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Autistic youth are at risk for internalizing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Similarly, parents of autistic youth report higher levels of depression than parents of typically developing children. The goal of this study was to examine bidirectional associations between parent depression symptoms and the internalizing problems of autistic youth in 188 families across four time points (T1-T4; spaced 12 months apart). A cross-lagged panel model revealed that mother (T1 and T2) and father (T1) depression symptoms positively predicted the youth's internalizing problems 12 months later. The youth's internalizing problems at T3 positively predicted maternal depression symptoms at T4. Future research should explore genetic and environmental pathways that link parent depression and internalizing problems in autistic youth., Author(s): Brianna Piro-Gambetti [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.4] , Jessica Greenlee [sup.1] [sup.3] , Emily J. Hickey [sup.1] , Jennifer M. Putney [sup.1] [sup.2] , Emily Lorang [sup.1] , Sigan L. Hartley [...]

Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is an evidence-supported intervention for reducing clients' hazardous alcohol use. One method of teaching SBI is online patient simulation (OPS). Despite the need to promote diversity in social work education, OPS most frequently features non-Hispanic White clients. In response to this need, the authors describe the development of a new OPS with an African-American client at risk for an alcohol use disorder. The OPS, in conjunction with self-reflection, was embedded in an MSW course to teach and assess students' competence in SBI. Utilizing a one group, longitudinal, pretest posttest design, a paired samples t-test was conducted to compare mean differences in students' scores from pre- to postinstruction. Scores improved by an average of 29.79 points. This curricular model is an innovative teaching and assessment method for SBI skills.

Given the workforce shortage of adequately trained behavioral health professionals, schools of social work are ideally positioned to teach empirically supported treatments for preventing and reducing substance use, specifically, screening and brief interventions. Traditionally, opportunities to practice screening and brief intervention skills occur in classes and field placements; however, these opportunities are limited by class time, placement setting, and multiple demands placed on field instructors. Online client simulation has potential to address these limitations as an asynchronous training and assessment tool. This article details the integration of online interactive client simulation technology in advanced-level master of social work curricula. Drawing on longitudinal pre- and postdata, we present a preliminary analysis of changes in students' screening and brief intervention skills.

AbstractThere is growing interest in the animal assisted intervention (AAI) field to identify how participants benefit from their interaction with animals in these services. Although children frequently participate in these interventions, rarely have they been actively involved in research to explore how they experience the presence of an animal in AAI. This thematic synthesis pulls the few qualitative studies available that directly ask children who struggle with social and emotional difficulties abour their perception of their interactions with animals. Through the analysis of the findings of these studeis, a conceptual model is developed that identifies potential mechanisms that may influence the formation of a relationship between children and animals in AAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent policy shifts in health care have created opportunities for social workers to provide services in integrated primary care and behavioral health settings. However, traditionally prepared social workers may not have the skill set necessary to meet practice demands. This article describes a behavioral health workforce initiative that trains master's of social work students for work in integrated primary care settings with children, adolescents, and transition-age youths. The training model includes field placements in integrated care settings, co-curricular seminars, and advanced clinical electives. This article identifies challenges of creating new field placements and developing new curricula to support students' acquisition of knowledge and skills required in integrated care settings. Additionally, it presents data on changes in students' knowledge and confidence.

Social workers can help advance public health through increased acceptability of harm reduction principles and practices. This study evaluated Master of Social Work students’ attitudes towards harm reduction before and after a substance use and social work practice course and assessed differences in students’ attitude outcomes across multiple course instructors. Harm reduction attitudes were assessed using the Harm Reduction Acceptability Scale (HRAS). Results indicated that students exhibited more favorable attitudes towards harm reduction after course completion and experienced consistent learning about harm reduction across multiple sections/instructors. This has implications for integrating standardized health-related content within social work curricula to improve attitudes towards harm reduction and to encourage more widespread adoption of public health approaches for substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on previous examinations of marital outcomes in the empty nest phase that have been based on surveys of individuals (primarily wives), the current study examined the direct effect of no longer living with children in the home (vs. continuing to live with children) on husbands' and wives' ratings of marital closeness as well as their perceived health. The study also tested whether couples' empty nest status moderated the associations between spouses' marital closeness and health. Analyses were based on 3,765 mixed-sex couples drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Dyadic multilevel modeling and actor–partner interdependence models were used to test hypotheses. Results indicated that, accounting for known covariates, being in the empty nest was directly linked with both husbands and wives reporting higher levels of marital closeness and with wives (only) reporting better health. Moderating findings were less consistent, with the single reliable moderation result indicating that wives' perceived health was improved at higher levels of their husbands' marital closeness only among couples who were still living with children in the home. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for unsatisfying and conflict‐ridden couple relationships (i.e., marital or romantic partner relationships). There is a critical need to identify the couple‐level processes that contribute to this risk. The current study examined the use of dyadic coping, defined as the appraisals and behaviors that partners in relationships use and receive to manage stressors, and to examine whether dyadic coping mediated the association between parenting stress and couple relationship satisfaction in parents who have a child with ASD and in parents who do not have a child with ASD. In total, 184 couples that had a child with ASD (aged 5–12 years) and comparison group of 183 couples who have a child without a neurodevelopmental condition participated in the study. A multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that parents of children with ASD reported less positive and more negative dyadic coping than did parents in the comparison group. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that dyadic coping mediated the association between parenting stress and couple relationship satisfaction. Findings have important implications for programs aimed at enhancing parent couple relationship in families of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the interconnected needs and concerns of sexual and gender minority (SGM) older adults, with a particular focus on housing, healthcare, transportation, and social support. Data were gathered through seven groups with a sample of SGM-identified adults age 55 and over ( N =  50) and analyzed using thematic analysis. The participants seek affordable and inclusive housing options. They identified that access to transportation is paramount in maintaining social support and accessing healthcare. Findings underscore the need for strategies to serve the housing needs of low-income SGM-identified older adults in a nondiscriminatory way, train housing providers in culturally responsive care, meet transportation needs, and provide SGM-inclusive community-based services that reduce isolation.