Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)最新文献

Purpose: Mental health and substance use social workers must be prepared to work with people with disabilities, as this population has higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and ACEs can lead to mental health and substance use problems. The study's purpose is to assess the moderating effect of disability on the interrelationships among ACEs, mental health, and binge drinking.

Materials and methods: Using data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, we first used multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to establish the underlying factor structure of the ACEs questionnaire for respondents with and without disabilities. Next, we used multigroup structural equation modeling to assess the mediating effect of mental health difficulties on the association between ACEs and binge drinking for respondents with and without disabilities.

Results: A three-factor measurement model (emotional or physical abuse, sexual abuse, and household dysfunction) demonstrated excellent model fits. Mental health difficulties significantly mediated the association between ACEs and binge drinking for all respondents. Disability status was a statistically significant moderator of a few associations, with more mental health variance explained by ACEs for the disabled respondents. Direct paths showed household dysfunction and sexual abuse had greater impacts on mental health for disabled respondents, and indirect paths showed these factors also had greater impacts on binge drinking among disabled respondents.

Discussion and conclusion: To prevent mental health and binge drinking problems among disabled individuals, we need evidence-based interventions to identify their ACEs and provide accessible, trauma-informed treatments to them.

There has been widespread outrage within the social work profession regarding racial disparities in pass rates of licensing exams developed and administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The most supported remedy has been to eliminate testing for some categories of licensure with Connecticut, Illinois, and Rhode Island leading the way. Standardized testing has historically been a gatekeeping practice criticized for its exclusionary nature with no empirical evidence linking it to more competent mental health and other social work practice. Thus, the profession is correct in questioning an exam's relevance in social work regulation. However, the licensure test has become a lightning rod issue preventing more substantive analyses, debate, and antiracist reforms within the profession's policy, practice, and education arenas. This article uses the disparity in ASWB pass rates as the impetus for a more critical look at systemic issues in social work adversely impacting Black individuals entering the profession. The authors acknowledge that an anti-racist agenda in social work requires tackling long-standing problems that will not be as easily solved as eliminating multiple choice testing.

Purpose: Social workers from minoritized racial, ethnic, linguistic, and age groups are far less likely to pass licensing examinations required to practice. Using a simulated data set, our study investigates measurement equivalence, or invariance, of social work licensing exams.

Materials: For this analysis, we simulated responses to 15 multiple-choice questions which were scored as either correct or incorrect using the R mirt package and used mirt to fit a 2-parameter logistic model (2PL) to the response data. We generated the data so that five items could demonstrate DIF and calculated their impact on the test characteristic curves and item characteristic curves.

Results: Small amounts of differential item functioning added up into differential test functioning, but the effect size was small. This result is one potential outcome of an analysis of ASWB exams.

Discussion: Most studies evaluating test characteristic curves demonstrate small effect sizes. Measuring the test characteristic curve and the test information curve will help to investigate content-irrelevant sources of variance in the exams, including unfairness, unreliability, and invalid pass scores.

Conclusion: Differential test functioning is a core part of measurement invariance studies. Psychometric standards require test developers to assess measurement invariance at both the item-level and test-level to protect themselves from accusations of bias.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to illuminate the perspectives of African American MSWs, both licensed and unlicensed, concerning clinical licensure.

Method: In 2022, but prior to the time of the Association for Social Work Boards (ASWB) report release, the primary author interviewed 20 African Americans with Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees regarding their desire and attempts to attain licensure. The participants were selected utilizing non-probability, convenience sampling methods and self-selected in response to invitations extended via social media platforms. The interviews took place via Zoom and were recorded and analyzed utilizing qualitative methods.

Results: The findings suggested that many interviewees do view the test as biased in favor of White women and that they attribute lower test pass rates of African Americans in part to this bias. However, additional concerns, including the costs and difficulty of multiple test-taking efforts, the time limit between MSW and licensure, and the dearth of information available to MSWs about licensing credentials, among others, were also cited. Respondents also identified, in some cases, limitations in social support, particularly in work settings, for their professional development efforts. Significantly, many participants identified problems with supervision - securing supervision, the focus/content of supervision, or both.

Discussion and conclusions: Recommendations for steps to increase access to the test and to information about the test are offered. Importantly, discussion regarding avenues to supervision and mentorship is initiated. This study offers a first step in the process of engaging with African Americans about their own experiences with the licensing process.

Introduction: The social work profession is in a precarious situation regarding licensure. Test takers of color are struggling to pass social work licensure exams at rates comparable to their White counterparts, per data released by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). As a nation, we are required to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse population. Yet the recruitment and retention of a diverse body of social workers is unlikely to be actualized if disparities persist in these exams. Given ASWB's monopoly on social work exams and the likelihood that many states will continue to require the exams for licensure, we sought to explore public responses to the data released, using the National Association of Social Work (NASW) as our starting point. As the nation's largest association of social workers, having local chapters within each state, NASW serves as an area of connection between social workers nationwide.

Methods: We utilized content analysis to explore emerging themes and conduct a review of the state chapter's public responses to exam pass rate data.

Results: A variety of state chapter's responses, with few states engaging in advocacy efforts or taking action to facilitate change.

Discussion: Advocacy efforts play a pivotal role in the restructuring of fragmented systems. This study revisits seemingly ignored disparities diverse test takers may face, while also serving as a call-to-action in advocacy engagement. We conclude with a set of advocacy practice guidelines for use in the promotion of equitable licensing opportunities for all test takers.

Purpose: Few studies have explored polysubstance use among youths aging out of foster care, despite higher rates of substance misuse for youths exiting foster care than those in the general population. Polysubstance use has been linked to substance use disorders, health problems, cognitive impairment, suicide, and overdose.

Method: This study investigates understudied risk and protective factors associated with polysubstance use with data from 384 youth who turned 17 years old between December 1, 2001, and June 30, 2003, and were transitioning out of foster care from the Missouri Children's Division. We conducted bivariate analyses with chi-square tests for categorical variables and Analysis of Variance with continuous independent variables. Then we conducted a multinomial logistic regression to explore differences between individuals who used 1 or no substances, individuals who used only alcohol and marijuana, and individuals who used 2 or more substances.

Results: Bivariate analyses found that being white, having deviant peers, and living in a more disordered neighborhood were risk factors for polysubstance use. Multinomial logistic regression results found that being white (RR = 6.89, p < .001), having deviant peers (RR = 1.15, p < .001), and living in a more disordered neighborhood (RR = 1.13, p < .05), increased the risk engaging in polysubstance use.

Discussion: Similar to findings in other studies, we found that deviant peers and neighborhood disorder increase the risk of polysubstance use, but family support, church attendance, and spirituality were not protective against polysubstance use.

Conclusion: Interventions should work to reduce deviant peer relationships among foster youth.

Purpose: Recent records by the World Health Organization show that hypertension is more prevalent in Africa than in other parts of the world, and remains the foremost common risk factor for cardiovascular-related diseases, stroke, renal diseases, and death. However, little is known about the risk factors for hypertension by people from rural areas, especially among middle-aged adults. Therefore, the study examined the knowledge of the risk factors for hypertension among middle-aged adults in rural areas of Anambra state, Nigeria.

Materials, and method: Focus group discussions were used to collect data from 40 middle-aged adults (20 males and 20 females). Two key themes stood out from the data collection guides. These are "awareness of hypertension and its' symptoms" and "knowledge of risk factors of hypertension".

Results: The findings showed that the participants were aware of hypertension but lacked in-depth knowledge of the risk factors for the disease. Most participants did not believe that intake of certain foods like starchy foods and excess alcohol consumption could lead to one being hypertensive.

Discussion and conclusion: There is a need for social workers to sensitize and enlighten the middle-aged adults in the study area on the risk factors for the disease.

Purpose: Most youth with delinquency histories experience childhood adversity leaving them vulnerable to poor adult well-being. Previous research indicates that self-regulation difficulties could explain how childhood adversity affects adult well-being. Yet, very few studies target adult self-regulation intervention. Therefore, this study examined the intervening effects of emerging adult self-regulation on the association between childhood adversity and adult well-being.

Method: Using data from the first four waves of the Add Health Study, the researchers conducted structural equation modeling for mediation with bootstrapping. The researchers tested the mediation effects of emerging adult self-regulation on the association between childhood adversity (child maltreatment and violent victimization) and later adult well-being (mental health problems, alcohol and drug use, criminal behaviors) among people with delinquency histories and/or arrest prior to age 18 (N = 1,792).

Results: Several significant direct effects and one partial mediation effect were found. For example, child maltreatment significantly predicted adult mental health problems and criminal behaviors. Self-regulation (via the dissatisfaction with life and self subscale) mediated the association between child maltreatment and adult mental health problems.

Discussion: Findings highlight the need for social workers to focus on prevention services and trauma-informed treatment for people with delinquency histories. In addition, evidence-based practice requires self-regulation interventions for adults with histories of childhood adversity and delinquency to focus on their emotional and cognitive functioning as well as self-esteem.

Conclusion: Implementing self-regulation interventions during emerging adulthood can be useful to mitigate later adult mental health problems among people with histories of childhood adversity and delinquency.

Purpose: This study used secondary data from a randomized controlled trial of a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) to examine whether Non-White participants had different treatment results compared to White participants.

Methods: The outcome variables of this study were divided into primary outcomes (heavy drinking and consequences associated with alcohol use) and secondary outcomes (cognitive variables such as motivation to change alcohol use, and behavioral variables, including protective behavioral strategies). Linear regression analyses were conducted with the PROCESS macro for SPSS, to test if race or ethnicity moderated the relationship between BMI and each treatment outcome. Data was collected at two time points, six weeks and three months after treatment.

Results: This study showed that race or ethnicity did not moderate treatment results for the four outcome variables. Additional within-group effect sizes were calculated for all racial and ethnic categories, showing that Hispanic/Latine and Black participants had larger effect sizes in all the outcome variables.

Discussion: The discussion examines the potential strength of Motivational Interviewing due to its client-centered spirit, which naturally allows for incorporating values and identity-based factors, such as culture, into the session.

Conclusion: The results suggest similar BMI outcomes among White and Non-White emerging adults who engage in heavy drinking, potentially due to its client-centered approach. This is a preliminary study, and the results are therefore tentative.