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

Purpose: This article shows how financial health serves as an integral component of behavioral health beyond only a social determinant. It presents a framework conceptualizing financial health through three dimensions - financial precarity, efficacy, and well-being - and demonstrates how these interact with established behavioral health domains.

Materials and methods: The paper integrates several theoretical perspectives with empirical evidence from social work, psychology, and financial therapy literature. It synthesizes research on financial assessment tools and evidence-based interventions that can be integrated into care settings.

Results: Evidence demonstrates multidirectional relationships between financial and other behavioral health domains. Whereas financial precarity correlates with worse behavioral health conditions, financial efficacy serves as a protective factor. Intervention research shows that addressing financial concerns directly significantly improves both financial well-being outcomes and other behavioral health indicators, including healthcare engagement and medication adherence.

Discussion: Conceptualizing financial health as a behavioral health domain enhances assessment and intervention practices in integrated care settings. This approach enables practitioners to identify and address specific financial behaviors that interact with other health domains, creates opportunities for interprofessional collaboration, and provides strategies for addressing health disparities.

Conclusion: By positioning financial health as a type of behavioral health, practitioners can more effectively address complex interrelationships between financial circumstances and health outcomes. This perspective aligns with social work's person-in-environment approach while providing actionable strategies for improving overall well-being through simultaneous attention to financial and other behavioral health concerns.

Purpose: This study examined the roles of financial hardship indicators, financial stress, encounters with racism, campus belonging, and demographic factors among Black college students, utilizing the Social Determinants of Mental Health (SDoMH) framework to identify factors associated with mental health problems and inform evidence-based interventions.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2023-2024 Healthy Minds Study data from 8,769 Black college students across 196 institutions. Mental health was assessed using validated instruments (PHQ-9, GAD-7, SCOFF questionnaire) and operationalized as a dichotomous variable indicating clinically significant depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury, or suicidality. Binary logistic regression was used to examine predictors of any mental health problems.

Results: Among participants, 54.8% reported mental health problems. Transgender, nonbinary, and queer students had over five times higher odds of mental health problems (OR = 5.89, p < .001), while female students had 39% higher odds compared to males (OR = 1.39, p < .001). Sexual minorities reported higher rates than heterosexual students (OR = 0.41, p < .001). Financial stress (OR = 1.68, p < .001) and racial discrimination experiences (OR = 1.94, p < .001) significantly increased mental health risks. Campus belonging demonstrated protective effects (OR = 0.79, p < .001).

Discussion: Findings highlight the complex intersections of identity, discrimination, and socioeconomic factors in shaping mental health among Black college students, emphasizing the need for culturally responsive, intersectional support services.

Conclusion: Results underscore the importance of addressing multiple social determinants simultaneously through comprehensive campus interventions targeting financial stress, discrimination, and belonging to promote mental health equity for Black students.

Purpose: Practicum in social work and counseling is intensive, and trainees' mindsets shape learning experiences. We developed an intervention named Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindsets on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) and examined its acceptability and efficacy on reducing practicum-related anxiety.

Materials and methods: The pilot study used a two-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited from social work and counseling practicum programs and were randomly allocated to the We-SMILE or training-as-usual (TAU) group. Participants were surveyed online at pre- (T0), post-intervention (T1), two-week (T2), and eight-week (T3) follow-ups. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

Results: A total of 37 trainees participated in the pilot study (We-SMILE group: 15, TAU group: 22). Within-group analyses showed significant effects on reducing practicum-related anxiety at post-intervention (Z = -2.010, p = .044, Cohen's d = 1.214), improving practicum preparation (Z = -2.669, p = .008, Cohen's d = 1.902) and confidence at eight-week follow-up (t = 2.712, p = .017, Cohen's d = 0.700).

Discussion: The We-SMILE intervention demonstrated short- and long-term positive effects in supporting practicum trainees. These findings suggest that mindsets related to intelligence, failure, and emotion can influence various dimensions of professional practice.

Conclusion: The pilot study demonstrated the potential of We-SMILE as an acceptable and effective practicum training intervention. A larger sample is needed for more comprehensive evaluations.

Purpose: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications affiliated with Turkey in the Social Work category of the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis focuses on thematic trends, publication dynamics and collaboration networks over the last four decades.

Materials and methods: Data were retrieved from the WoS Core Collection on 26 December 2024. Search was conducted using the "Social Work" category filter, with country affiliation limited to Turkey. Only articles and review papers were included. A total of 504 publications by 1,372 authors were analyzed using MS Excel, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix. Following bibliometric indicators were examined: publication year, journal distribution, keyword frequency, author collaboration.

Results: There has been a marked increase in publication output since 2019. The most frequently used publication outlets were "Children and Youth Services Review," "Journal of Social Service Research" and "Social Work in Public Health Journal." Frequently used keywords included "health," "mental health," "depression," and "adolescents." Institutional and international collaboration patterns revealed that the most active partnerships were with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Discussion: The findings suggest a growing thematic focus on mental health, child welfare, and psychosocial issues, particularly during and after the pandemic. While methodological themes remain underrepresented, international collaboration and thematic diversity have increased.

Conclusion: Turkey-affiliated social work research is increasingly being integrated into global scholarship. There has been notable progress in thematic scope and international collaboration. However, methodological diversification remains a key area for future development.

Purpose: Perinatal substance use (SU) often goes unaddressed due to stigma and lack of access to treatment. Home visiting (HV) is a promising venue for integrating brief interventions to address perinatal SU. We evaluated a digital screening and brief intervention for SU that is tailored to the HV context (e-SBI-HV).

Materials and methods: The e-SBI-HV includes two digital sessions completed confidentially by clients plus home visitor facilitation protocols to promote e-SBI-HV integration into HV. The e-SBI-HV was pilot tested in New Jersey with 20 home visitors and 10 clients. A mixed-methods approach assessed recruitment and implementation feasibility, and program acceptability.

Results: Eighty-five clients were referred and 14 enrolled over 2 years. e-SBI-HV completion rates were 90% for digital Session 1, 70% for Session 2, and 72.5% for the facilitation protocols. Average acceptability ratings were 4.03/5.00 for Session 1 and 3.93/5.00 for Session 2. Qualitative interviews with home visitors and clients revealed implementation facilitators and barriers.

Discussion: Within the small sample that enrolled, feasibility and acceptability of the e-SBI-HV was supported. However, there were significant challenges reaching the target population. Qualitative interviews provided important feedback for refining the e-SBI-HV to improve reach within the HV setting, including the need for a prevention-oriented focus.

Conclusion: While findings support the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the e-SBI-HV, further research with a larger sample is needed to overcome significant implementation barriers and challenges identified in this study.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed the service landscape for both professionals and families. Kinship families, who often navigate multiple systems concurrently with higher service needs, were among the most vulnerable. This study explores kinship caregivers' and child welfare professionals' perceptions of changes in service delivery during the pandemic, specifically the sudden shift to virtual platforms.

Materials and methods: To understand participants' experiences, focus groups with protocols shaped by initial Delphi Rounds were implemented with 25 kinship caregivers and 34 child welfare professionals from a national sample.

Results: Caregiver and professionals shared themes related to how COVID-19 precautions impacted service delivery; kinship families' access to, knowledge, and use of technology; and benefits and challenges for implementing virtual support.

Discussion: Based on findings shared by participants, a model illustrating influencing factors for online service delivery was created highlighting technological capital, client factors, provider factors, and service type as key components. Implications of implementing online supports in practice are discussed, including technology access, training in social work education, and future research areas.

Conclusion: Despite the many adversities the COVID-19 pandemic presented for professionals and kinship families, this unprecedented time also paved the way for us think differently about service accessibility and the benefits and challenges of online supports, especially in a world that is quickly moving toward automation. Considering both families' and professionals' perspectives is key to integrating virtual supports into the current service delivery landscape in equitable and effective ways.

Purpose: Social work practice in Nigeria is profoundly shaped by local cultural norms, while formal education and ethics remain grounded in Western paradigms. This disconnect creates a significant gap between academic training and field realities. The study investigates how Nigerian social workers navigate tensions between professional values and indigenous traditions in their daily practice.

Materials and methods: A qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to explore the lived experiences of 15 social workers from schools, hospitals, and community centers in Enugu Metropolis. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to understand how practitioners interpret and respond to cultural influences in their work.

Results: Findings reveal that social workers face tensions between global professional ethics and local cultural expectations particularly around family authority, spirituality, communal decision-making, and traditional conflict resolution. Participants described ethical dilemmas including pressure to adopt informal practices such as cutting corners. Nevertheless, many found that culturally rooted approaches enhanced engagement and outcomes in community settings.

Discussion and conclusion: The study underscores the need to decolonize Nigerian social work education by incorporating Afrocentric theories, indigenous knowledge systems, and critical reflections on Western models. Recommendations include revising social work curricula, developing culturally responsive ethical guidelines, and promoting advocacy-oriented training. These reforms are essential for producing practitioners who are both ethically grounded and culturally competent, capable of delivering transformative social work within Nigeria's complex cultural landscape.

Purpose: The current review sought to characterize evaluation strategies relevant to evidence-based parenting programs (EBPP) implementation in real-world settings, specifically addressing programs' implementation characteristics, outcomes and economic evaluations under a pluralistic approach.

Materials and method: We conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed literature completing the scale for the assessment of narrative review articles (SANRA) and following the preferred format Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion (IMRD) to outweigh appraisals of non-systematic procedures. We searched Web of Science, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Education Source Ultimate, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Sociology Source Ultimate for keywords related to the concepts of parenting program, evaluation, implementation, pluralistic approach, and community-based services.

Results: We present the state-of-the-art of the evaluation of EBPP, detailing evaluation strategies through the lens of a pluralistic approach, showcasing what counts as evidence for implementation, outcome and economic evaluations of EBPP.

Discussion: Our groundwork posits the rationale for different evaluation designs addressing multiple questions for evidence, illustrating how program implementation and outcomes evaluation can critically contribute to an evidence-based practice. We also turn to the challenges implicit in translational studies and why research and practice are bound to be inseparable allies.

Conclusion: Exclusively addressing programs' evaluation outcomes may be insufficient. Outcome evaluations should be paired with implementation and economic evaluations to better understand how programs work, which could be more suitable for families according to their needs and characteristics, but also to inform cost-sensitive decisions, and reduce societal burden and costs.