Social Work in Public Health最新文献

Marijuana use and depression are critical issues affecting the well-being of Black male collegians. This study examines the relationship between recent marijuana use and moderately severe to severe depression within this population, emphasizing the role of social determinants of mental health, such as financial stress and racial discrimination. Using data from the Healthy Minds Study (HMS), a cross-sectional web-based survey, 1,599 Black male collegians were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis revealed that recent marijuana use increased the likelihood of experiencing moderately severe to severe depression by 77%. Younger students and those experiencing financial stress or racial discrimination were also at higher risk. These findings highlight the importance of targeted mental health interventions that address substance use and social determinants of mental health. The study underscores the need for culturally tailored approaches to mitigate the adverse mental health effects faced by Black male collegians in higher education settings.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) young adults (YA) experiencing homelessness are at disproportionate risk of negative sexual health outcomes. Understanding sexual agency and risk-taking behavior of LGBTQ+  YA experiencing homelessness is critical to designing interventions that promote sexual agency and prevent HIV/STIs, sexual violence victimization, and unwanted pregnancies. To explore sexual agency among this population, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 31 LGBTQ+  YA (aged 18-24) experiencing homelessness in New York City. Three themes were identified from the data: 1) Communication about sexuality is high, but sexual agency is not always enacted in practice; 2) LGBTQ+  young adults seek stability in their relationships to compensate for housing instability; and 3) Adversity creates a self-sufficiency and self-priority that can trump networks and relationships. This study offers insight into the needs of LGBTQ+  YA experiencing homelessness, which can inform future interventions that work best for this unique population.

The Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) faces unique public health challenges as they age, including increased rates of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, along with barriers to healthcare access. Reproductive health issues, such as menopause, sexual health, and hormone regulation, further complicate their needs, often going unaddressed due to stigma or lack of resources. Social work is crucial in addressing these challenges by advocating for equitable healthcare policies, providing education on aging-related health issues, and connecting Baby Boomers to essential services. Social workers ensure comprehensive care that supports physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By addressing these multifaceted health concerns, public health efforts in social work can improve the overall quality of life for Baby Boomers.

Smartphone addiction is one of the major social issues among young people these days. The current study aims to identify the determinants of smartphone addiction and examine the association between smartphone addiction and multiple behavioral/psychological problems. The study sample consisted of 1105 university students from Singapore. Students in the high-risk smartphone use group reported higher levels of smartphone addiction, cybervictimization, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Depressive and anxiety symptoms showed a positive association with smartphone addiction. Additionally, both depressive and anxiety symptoms had significant indirect effects when assessing two separate simple mediation models. When testing the parallel mediation model, the indirect effect of cybervictimization on smartphone addiction occurred through anxiety but not depression. Based on these findings, the current study proposed the implementation of routine screening and the provision of multi-level services in education settings. Nevertheless, the study has limitations related to the study population and the use of self-reported questionnaires.

Disasters, both natural and man-made, occur unexpectedly and can profoundly impact communities based on their nature, origins, and resulting damage. Disasters affect public health. Enhancing global communication networks, conducting disaster awareness studies, and developing disaster prevention and warning systems are essential for combating disasters. The competency and knowledge of professionals involved in disaster management are crucial, with social workers playing a critical role in both combating and responding to such crises. Integrating multidimensional disaster awareness into undergraduate education is a key strategy within Türkiye's disaster prevention policies. This study assessed the disaster awareness and attitudes of senior social work students in Ankara, engaging 300 undergraduate participants. The findings indicated that female students exhibited greater disaster awareness, and that prior disaster experiences positively influenced both awareness levels and the willingness to join crisis intervention teams. Participation in first aid training significantly enhanced disaster-related attitudes, with those who experienced loss in disasters reporting higher cognitive, affective, and behavioral scores than those who did not. Furthermore, training in psychosocial support positively impacted disaster awareness. The results underscore the need to refine undergraduate social work education to align with national disaster policies. The study is expected to contribute to the social work literature both nationally and internationally.

The occurrence of new problems after a disaster and the exacerbation of existing problems require social work practices in the provision of holistic services. In disasters, social work includes interventions aimed at providing practical support and psychosocial support services. In this context, the study examines post-disaster psychosocial support services in Türkiye, following a flood case, from a social work perspective and through a qualitative approach. The participant group consists of 24 adults affected by the disaster, showing diversity in terms of age, socioeconomic status, and gender. In-depth interviews conducted with the participants were subjected to thematic analysis, generating information about the content of the psychosocial support services, their effectiveness, and how a more effective aid-support model should be structured. The research results indicate that all needs were considered after the disaster, and psychosocial support services contributed to feelings of trust and relief. However, participants' critiques revealed that these services need improvement. It was found that psychosocial support services were limited to basic, widespread, and urgent needs, were shorter in duration than required, failed to ensure public participation, and were inadequate in resource development and establishing connections. The research concluded that post-disaster psychosocial support services in Türkiye should be developed with a more layered model, considering local agency, and tailored to the specific problems of specialized groups and clients.

This study aims to examine the relationship between occupational health and safety and job performance of social workers. A total of 388 Turkish social workers participated in this online study. The sociodemographic questionnaire, Occupational Health and Safety Practices Performance Evaluation Scale (OHS-PES), and Job Performance Scale (JPS) were used to collect data. 74.7% of the participants were female, 70.8% had a bachelor's degree, and 72.9% were employed in the public sector. 41.9% of participants received basic occupational health and safety training, 17.1% basic disease prevention, 25.8% first aid, 37% basic disaster and emergency, and 30.5% accident prevention. The mean OHS-PES score was 70.90   ±   18.05, and the JPS score was 16.42   ±   2.22. The OHS-PES and JPS were positively correlated, r = .177, p < .001. All sub-dimensions of the OHS-PES showed positive and statistically significant correlations with job performance. Organizations should prioritize targeted interventions to improve workplace safety and potentially enhance the overall job performance of social workers, including comprehensive trainings and psychosocial risk mitigation strategies.

Child maltreatment seriously affects children's psychological and social well-being, as well as their physical health. The study aimed to explore the impact of violence experienced by children on their self-rated health. It also examined whether this effect is mediated by parent-child conversations and whether it varies based on the child's gender. The study was based on the Child Victim Survey of 2013 (FSD2943) in Finland. Mediation and moderation models were tested. According to the analyses, violence experienced by a child at the hands of their parents weakened the parent-child relationship, which, in turn, negatively impacted the child's self-rated health. Further, the higher the frequency of experienced violence, the more negative are the health consequences. However, girls had stronger negative health consequences as a result of low frequency of violence than boys. Social workers should pay particular attention to the dynamics within the family when assessing the possibility of child maltreatment.

The COVID-19 epidemic not only impacted China's economy but also induced periodic anxiety among employees, especially during its peak. Even as governmental controls relaxed, enterprises seemed unaffected externally. However, beneath the surface, the lingering effects on employee mental health persisted. Many faced dual stressors concerning their job and personal well-being due to the epidemic, heightening work-related anxieties. This research, a year after China resumed work, delves into the psychological stress influencing this sustained anxiety. A survey of 516 employees helped test the hypothesis using a multiple regression model. Findings indicated heightened continuous work anxiety due to the epidemic, particularly in hard-hit areas. However, individual resilience, organizational, and social support were found to mitigate these effects. The study underscores the sustained psychological aftermath of the epidemic on employees, urging health authorities to address it.

System-involved youth are a vulnerable population at high-risk of experiencing numerous sexual reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. They are likely to have several risk factors for teen pregnancy and parenting including abuse and neglect histories, lack of a supportive consistent adult in their lives, and limited opportunities to experience normal romantic relationships. Issues of pubertal development are rarely addressed in this population. Data is from system-involved adolescents (n = 301) enrolled in a SRH intervention. The final analysis is restricted to those who were sexually active at baseline (n = 229). Most participants were African Americans between 13-21 years of age. More than 70% reported an early mean age of first sex. Approximately a quarter self-reported early pubertal development. Logistic regression was utilized to examine the odds of pregnancy in relation to self-reported pubertal timing. The findings support the need to develop programming for system-involved youth which address their unique needs.