L Christian Carr, Micki Washburn, Wen Xu, Rebecca L Mauldin
{"title":"Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Revised Attitudes Toward Research Scale for Use with MSW Students.","authors":"L Christian Carr, Micki Washburn, Wen Xu, Rebecca L Mauldin","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2418103","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2418103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Evaluating students' attitudes toward research is essential for instructors of any research methods class, as students' general attitudes toward research may impact if and how they integrate research into practice decision making. However, few psychometrically sound, multidimensional instruments that can be used with Master of Social Work (MSW) students exist.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This work used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Revised Attitudes Toward Research Scale with a diverse sample of 396 master's level social work students. Multiple indicators, multiple causes models and a series of Monte Carlo simulations were then used to assess the relationship between various dimensions of students' attitudes toward research, their prior research exposure/training, and their sociodemographic characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results indicate that the overall performance of the measure with this sample of MSW students was strong, and the factor structure was consistent with that found when evaluated with different samples in previous research. Moreover, various sociodemographic characteristics predicted scores on the research usefulness, research anxiety, and positive research predisposition subscales.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The use of this tool allows instructors to identify students with high levels of research-related anxiety and those who may not intuitively comprehend the need to understand empirical research findings and integrate them into practice decision making.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The authors offer suggestions for integrating this validated tool into social work research methods classes to assist in developing students' ability to engage in all steps of the evidence-based practice process once in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142482425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucy Sessions, Noelle Robertson, Christopher Jones, Alice Welham
{"title":"Self-Compassion in Qualified and Student Social Workers: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Lucy Sessions, Noelle Robertson, Christopher Jones, Alice Welham","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2439267","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2439267","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Social work is an intrinsically challenging profession, with high levels of distress and burnout reported amongst professionals. Self-compassion has been suggested as a coping resource that may benefit social workers and reduce levels of distress. There is reason to believe that low self-compassion may confer a vulnerability in social workers, particularly student social workers. The current review aimed to examine how reported levels of self-compassion in social workers compare to the general population and how they compare between qualified and student social workers. Additionally, this review explored the relationship between self-compassion and age, sex/gender, psychological distress, and work-related psychological wellbeing within social workers.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted using APA PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Medline. Twenty-nine articles met inclusion criteria and were assessed for risk of bias. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize the results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The meta-analysis found that qualified social workers reported significantly higher levels of self-compassion than student social workers and published general population estimates, although heterogeneity was high. There was some evidence to suggest that levels of self-compassion are related to age, but not to sex/gender. Self-compassion was significantly negatively correlated with psychological distress.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>The tentative conclusion that qualified social workers may report relatively high levels of self-compassion is encouraging, given the evidenced negative relationship with psychological distress. Given student social workers appear to report lower levels of self-compassion, they may benefit from interventions/support to bolster it, although systemic factors influencing wellbeing must also be considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"76-103"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142856956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rap & Relax: A Qualitative Study Exploring Black Men's Reality of Anger, Depression and Identity Using Hip-Hop Based Discussions.","authors":"Fadil Adeyola, Junior Lloyd Allen","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2441874","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2441874","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Purpose:</b> This qualitative study explored the extent Hip-Hop music helped Black college males express their emotions and everyday lived experiences as they understood them within the context of anger, depression, and identity.<b>Methods</b>: Five Black first-generation college-enrolled males participated in three focus groups about anger, depression, and identity. Before each focus group, participants were provided with a playlist of Hip-Hop songs tailored to one of the three categories.<b>Findings:</b> Regarding anger, Hip-Hop underscored: 1) masked sadness, 2) compartmentalized, and 3) responsive to external stimuli. Regarding depression, Hip-Hop underscored: 1) suppressed feelings, 2) pride prevents help-seeking, and 3) community matters. Regarding identity, Hip-Hop underscored: 1) remaining unapologetically Black, 2) desire to introduce new ideas and images to young Black males, and 3) creating progressive Black male images.<b>Discussion:</b> Ultimately, Hip-Hop is a mechanism that can be used to help Black males construct, explain, and normalize their feelings, attitudes, and emotions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"104-128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142824969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Mediating Effect of Public Service Motivation on Retention Intention Among Child Welfare Students: Task Self-Efficacy.","authors":"Tae Kyung Park, Barbara Pierce","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2395558","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2395558","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigates the role of Public Service Motivation (PSM) in retaining highly skilled and qualified child welfare graduates within the public child welfare sector.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Three entire cohorts of child welfare student social workers over three years (<i>N</i> = 125) in BSW and MSW child welfare programs at seven universities in a Southern state were surveyed to examine the effects of task self-efficacy achieved through the curriculum and public service motivation on retention intention among social work students specializing in child welfare practice at both the baccalaureate and master's levels. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the indirect effect of self-efficacy on students' retention intention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The self-efficacy of child welfare students, operationalized as their confidence in performing competencies, significantly influences their intention to remain in the field of child welfare. Furthermore, self-efficacy among child welfare students has a statistically significant effect on their PSM. PSM, in turn, significantly impacts their intention to persist in child welfare work.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings indicate that PSM partially mediates the relationship between students\" self-efficacy and their intent to remain in child welfare work, even when controlling for educational background. We recommend that child welfare agencies recognize and nurture workers\" PSM by incorporating practices that promote PSM.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"641-653"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142082853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brittanie Atteberry-Ash, N Eugene Walls, Jessica Williams, Brendon T Holloway
{"title":"\"Striving Toward Equity for All\": Social Work Faculty and Staff Define Social Justice.","authors":"Brittanie Atteberry-Ash, N Eugene Walls, Jessica Williams, Brendon T Holloway","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2397662","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2397662","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The guiding documents of the social work profession establish social justice as central to the discipline and practice of social work, yet there is little consensus on the meaning of the term. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine how faculty and staff in one school of social work defined social justice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data for this study were drawn from a school climate survey distributed within one school of social work with an explicitly stated commitment to social justice. Ninety-three staves and faculty responded to the open-ended question: <i>How do you define social justice?</i></p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Three themes were identified in how participants defined social justice as a form of evidence-based meaning making: (1) <i>equality</i>, (2) <i>equity</i>, and (3) <i>advocacy and action</i>.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We conclude this article by discussing implications for how social workers can incorporate a critical approach to defining social justice that extends beyond equality and equity. Specifically, we recommend that the profession work toward a common, evidenced-based understanding of social justice to effectively educate current and future social workers to dismantle systems of oppression at all levels of social work.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"654-668"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142115718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katherine Crawford, Anthony D Campbell, Kimberly Shackelford, Courtney McManus
{"title":"The Impact of Trauma-Informed Training for a Youth Residential Center on Staff Attitudes and Behavior.","authors":"Katherine Crawford, Anthony D Campbell, Kimberly Shackelford, Courtney McManus","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2397668","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2397668","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Children with behavioral issues in residential care settings have high rates of trauma, with a range of trauma experiences such as abuse and neglect, issues with attachment, and multiple disruptions in placements. Staff in these settings should have an understanding of trauma, its impact, and how to engage in trauma-informed practice.</p><p><p>The purpose of this study was to examine whether a trauma-informed training, developed specifically based on the identified needs of a residential group care facility, had an impact on future staff attitudes and behaviors.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A 3-h training was delivered by the researchers. Three identical sessions were provided to all 48 staff, regardless of education and role, across a 3-day period. Prior to the training, staff were given a pretest survey measuring components of trauma-informed (TI) practice that indicated how often the staff members engaged in TI practice. Thirty days later, the same participants completed a posttest survey to gauge if the training had an impact on their subsequent attitudes and behavior.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were improvements in many of the trauma-informed practice areas on the posttest survey. T-test analysis revealed five trauma-informed practice areas had improvements that were statistically significant from the pretest survey.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings present the opportunity for recommendations for trauma-informed training development and delivery, as well as providing implications for the field of social work.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates the feasibility of administering a trauma-informed training program and observing relatively rapid improvements in future attitudes and behavior among staff.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"669-687"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142302689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Psychometric Analysis of the Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) in a Child Welfare Setting.","authors":"Julie A Steen, Chris Stewart","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2409092","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2409092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study consisted of a psychometric analysis of the brief and expanded versions of the Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) to assess the scale's validity and reliability in a child welfare setting.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Based on responses from a sample of 313 child welfare professionals, factorial structure was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was assessed through correlations with theoretically linked concepts, and internal consistency was assessed through Cronbach's alpha.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Factor analysis yielded a unidimensional structure for the brief version and a two-factor structure for the expanded version. However, the models did not meet the standards for sufficient fit, as evidenced by the fit indices. Both the brief and expanded versions were significantly and positively correlated with theoretically linked concepts. Internal consistency of the brief (α = .96) and expanded versions (α = .96) was excellent.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Though the measure holds promise with respect to construct validity and internal consistency, further testing of the factorial structure in a variety of child welfare samples is warranted.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study supports the field of child welfare with information regarding one possible measure of organizational readiness, an important concept in implementation science.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"704-719"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142333899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vera Lee, Samantha Watson, Aron Shlonsky, Michael Tarren-Sweeney
{"title":"A scoping review of randomized controlled trials of parenting and family-based interventions for 10 - 17 year-olds with severe and persistent conduct problems.","authors":"Vera Lee, Samantha Watson, Aron Shlonsky, Michael Tarren-Sweeney","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2409094","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2409094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>A scoping review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of parenting and family-based interventions that aim to reduce severe and persistent conduct problems among 10-17 year-olds. The review also examined feasibility for conducting a network meta-analysis of common therapy elements measured by RCTs.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA- ScR). Searches were conducted in ERIC, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE without limits on publication year, language or publication country. Study methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for RCTs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-five eligible RCTs were identified. The studies trialed nine interventions, with Multisystemic Therapy (MST) being the most evaluated (<i>N</i> = 10), followed by Functional Family Therapy (FFT, <i>N</i> = 4), and Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO, <i>N</i> = 3). Only 10 of the 25 RCTs revealed treatment effect on conduct problems, including 6 of 9 MST, 1 of 4 FFT and all 3 TFCO trials.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Surprisingly few RCTs of parenting and family-based interventions have been carried out exclusively with this population. Available data suggests that MST and FFT have uncertain effectiveness for reducing severe and persistent conduct problems. While the quality of the reviewed studies was generally high, only two reported substantive data on common therapy elements.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is need for more RCTs of parenting and family-based interventions delivered for older children and adolescents with severe and persistent conduct problems. Future RCTs should systematically measure common therapy elements with a view to advancing intervention science.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"720-748"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142382659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abha Rai, Nathan H Perkins, Ahyun Moon, Farzana Farzam
{"title":"South Asians and the Role of Bystanders in Domestic Violence Prevention: Results from a Pilot Study.","authors":"Abha Rai, Nathan H Perkins, Ahyun Moon, Farzana Farzam","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2354465","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2354465","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Domestic violence manifests in unique ways in South Asian immigrant communities. Given the need to uphold family honor, formal help-seeking remains minimal within this community. Individuals experiencing victimization rely on friends and family members as informal sources of support. These friends and family members may also be bystanders who witness victimization. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine differences in participant responses to an online interactive bystander intervention developed for South Asians.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To get community response to the intervention, B.R.A.K.E. The Cycle, a Qualtrics link with all the intervention scenarios was posted on 21 sub-Reddit pages. Screeners to ensure that participants were of South Asian origin, 18 or older and currently residing in the United States (US) were added. True to the study purpose, to examine differences across gender and generational position, we conducted descriptive analysis and chi-square tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were differences in scenarios by gender and immigration position. Some of the main findings point to the need to report domestic violence, seek help (formal or informal) as well as surprisingly some responses justified the use of force by a male partner. We discuss these in-depth by scenarios.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This is the first study to examine differences in bystander preference and response to using an intervention that was developed specifically for the South Asian community. Social workers can utilize this intervention to create dialogue around domestic violence prevention and the role of bystander within the South Asian and potentially other immigrant communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"589-609"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140960968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice Impacts Burnout: A Sequential Mediation Model.","authors":"Chen Zhang, Xiaoju Ma","doi":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2381463","DOIUrl":"10.1080/26408066.2024.2381463","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>With the rapid development of China's social work sector, the increasing job pressures, and risks of professional burnout among social workers have become more prevalent. This study examined the relationship between Chinese social workers' attitudes toward evidence-based practice (EBP) and burnout, exploring the mediating mechanisms of evidence-based knowledge (EBK) and service quality perception (SQP).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We applied PROCESS 4.2 macro in SPSS to analyze the data from 5,931 social workers, testing the sequential mediation effects of EBK and SQP between their attitudes toward EBP and burnout.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings revealed: (1) Attitudes toward EBP had significant indirect positive effects on burnout; (2) EBK partially mediated the relationship between EBP attitude and burnout; (3) SQP partially mediated the relationship between attitudes toward EBP and burnout; (4) Attitudes toward EBP had a sequential mediated effect on burnout through EBK and SQP.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings emphasize the need to implement targeted interventions and training programs to foster positive attitudes toward EBP, promote continuous professional development, and provide access to EBP resources. Moreover, nurturing EBK and SQP could help alleviate burnout by improving social workers' ability to address client issues and enhance their sense of confidence and accomplishment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study fills a research gap by providing empirical evidence on the negative correlation between Chinese social workers' attitudes toward EBP and burnout, while demonstrating the mediating roles of EBK and SQP.</p>","PeriodicalId":73742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of evidence-based social work (2019)","volume":" ","pages":"610-625"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141894956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}