Abstract Research shows that for youth living in foster care, strong social support networks (SSNs) can promote resilience across life domains and help alleviate adverse experiences. While prior research documented the relationship between social bonds and reduced crime based on social bonds theory, the role of SSNs in explaining legal system involvement remains understudied. To increase the understanding of the protective factors that help mitigate heightened rates of incarceration among youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood, this study examined the relationship between SSNs and incarceration by considering various characteristics of SSNs (adequacy, type, size, and source). The authors used longitudinal data of transition-age young people in care (N = 616) to examine associations between SSNs and later incarceration. Findings showed that compared with those who reported having inadequate support at age 17, rates of incarceration at age 21 were significantly lower among those who reported having adequate support of two types: emotional and advice/guidance. Regression analyses showed that adequate emotional support, in particular, was a strong protective factor for later incarceration after controlling for covariates. The analyses provide nuanced insights that suggest there may be optimal support types that mitigate incarceration risks. The authors discuss child welfare practice, policy, and research implications.

This study distinguishes clinically and theoretically meaningful subgroups of people experiencing homelessness based on their endorsement of personality difficulties, using nationally representative data of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States, inclusive of those reporting past-year homelessness (N = 704). A bias-adjusted three-step latent class analysis was used to estimate latent class measurement models; classify cases into the optimal class solution; and, using a maximum likelihood method, test the association between demographic and behavioral health covariates with class membership. Results show that the four-class solution was optimal. The largest class (35.44%) had high probability of endorsing each personality difficulty and had high rates of behavioral health disorders. The second class (26.51%) had higher levels of antisocial traits and greater probability of endorsing substance use disorders relative to third and fourth classes. The third-largest class showed minimal personality difficulties (24.40%) and had the lowest probability of meeting criteria for each behavioral health disorder considered. The final class showed high levels of relational instability and identity diffusion (13.65%) and had higher levels of mood and anxiety disorders and suicide attempt relative to second and third classes. In conclusion, personality difficulties are commonly endorsed by adults experiencing homelessness and show differential relationships to behavioral health conditions.

Abstract Social work research in the UK has significant challenges in building research capacity due to a lack of funding, austerity policies, and the quality of research training within social work degrees. As a result, the workforce has limited understanding of the value and relevance of research to practice. Indeed, previous studies report a substantial lack of social workers as research participants. Although healthcare research includes a wealth of literature providing guidance on recruitment and retention of participants, these suggestions are not automatically applicable to social work research due to the distinct nature of the sector and the differential understanding and valuation of research. Based on the authors’ experiences from a randomized controlled trial, for which they recruited 614 social workers, this article is the first to offer recommendations for the recruitment and retention of social workers as research participants. The authors describe valuable lessons for future research, including advice on meaningful stakeholder involvement, social media strategies, and emphasizing the value of participation for the advancement of the field and the personal experience of the social worker. The authors conclude with a summary list of actionable recommendations that will improve the research involvement of the social work workforce.

Instruments currently utilized in research on secondary traumatic stress (STS) fail to measure distress and impairment. To fill this gap, this article describes the development and initial validation of a new instrument designed to measure distress and impaired functioning related to work-related secondary trauma exposure. The Secondary Trauma Impact Scale (STIS) is a brief screening measure consisting of six items, each measuring a different domain of distress and impairment. Domains include social, occupational, familial, sexual, psychological, and physical functioning. Secondary analysis was conducted on data collected from 577 master's-level social workers for a previously reported study. Results strongly support the reliability and factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity of the STIS. The ability to explicitly measure secondary trauma-related distress and impairment with a reliable and valid instrument will allow social workers to obtain more precise estimates of the prevalence of STS, identification of risk and resilience factors, and evaluation of interventions targeting the impact of STS on individuals and organizations.

Abstract This article describes the results of a cross-sectional survey of current mental health clients’ religious/spiritual beliefs and practices, as well as how clients perceive such practices as influencing their mental health. A total of 989 self-identified mental health clients across the United States completed an anonymous online survey in 2018. This survey included several items and instruments to measure clients’ religious affiliation, religious/spiritual beliefs and practices, and a new set of items to assess the degree to which clients perceive their religious/spiritual practices impacting their mental health. The results of descriptive, correlation, and chi-square analyses indicate religion/spirituality (RS) play a nuanced and complex role in most clients’ lives, with a majority reporting positive views related to their RS and indicating they consider their religious/spiritual practices to be helpful when it comes to their mental health. Further, there are several noteworthy similarities and differences between mental health clients’ religious/spiritual beliefs and practices as compared with those of the general U.S. population during 2018 as well as a national sample of licensed clinical social workers in 2013. Based on these findings, implications and considerations are discussed for social work practitioners serving mental health clients, and for educators training the next generation of social workers.

Abstract Social workers are an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system, yet specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes is sparse. This scoping review describes and evaluates the state of the evidence on how social work interventions impact health and economic outcomes since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) were searched using the convention [“social work” OR “social services”] AND “health” AND [“cost” OR “utilization” OR “readmission”] for studies published between 2010 and 2022. Unique records were evaluated on inclusion criteria (U.S.-based, reported social work, and cost or health outcomes) using a five-phase scoping review process. Methodological quality was assessed using two validated metrics. Of 1,655 unique records retrieved, 40 (2.4%) met inclusion criteria. Full-text review yielded 15 studies. Most (75%) studies described transitional care interventions for older patients and high utilizers of health services, with the majority (75%) led by social workers. While health and cost outcomes were generally positive, overall methodological quality of the sample was low. Social work intervention can improve health and cost outcomes. More robust economic analyses that inform policy, practice, and health service delivery are needed.

Journal Article Social Work Response to Climate Change: If We Are Not Already Too Late Get access Robert L Hawkins Robert L Hawkins PhD, MA, MPA, is associate dean for academic and faculty affairs and professor of social work, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, North Carolina State University, 106 Caldwell Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; email: rhawkin2@ncsu.edu. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Work Research, Volume 47, Issue 4, December 2023, Pages 231–235, https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svad020 Published: 23 October 2023