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

Purpose: Social work clients often face complex financial problems. We have developed a financial social work intervention, FinSoc, to increase financial literacy and economic self-efficacy and reduce financial anxiety among parents with financial problems in Finland. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention. This paper, a study protocol, describes the design and implementation of the trial. Study protocols are articles detailing a priori the research plan, rationale, proposed methods and plans for how a clinical trial will be conducted.

Method: This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial with a mixed methods approach applying both quantitative measures and qualitative interviews. Participating social work clients with children are randomly assigned to either the treatment or the waiting list control group at a ratio of 1:1. The treatment group receives the intervention and the control group receives services as usual. The quantitative data from social work clients are collected at three measurement points. Qualitative interviews are conducted post-intervention with both clients receiving, and professionals implementing the intervention. The feasibility is assessed through recruitment and retention rates and the interviews with social work professionals providing the intervention. Acceptability is assessed through feedback from participants on satisfaction with the intervention and usefulness of the specific intervention components. Potential effectiveness is measured by financial literacy, economic self-efficacy and financial anxiety.

Discussion: The intervention is hypothesized to increase financial literacy and economic self-efficacy and reduce financial anxiety among social work clients with children. The results of this pilot study will increase the evidence base of financial social work and offer new insights for developing interventions for clients experiencing financial difficulties.

Purpose: First-generation college students (FGCS) face a myriad of sociocultural, financial, and emotional challenges that impact their educational journey. With less academic capital and lower odds of obtaining a bachelor's degree than their non-FGCS peers, understanding the factors affecting their academic success is pivotal for social work professionals aiming to provide tailored interventions and support systems. This study delved into the potential differences between these groups concerning physical activities, which are linked to learning, cognition, and overall well-being, and evaluated their influence on degree completion.

Method: A path model was developed to analyze the relationship between degree completion, physical activities, FGCS status, and background variables, using a sample of 1,625 participants.

Results: The model showed a strong fit (CFI = 0.979, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.010) and accounted for 29.5% of the variance in degree completion. Walking to school was positively associated with degree attainment. FGCS status was associated with decreased walking to school, reduced degree completion, and increased walking for exercise. An indirect effect suggested that FGCS were less likely to achieve their degree, potentially due to a greater reliance on transportation like buses or cars.

Discussion: The findings emphasize the critical role of campus resources for FGCS. Enhancing access to fitness centers and offering affordable housing options nearer to campus may aid FGCSs' academic success. These insights can guide social work practices, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in the academic experiences of FGCS.

Purpose: There is a strong preference for evidence-based child welfare services, however, there are few well-researched programs for families that struggle post-permanence. Following adoption or guardianship, some families experience significant challenges, struggle to find effective programs, and run the risk of family instability. This study described the process used to develop the Adoption and Guardianship Enhanced Support (AGES) intervention and explored: 1) the needs of families participating in the program and 2) how AGES worked with families to address those challenges.

Methods: This descriptive study utilized quantitative structured assessment data and qualitative data from case records to explore the needs of families and provide context for qualitative, in-depth interviews with families regarding their experiences with the AGES program, presented using thematic analysis.

Results: Pre-service structured assessments indicated multiple dimensions of parenting strain, with case record reviews and interviews with families providing a nuanced picture of multiple sources of strain, suggesting the project was reaching the intended audience. Record review and interviews demonstrated strong alignment between needs of families and the support provided by AGES workers. Intended analysis of quantitative post-assessment data was not possible, due to lower enrollment and higher staff turnover than expected, as well as study timeframes.

Discussion and conclusion: The approach utilized by AGES workers, one that walked alongside families and provided flexible responses to identified needs, showed promise for adoptive and guardianship families. Replication and additional research are needed to assess the program with a larger sample and more rigorous methods.

Purpose: Disability is one of the various challenges that people face around the world. People with disabilities are confronted with a lot of challenges, and they experience depression, social marginalization, and isolation. The study aims to explore the situation of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

Method: To conduct this study, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect data from 45 purposively selected study participants (40 persons living with disabilities, and 5 chairpersons of a joint association of persons living with disabilities).

Results: Findings showed that some of the challenges facing persons living with disabilities in Nigeria include environmental, educational, and socio-economic challenges.

Discussion and conclusion: In conclusion, to overcome some of these challenges social workers should advocate for inclusive strategies and one way this can be realized is by the domestication and implementation of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.

Purpose: Child welfare practice often requires direct intervention with vulnerable children and families, whereby workers are responsible for various services and decisions that may have a lasting impact on families involved in the child welfare system. Research illustrates that clinical needs are not necessarily the only factor at the foundation of decision making; Evidence-informed Decision Making (EIDM) can act as a foundation for critical thinking and deliberate practice in the context of child welfare service delivery. This study evaluates an EIDM training that aimed to enhance workers' behavior and attitude toward the EIDM process with a focus on research.

Method: This randomized control trial evaluated the effectiveness of an online EIDM training for child welfare workers. The training consisted of five modules that were completed at the team (n = 19) level at a rate of approximately one module every three weeks. The training intended to promote the exploration and use of research in everyday practice by critically thinking through the EIDM process.

Results: Due to attrition and incomplete posttests, the final sample size was 59 participants (intervention, n = 36; control, n = 23). Generalized Linear Model Repeated Measures analyses found an EIDM training main effect on confidence in using research and research use.

Discussion and conclusion: Importantly, findings suggest that this EIDM training can influence participant outcomes related to engaging in the process and the use of research in practice. Engagement with EIDM is one mechanism to promote critical thinking and exploration of research during the service delivery process.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of grief, social support, as well as spirituality on the depressive symptoms of older adults in assisted living in Kansas. This study tested three hypotheses: a high level of grief will be related to a high level of depressive symptoms; high levels of social support (family, friends, and significant persons) will be associated with a low level of depressive symptoms; and high levels of spiritual experience and coping will be associated with a low level of depressive symptoms.

Methods: This study recruited 316 older adult residents aged 65 or over from seven assisted living facilities in Kansas. This cross-sectional survey was done by face-to-face interviews using the purposive sampling method. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the three sets of variables in relation to depressive symptoms: socio-demographics, social support factors, and spiritual factors.

Results: Participants' mean age was 82.6 years, ranging from 65 to 102; 70.9% were female. Married participants consisted of 18.7%, and over 64% were widowed. Hierarchical multivariate regression results indicated that a high level of grief was significantly related to a high level of depressive symptoms. On the other hand, high levels of social support from friends and spiritual coping were significantly associated with a low level of depressive symptoms.

Discussion and conclusion: Assisted living facilities may consider developing appropriate bereavement, social support, and spiritual intervention programs, which will alleviate the depression issues of older adult residents after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between adolescents' character strengths and quality of life during the COVID-19 lockdown and to further explore the role of strengths use and perceived threats.

Method: A total of 804 adolescents from Wuhan, China were recruited to complete an online survey. The data collection was conducted between April and May 2020, during the lockdown of Wuhan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the suspension of school attendance for adolescents and the transition to online teaching. Mini Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Mini-Q-LES-Q) was used to measure adolescents' quality of life, while their character strengths, strengths use, and perceived threats were measured using the Three-Dimensional Inventory of Character Strengths (TICS), the Chinese version Strengths Use Scale (SUS) and Perceived threats of COVID-19 questionnaire.

Results: The results of the study indicated that adolescents' character strengths could positively affect their quality of life, and strengths use played a partially mediating role, while the moderating effect of perceived threats was not significant.

Discussion and conclusions: In the face of persistent pandemic effects or other similar stressful events in the future, the development of adolescents' character strengths and strengths use can effectively improve adolescents' quality of life, which provides a theoretical reference for future social work intervention.

Purpose: This study evaluated effectiveness of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) with adoptive families who received post adoption services in Tennessee.

Methods: Researchers obtained a sample of 552 families who received post adoption services in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Most families (77%) had adopted children through public child welfare services. A quasi-experimental design examined wellbeing outcomes for an NMT group (n = 319) versus a services-as-usual (SAU) group (n = 233) in intent-to-treat analyses. Then, the SAU group was contrasted to an NMT subgroup that had high adherence to the NMT model (n = 109) in an analysis of treatment-on-the-treated.

Results: Intent-to-treat models indicated no differences on outcomes between the NMT and SAU groups. However, the results of treatment-on-the-treated analyses showed slightly greater reduction on the Behavior Problems Index over time for the NMT with high adherence group as compared to SAU.

Discussion and conclusion: Adoptive families may face challenges that could be addressed through developmentally sensitive, trauma-informed services, such as NMT. The results of this study suggest that the NMT might benefit adoptive families if greater attention is paid to implementation adherence, or fidelity.

Purpose: Evidence establishing the importance of compassion in the context of social work practice is emerging. Compassion, stemming from the Latin words com and pati, means to suffer with. Given the proximity social workers have to vast experiences of suffering, compassion may play a central role in providing meaningful care to individuals, communities, and systems. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social workers' definitions of and experiences with compassion.

Method: Participants included 12 social workers working across levels of practice in two Midwestern states in the United States. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews.

Results: Thematic analysis demonstrated three themes present in the data. Consistent with previous conceptual scholarship, the findings illustrated that compassion is a central component of social work practice. Additionally, results from the study demonstrated that social workers find compassion to be an imperative component of ethical practice and suggested that both barriers to and facilitators of compassion are present across levels of social work practice.

Discussion and conclusion: This study adds to the growing body of social work scholarship exploring compassion and highlights implications for the social work discipline across levels of practice to more overtly center compassion in education, practice, and policy. Further research is needed to better understand multilevel barriers to compassion and develop strategies for overcoming them. Moreover, additional research is needed to holistically understand how to leverage and build upon the facilitators of compassion identified by participants in order to foster compassionate social workers, social work organizations, and systems.

Purpose: Based on an approach to psychological health at work and on social exchange theory, this study tested the relationships between the four dimensions of organizational justice (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational), supervisor and coworker support, resilience and psychological well-being (PWB).

Method: Using a cross-sectional design with one measurement, a sample of 369 French social workers responded to an online questionnaire. Analysis were based on correlations, and on mediations with Hayes and Preacher's (2014) method.

Results: The results showed that satisfaction of the three psychological needs, procedural justice, supports, and resilience explained PWB. Mediation analyses showed that satisfaction of the need for autonomy played a mediating role between interpersonal justice, procedural justice, and PWB. Satisfaction of the needs for competence and autonomy played a mediating role between coworker support and PWB. Satisfaction of the three needs played a mediating role between resilience and PWB.

Discussion and conclusion: The results pointed out the relevance of need satisfaction in predicting PWB. These findings confirm the relevance of justice, support, and resilience for social workers' well-being, and of the importance of need satisfaction that plays a critical role.