This study evaluates the quality of life of immigrant families living in Türkiye from a social work perspective through a phenomenological qualitative design. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 participants from Turkmen, Arab, Afghan, and Syrian backgrounds, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings were organized under four main themes: migration process of the family, objective determinants of quality of life, subjective determinants of quality of life, and future expectations. Migration was primarily driven by security concerns and aspirations for a safer future, while participants reported facing practical, financial, and emotional challenges during migration and early settlement. Objective determinants highlighted economic vulnerability, limited social security coverage, and partial access to health and social services. Subjective determinants revealed mixed experiences of psychological well-being, family interaction, and social integration, coupled with challenges in maintaining cultural values. Future expectations ranged from fear of deportation to aspirations for stability, emphasizing children’s education and safety as key priorities. The findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive, rights-based, and holistic social work interventions to enhance immigrant families’ well-being and social inclusion. Future research should further explore longitudinal changes in quality of life and evaluate intervention models targeting immigrant family integration.

The disparate outcomes experienced by children, young people, and families within Australia’s social, educational, and health, services are widely reported, with data reflecting that similar populations experience consistently poorer outcomes. As disparities occur across traditional service boundaries, beyond what individual provider or sector can address, it is critical to understand and intervene at the service systems-level, ie., the interactions across services and sectors. This study aimed to understand the experiences of organizational and service leaders who have supported system-level change to inform subsequent place-based activities in Logan, Australia. Sixteen (16) service leaders, program coordinators, managers, and CEOs participated in semi-structured interviews from across Logan’s service sectors, including child protection, early childhood, education, youth, family services, multicultural, refugee, health and First Nations’ services. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes of service leaders’ experiences of supporting system-level change: The need for community-led and co-designed approaches; Service contracts flexible to community need; Culturally-specific and culturally-safe models; and Resources commensurate with community needs. These findings highlight the need for trialing new approaches including flexible contract models, needs-based funding, community-directed program contracts, and models designed by and for marginalized populations. Further applied research should explore effects of proposed approaches on both services users and providers.

This research aims to explore how adventure therapy can be incorporated into social work interventions with young people and to evaluate the effectiveness of this work by conducting adventure therapy-based psycho-educational group work. In the first phase of this qualitative research, the aim is to understand the needs of 14 social workers in order to use adventure therapy in their interventions and thematic analysis is used to analyze the data. In the second phase of the study, an adventure therapy-based psycho-education group study is conducted with 12 social workers according to the needs identified in the first phase. The effectiveness of this study is evaluated and a descriptive analysis of the data is conducted. Current research has shown that physical, environmental, structural, legal, academic support, and cooperation are needed to incorporate adventure therapy into social work interventions. Additionally, it has been suggested that social workers who receive training in adventure therapy activities will be able to work more effectively with young people. The study revealed that, when working with young people and conducting outdoor interventions, it is necessary for social workers to understand young people and be able to carry out outdoor activities. They must also be able to assess the existing conditions, opportunities and resources in institutions.

Maladaptive perfectionism among youth has increased significantly in the past few decades, underscoring the need to identify relevant contextual factors. Toward that end, this longitudinal study investigates the effects of seven spiritual/religious (S/R) dimensions on maladaptive perfectionism, and whether any of the dimensions help explain differences in perfectionism between Latter-day Saints and their adolescent peers. The sample consisted of three waves of adolescents (2018, 2020, 2022) from the Southwestern United States. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model and latent mediation modeling were used for the analysis. The findings indicate that Sabbath observance, personal prayer, and a close relationship with God were associated with lower levels of maladaptive perfectionism while negative religious coping was associated with higher levels. Latter-day Saints reported lower maladaptive perfectionism relative to their peers, which was explained by engagement in S/R activities. In addition, Latter-day Saint youth who were less engaged in S/R activities reported elevated perfectionism, suggesting that disconnection from their faith may place them at increased risk of perfectionism. The results emphasize the importance of conducting spiritual assessments in clinical settings to understand the role that S/R plays in youth’s lived reality. Future researchers might build on the results by using nationally representative samples of youth.

This study examined the relationship between spirituality and feelings of shame among emerging adults, a population navigating significant developmental and social transitions. Data were collected from 415 emerging adults through Qualtrics panels. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that spirituality was not a significant predictor of shame. However, income was significantly associated with shame, with lower income levels predicting higher shame scores. These findings suggest that socioeconomic factors play a modest but meaningful role in the emotional well-being of emerging adults, emphasizing the impact of financial hardship on psychological outcomes. Implications for social work and other social science practices include the integration of financial stress education and support into therapeutic interventions targeting shame. Future research should investigate how structural and individual-level factors interact to shape emotional experiences in emerging adulthood, and further explore the potential protective role of spirituality across diverse demographic groups.

Effective strategies for navigating diversity in educational and direct practice settings are essential. Given rapid diversification in North America, scholars have called for qualitative research on diversity practices. In response, this study answers the question: What, if any, contemporary diversity-centered practices limit or impede the development of diversity literacy, the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to interact with populations respectfully and sensitively? Narrative-informed inquiry was used to explore perceptions among 32 social work students and alumni from one university in Ontario, Canada. Analysis produced six themes, which suggest that diversity literacy may be constrained by: (1) categorizing people into boxes, (2) discussing social identities too simplistically, (3) conflating diversity discussions and social justice efforts, (4) priming differences in a manner that makes them inordinately salient, (5) endorsing, rather than challenging, assumptions and stereotypes about social identity groups, and (6) limiting difficult conversations about differences. The findings position social work students and professionals with the knowledge to foster more culturally attuned interactions with populations that differ from their own in educational and direct practice settings. Future research might employ intersectional samples of social workers across North America, using both qualitative and quantitative designs, to study the effectiveness of diversity-centered practices.

After Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, thousands of Puerto Ricans left the archipelago and resettled permanently on the U.S. Our objective in the present study was to examine pre- and post-migration religiosity among Maria migrant adults in the U.S., and to determine how religiosity relates to mental health and migration-related cultural stress. Participants in the present study were 319 adult Hurricane Maria survivors residing on the U.S. mainland. We used ordinary least squares regression and structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religiosity, mental health, and cultural stress. We found a modest increase in mean levels of intrinsic religiosity pre- to post-migration contexts. We also observed noteworthy declines in the frequency of public religious participation in the transition from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Furthermore, we found that higher levels of post-migration religiosity, and an increase in religiosity from before and after migration, were associated with lower symptoms of depression and anxiety. Finally, we found that the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and mental health was mediated by cultural stress experiences. Findings from this study highlight the importance of integrating discussions about religiosity and spirituality before and after migration in therapeutic mental health settings.

Tackling complex problems within communities requires collaborative actions and interventions. This study examines the collaborative actions of a United States (U.S.), Texas community to develop a new community-based initiative. Using the Collective Impact approach to address gaps in services for veterans, a navigator model provided a culturally sensitive method for addressing veteran mental health and related needs. The objective of this qualitative, case-study research was to explore the potential replication of a Veteran Community Navigator (VCN) program by examining the development and implementation of program processes within the community. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups with 14 participants, content analysis of 25 records, and field notes of veteran work groups and veteran housing meetings. Relevant findings indicated factors critical to program success and replication included collaboration and outreach, developing program processes from the ground up, military and community cultural knowledge among program staff, and the integration of agency services with other community social services. Future research should focus on comparative studies examining differences between veteran-serving navigator programs that utilize clinical staff and those that do not, military cohorts that are more likely to access and use navigator services, and factors that predict long-term sustainability of veteran navigator programs.

Almost 1 in 4 children in the United States lives in a single-parent household, with Georgia having one of the highest rates. This qualitative research explored the experiences of single mothers in Georgia to recommend effective strategies for improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities. A total of 16 single mothers participated in in-depth interviews, guided by a semi-structured framework based on research questions and a conceptual model of the health effects of life transitions. Three main themes emerged: (1) Transitional Changes: Women expressed that, although single motherhood felt stressful and overwhelming, and they often felt they had “no choice” compared to fathers, they also felt empowered and independent. They emphasized the importance of friendships and social support, noting that their social lives were primarily centered around their children. (2) Health Behaviors: The mothers discussed a decrease in their physical activity level but attempted to incorporate their children into their exercise routines. While their nutrition improved, their children’s well-being was prioritized in their dietary choices. Many mothers experienced anxiety and depression, but they adopted healthier coping strategies following their transition. (3) Community Support: The mothers expressed a desire to expand access to services for working mothers, including daycare assistance, more supplies, and less judgment from the community. The findings revealed that, despite facing financial, physical, social, and mental health challenges, single mothers demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and personal growth. The results suggest a need for policies and interventions aimed at addressing socioeconomic disparities and improving economic security to enhance health outcomes.

Despite high incidences of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) against Amhara women and girls by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s (TPLF) fighters, during the two-year war in northern Ethiopia, there is little scholarly attention given to understand the experiences of CRSV survivors. This study aimed to understand lived experiences of CRSV survivors in the Chenna Kebele community, within the Amhara region of Ethiopia. A hermeneutic phenomenological design was employed to explore the lived experiences of sexual violence survivors. Snowball sampling was used to select nine (9) survivors. Qualitative data were collected using open-ended interviews, and were analyzed thematically. The results of the study revealed three key themes: understanding nature of CRSV; explanations of CRSV; consequences of CRSV on survivors. This study provides significant insight into the lived experiences of sexual violence survivors in a conflict-affected area. The study further contributes to understanding the interplay between gender and ethnicity in dealing with sexual violence in conflict ridden area, suggesting that an intersectional perspective can be helpful in understanding conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls in Chenna kebele. The intersectional understanding has implication for clinical social work practice with survivors of gendered sexual violence, and addressing gender injustice.