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The postdisaster experiences of 167 social work students in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2016 were examined. Using a cross-sectional survey design and validated self-report measures, the current study examined the association between students' protective factors (hope, altruism, spiritual support; at 8, 20, and 12 items, respectively) and six adaptive coping mechanisms, and further sought to determine whether such associations varied according to students' race (white vs. African American). Six hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using each of the adaptive coping strategies (acceptance, active coping, positive reframing, self-distraction, planning, and venting). Results showed that students' race moderated the associations between altruism and active coping, spiritual support and active coping, spiritual support and self-distraction, altruism and planning, spiritual support and planning, and altruism and venting. The decomposition of the significant interactions indicated that the effect of altruism on active coping, planning, and venting was greater among white than among African American participants; the effect of spiritual support on active coping, self-distraction, and planning was greater among African American than among white participants. Recommendations include educating all students about risks incurred when working with traumatized populations. Research examining postdisaster coping responses of social workers can inform culturally responsive supervision approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postdisaster experiences of social work students have been the focus of a growing corpus of research in the past two decades; however, few investigations have been conducted in the context of catastrophic flooding events. The present study examined coping responses and mental health among 186 social work students in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2016. The majority showed clinical levels of depression, at 59.1%, with 16.3% reporting substance use as coping and 3.6% scoring at or above the clinical level for posttraumatic stress symptoms. Well over half of the students (54.3%) employed 6 or more of 10 adaptive coping strategies. Students' negative emotions, negative reactions, and flood-related stressors correlated with all 10 of the adaptive coping responses. Negative reactions were associated with symptomology and coping via substance use. African- American students showed higher scores than their European-American counterparts on all measures of adaptive coping, protective factors, mental health symptomology, and substance use as coping. There is a need to inform faculty, field staff, and supervisors about the potential risks when distressed students provide postdisaster services to traumatized populations. Culturally responsive and trauma-informed supervision approaches are recommended to cultivate students' resilience and prevent distress and secondary traumatization.

Using a nationally representative sample of young adults, this study examines COVID-induced financial hardship and its association with suicide risk (N = 1,087). About 40% experienced one or more financial hardship, a third reported having suicidal ideation, and 1.57% reported suicide attempt. The association between financial hardship and suicide risk was cumulative: Those reporting four or more financial hardships were 2.61 times more likely to report suicidal ideation and 24.27 times more likely to report a suicide attempt. The finding that COVID-related financial insecurity was associated with drastically elevated suicide risks highlights the need to assess financial hardship for suicide risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews literature describing truancy and its correlates, and it analyzes the current research on truancy prevention programs. Few truancy prevention programs exist in elementary school settings. This article describes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers, a theory-driven program providing case management services to children in 85 percent of public elementary schools in Louisiana. TASC referral, assessment, and intervention procedures are explicated, and the TASC process is illustrated with case examples of children assessed at different levels of risk. The article concludes with a discussion of the evaluation plan, preliminary evaluation results, and implications for school social work research. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

The current study examined mental health symptomology, substance use, and adaptive coping among 416 social work students following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among participants, 47% scored at or above the clinical level for depression, with 6% of students showing clinical PTSD-like symptoms, and 16.9% reporting substance use. Two thirds (66.9%) employed 8 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. Negative cognitive and emotional reactions to the hurricanes correlated positively with mental health symptomology and 7 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is critical to provide students with education, information, and close supervision to address issues around impairment and vulnerability and to maximize resilience. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article reviews research-based knowledge about service learning in social work education. Student learning outcomes common to both service learning and social work education are examined, and the research-based literature on service learning in social work is analyzed. Service-learning practice issues in social work education are described: creating learning activities distinct from those required in field practica, managing conflicts of interest among students employed in the field, minimizing professional ethics violations, and assisting students who observe unprofessional practice behaviors. Recommendations for planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning projects in social work education are provided to strengthen scholarship in this area. (Contains 1 table.)

The author examined correlates of social support among 101 offenders in corrections-based treatment programs. Respondents perceived high levels of support despite numerous interpersonal problems. Social support was significantly associated with visits, letters, arrests, and days in treatment. The author describes strategies for implementing family-oriented interventions in corrections-based programs. (Contains 67 references and 3 tables.) (Author)

The current study examined mental health symptomology, substance use, and adaptive coping among 416 social work students following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among participants, 47% scored at or above the clinical level for depression, with 6% of students showing clinical PTSD-like symptoms, and 16.9% reporting substance use. Two thirds (66.9%) employed 8 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. Negative cognitive and emotional reactions to the hurricanes correlated positively with mental health symptomology and 7 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is critical to provide students with education, information, and close supervision to address issues around impairment and vulnerability and to maximize resilience., IN THE FALL OF 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought about an unprecedented catastrophe to the entire Gulf Coast. During the months of August and September, 470 shelters and evacuation [...]

The current systematic review analyzed empirical studies examining the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions (BAI) for at-risk older adults. The authors independently reviewed the literature according to specific a priori criteria. Quantity and frequency of drinking, binge-drinking days, and drinking risks comprised the outcome measures. The current review yielded 11 studies representing randomized controlled trials or experimental designs that employed random assignment. Among reviewed studies, seven (63.6%) showed a positive effect with only one showing no positive effect of the intervention. For the remaining 3 (27.2%), the positive effect of the intervention was not conclusively determined due to study design issues. Findings, overall suggest that BAI are effective in reducing alcohol consumption in the older-adult population. Additional evidence is needed to further knowledge consistent with recent initiatives that promote healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examined correlates of social support among 101 offenders in corrections-based treatment programs. Respondents perceived high levels of support despite numerous interpersonal problems. Social support was significantly associated with [...]

The postdisaster experiences of social work students have been the focus of a growing corpus of research in the past two decades; however, few investigations have been conducted in the context of catastrophic flooding events. The present study examined coping responses and mental health among 186 social work students in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2016. The majority showed clinical levels of depression, at 59.1%, with 16.3% reporting substance use as coping and 3.6% scoring at or above the clinical level for posttraumatic stress symptoms. Well over half of the students (54.3%) employed 6 or more of 10 adaptive coping strategies. Students' negative emotions, negative reactions, and flood-related stressors correlated with all 10 of the adaptive coping responses. Negative reactions were associated with symptomology and coping via substance use. African- American students showed higher scores than their European-American counterparts on all measures of adaptive coping, protective factors, mental health symptomology, and substance use as coping. There is a need to inform faculty, field staff, and supervisors about the potential risks when distressed students provide postdisaster services to traumatized populations. Culturally responsive and trauma-informed supervision approaches are recommended to cultivate students' resilience and prevent distress and secondary traumatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews literature describing truancy and its correlates, and it analyzes the current research on truancy prevention programs. Few truancy prevention programs exist in elementary school settings. This article describes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers, a theory-driven program providing case management services to children in 85 percent of public elementary schools in Louisiana. TASC referral, assessment, and intervention procedures are explicated, and the TASC process is illustrated with case examples of children assessed at different levels of risk. The article concludes with a discussion of the evaluation plan, preliminary evaluation results, and implications for school social work research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies principles of empowerment-oriented practice to interventions with families headed by mothers with mental retardation who come before protective services. Strategies that support empowerment, inclusion, and self-determination are described in a detailed case study, followed by an analysis of the strengths and limitations of practice. Empowerment and advocacy activities, while inherently valuable, are time-consuming and can conflict with the expectations, time frames, and expected outcomes of child protective services. This article concludes with suggestions for social work practice and research to increase knowledge about the experiences of mothers with mental retardation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Childhood mistreatment (CM)/victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lifetime substance-use disorders (LT-SUD) are major behavioral health concerns. Their associations were established in mainstream populations but remain under-investigated in Latinx Americans. This study aimed to model the mediating effect of PTSD in the link between CM and LT-SUD among Latinx Americans., Method: Using a nationally representative sample ( N = 2,554) from the National Latinx and Asian American Study, three path models were performed for the whole-group, U.S.-born, and foreign-born Latinx (aged 18 or over), controlling for known predictors for Latinx' mental health., Results: Latinx reported high rates of childhood physical (32%) and sexual (11.8%) abuse. Latinx subgroups significantly varied in educational attainment, LT-SUD, income, English proficiency, and self-reported discrimination. A fully constrained multiple group path analysis demonstrated direct effects of childhood physical mistreatment (CPM) and childhood sexual mistreatment to lifetime PTSD; PTSD significantly mediated the relationship between CPM with LT-SUD. No significant differences in path coefficients were observed among the Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican subgroups., Conclusions: Findings suggest that CPM may contribute to using substance to avoid physical and emotional pain, which lends support for the self-medication hypothesis. Latinx who were traumatized by both physical and sexual abuse are more likely to use substances as a negative coping strategy. The study underscores the need for assessing the role of substance use as a coping mechanism for Latinx individuals who have experienced childhood traumatic victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).