriate service delivery. This study used mixed methods to identify stressors influencing parents of Black children with autism. Twenty-two parents of Black children with autism participated in individual interviews; 19 of these parents also completed the Parenting Stress Index (4th edition). While we found some consistency between our qualitative and quantitative findings, the Parenting Stress Index did not capture key stressors parents described in interviews, including cultural factors (e.g., perception of provider pushback due to race), challenges related to single parenting, and neighborhood violence. We detail recommendations for family-centered and culturally relevant efforts to assess and address parenting stress in this population.

Research suggests that African Americans may be more likely to experience depression, especially severe depression, than other racial or ethnic groups in the United States. Overall there is scant research comparing the relationship between ethnicity and depression among the U.S. Black population. The purpose of this study is to identify the most significant biopsychosocial factors social workers can address in the prevention and treatment of depression in African American and first generations Caribbean Black clients. Data was from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Bivariate associations showed that respondents who reported higher self-esteem, lower hopelessness, higher sense of mastery, and lower discrimination showed lower likelihood of having Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The logistic regression model suggested that respondents who have ever had a chronic disease were more likely to report depression than those who have not ever had a chronic disease. Caribbean Blacks were more likely to report depression compared to African Americans. Additionally, respondents who reported higher discrimination scores were more likely to report depression. This study suggests that social workers should embrace the interconnectedness and holistic approach of the biopsychosocial model in their case conceptualizations, prevention strategies, and treatment modalities.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with increased risk for psychopathology over the life course. However, few studies have examined the differential impact of ACE and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for racially and ethnically diverse adolescent populations. The findings from the few studies that examine differential effects are contradictory. This study uses data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), a nationally representative adolescent sample (N = 10,123) to examine the impact of race/ethnicity on the association between ACE and PTSD among youth in a nationally representative sample in the United States. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the main effects of ACE and race/ethnicity on PTSD, as well as the moderating role of race/ethnicity adjusting for socio-demographic variables. Findings suggest that race/ethnicity moderates the association between ACE and PTSD. Higher ACE score increased probability of lifetime PTSD for White non-Hispanic, Black, and Hispanic adolescents with White non-Hispanic adolescents presenting with a much higher probability of lifetime PTSD compared to their Hispanic and Black peers. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, specifically trauma informed strategies and culturally inclusive/specific practices that address the structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal influences adolescent outcomes.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the direct effects of child physical abuse on sexual behaviors and whether mental health problems and substance use moderated the associations between exposure to child physical abuse and sexual behavioral practices among adolescents who participated in the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). The data show statistically significant relationships between physical abuse and risky sexual behaviors for youth who met the clinical criteria for lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and reported marijuana use. Data from future studies can inform sexual health practice development with adolescents and emerging adults with a history of physical abuse, marijuana use/abuse and PTSD. These findings underscore the importance of exploring presence of symptoms associated with PTSD and marijuana use as part of a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment for physically abused adolescents and emerging adults to determine if they are engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

Background: Although it is well known that the relationship between siblings has demonstrable influence on positive youth development, little is known about which aspects of the sibling relationshi...

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 10-week group intervention for adolescents who were exposed to domestic violence in their home, and compare behavioral and emotional symptoms between adolescents with direct or indirect exposure to domestic violence. Participants of the group intervention (N = 32) reported an increase in knowledge of domestic violence based on quiz scores of pre- and post-tests. Compared to those without direct exposure to domestic violence, the participants that were directly exposed to domestic violence presented greater symptoms in the subscales of the Child Behavioral Checklist and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale. Such findings are discussed along with previous literature. The study also discusses limitations related to internal and external validity threats and suggestions for future replication of the group intervention toward adolescents who were exposed to domestic violence and the related program evaluation.

We examined the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, with a specific focus on race/ethnicity as a moderator. Multivariate models indicated that family resilience was associated with parenting stress. Race/ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress. The effects of family resilience on parenting stress were significantly different among parents of African American, Hispanic, and white children. These effects were strongest for parents of African American children. Compared to white and Hispanic children, parents of African American children with low levels of family resilience had 60–82% higher probability of parenting stress; while those with high levels of family resilience had 15–18% lower probability for parenting stress.

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationships between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms and to determine whether family management mediates this relationship. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of parents in a southeastern state. Mothers of children with ASD (n = 234) completed self-reported measures of child behavior problems, depressive symptoms, and family management using ad-hoc questions, CES-D-Boston short form, and family management measure (FaMM), respectively. We used a parallel multiple mediator model to address the study hypotheses. Results Children’s behavior problems were significantly associated with mothers’ depressive symptoms and with all five subscales of the FaMM. However, only the Family Life Difficulty subscale was a significant predictor of parent depressive symptoms, suggesting that Family Life Difficulty was the only mediator of the association between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms. After accounting for the mediators, the direct effect of child behavior problems on parent depressive symptoms was non-significant. Conclusion As the severity of child behavior problems increased, mothers of children with ASD perceived a greater impact of ASD on their family life, which in turn increased the levels of the mothers’ depressive symptoms. Family Life Difficulty assesses parent perceptions of the extent to which their child with ASD influences family relationships and routines, suggesting a need for family-centered services that assist the family in maintaining or adapting to their routines.

Objectives: Intervention fidelity is a critical strategy to help advance the usefulness and integrity of social work research. This study assessed the extent to which a selected sample of published social work intervention researchers reported its intervention protocols. Methods: Six core social work journals were reviewed in this analysis. The authors reviewed every scholarly article within each journal published from 2009 through 2013 ( N = 1,380). A total of N = 32 (2.3%) published intervention research articles met the inclusion criteria. All N = 32 studies were evaluated using 11 criteria developed by the research team related to assessing the study’s treatment fidelity. Results: The finding suggests that although attention to treatment fidelity in social work research has increased, methodological inconsistencies still remain. Conclusion: Effective social work research of an intended intervention is largely dependent on the intervention’s fidelity. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among immigrant women is a serious public health problem. Churches and clergy play a fundamental role in their lives, as a form of social organization and alternative to community services. Purpose: To describe the implementation and evaluation of an intervention for Korean American faith leaders designed to increase knowledge about IPV and about resources to handle IPV, strengthen attitudes that do not support IPV, enhance self-efficacy to handle IPV, and increase prevention and intervention behaviors about IPV. Methods: Korean American faith leaders in a Southeastern state of the USA were invited to participate in the study ( n = 55). Participants completed two online assessments: baseline and a 3-month follow-up. After the baseline assessment, participants were randomized to either the intervention ( n = 27) or the control ( n = 28) group. The intervention consisted of three online modules, each taking approximately 30–45 min to complete. Modules were developed based on the researchers’ work with Korean American faith leaders. Assessments and interventions were available in Korean and English. Results: Compared to the control group, the intervention group significantly improved their knowledge of resources and enhanced attitudes against IPV. The intervention group increased their self-efficacy and behaviors to prevent IPV more than the control group, but these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The online training provided a safe and convenient environment for the Korean American clergy, for whom anonymity and convenient access were important. Results are promising, but highlight the need to include more specific training of skills, which could be incorporated into the online modules in the form of an avatar. This online training could serve as a template to be adapted for other immigrant groups.