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- Creator:
- Laws, Chantell
- Description:
- African-Americans amongst other racial/ethnic groups are aging rapidly. Many African-American older adults find they have chronic diseases as well as a financial need upon aging. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between gender, SES, health conditions and mental health outcomes amongst older African-American adults. The researcher hypothesized that low SES and poor health will negatively impact psychological wellbeing among African-Americans adults. The researcher utilized the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2013-2014 Adult Data File, which is a population-based quantitative cross-sectional survey design. The survey uses a random-digit-dial (RDD) method to select a random sample throughout all California counties. Both landline phone numbers as well as cellular phone numbers were used in collecting data. Some of the key findings highlight that there was no statistically significant gender difference in psychological distress, indicating both male and female African-American respondents experienced similar levels of psychological distress. The present research also found that SES measured by Federal Poverty Level (FPL) had a significant relationship with psychological distress, suggesting that higher income group respondents were less likely to experience psychological distress, as hypothesized (F=30.930, p=0.000). It was found that, as hypothesized, those who rated their health “poor” were much more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress (F=54.675, p=0.000). Multiple regressions results show that age, gender, educational, marital status, poverty level, and general health condition explained 18.8% of the variation in psychological distress of older African-American adults (R = .433, R2 = .188, p = .000). This study found that there was a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and the psychological well-being of older African-American adults. This suggests an impact of mental health in older Africa-American adults. Studies have shown, that many lack coping skills and thus, their mental health diminish because of it. Ones’ self-rated general health shows a big predictor of the outcome on psychological well-being. This research will educate social workers as well as clinicians on everyday issues African-American older adults face and the mental health outcomes contributed by their socioeconomic status.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Suleiman, Bridget
- Description:
- Motivation Enhancement Theory (MET) is an essential part of the evidenced based practices in Social Work. MET employs the traditional parameters of client centered practice due to its use of empathy, acceptance, respect, and unconditional positive regard for the client while tapping into their intrinsic motivation for change. The congruent theories of MET were of particular importance as discussed by the author. The author conducted a methodical review of the empirical research into the burgeoning scale of MET's practice applications. The research contained herein will enhance the clinical implications of this prolific theory by focusing on the areas of alcohol and drug abuse cessation, co-morbidity/mental health, and practical applications in professional settings. Lastly, the author demonstrated her passion for MET by providing intensive psychotherapy sessions while a second year intern that married the tenets of expressive (art) therapy and MET (EMET).
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ramirez, Mariah Patricia
- Description:
- This thesis project examines how incarceration effects the mental health status of incarcerated adults. More than half of the individuals who are incarcerated have been diagnosed with a mental illness and do not receive adequate treatment for it. The excessive rise of the mentally ill within the criminal justice system is attributed to the lack of mental health treatment at the community level, which results in the mentally ill partaking in illegal activity and becoming criminalized. Through incarceration, individuals may develop symptoms, exacerbate symptoms, and lead to unaddressed and untreated mental illnesses while residing in a high stress environment. A literature review of twenty-five articles was conducted to explore the factors associated with poor mental health outcomes among adult inmates. Four key factors were found including: access barriers to treatment, lack of treatment options available at the community level and prisons, and inmates’ attitudes towards help seeking and perception of inmates regarding mental health treatment. A second literature review of 20 articles identified the individual, group, and community level interventions that have been effective with this specific population. The studies include diversion programs, individual therapy, group therapy and community level interventions. The most effective intervention for this population was found to be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This project concludes with implications for practice and future research within the criminal justice system.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Moreno, Tatyana
- Description:
- Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern for its impact on the direct victims of the violence and on the children who have been exposed to it. Children who witness IPV tend to repeat a cycle of violence by exhibiting externalizing behaviors such as various forms of bullying of their peers. Some studies indicate children exposed to IPV may exhibit these behaviors at clinically significant levels. Other variables that may increase the likelihood that a child perpetrates bullying after witnessing IPV include the severity of IPV exposure, gender, socioeconomic status, and nature of family relationships. Research supports trauma focused- cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) as an effective intervention in mitigating externalizing symptoms in children exposed to trauma such as IPV. Implications for social workers urges the profession to continue its anti-bullying advocacy efforts and to advocate for alternative or additional consequences for children who bully their peers such as a trauma informed mental health evaluation. As most bullying takes place in the school environment, school based social workers are encouraged to implement TF-CBT programs that have been modified for the school environment. While there is an abundance of studies indicating a link between IPV exposure and perpetration of dating violence in teenage years or IPV in adulthood, the research supporting IPV exposure and bullying in children is still growing. This project suggests that IPV exposure has immediate consequences in the children who witness it and that these consequences can be observed at a much earlier age.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Bacosa, Jamie Ann Acero
- Description:
- This thesis project aims to examine risk factors involved in the psychosocial adjustment among children in gay and lesbian families and the interventions used to address negative outcomes. Two research questions guide this paper: 1) What factors correlated with or related to the psychosocial adjustment among children in gay and lesbian families? and 2) What effect do school-based policies, in comparison to gay-straight alliances, have on the psychosocial adjustment of children in same-sex families? By employing various methodologies that focused on a range of psychosocial adjustment factors for children with same-sex parents and LGBT youth, 45 peer-reviewed studies were found to contribute to this project. Findings revealed that stigmatization, peer victimization, and heterosexism were salient to participants, especially in the school setting. Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) and school-based policies were found to alleviate negative adjustment. Given the findings, suggestions are made with the respect to future research that is needed to address this vital topic. Keywords: gay parenting, lesbian parenting, children, adolescents, LGBT
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ghookasi, Madlen
- Description:
- Research has shown that the first years of childhood are crucial in the psychological development of children, and traumatic events such as sexual, physical and emotional abuse interrupt children’s psychological development and negatively impact their intellectual, behavioral, and social-emotional development. Additionally, it increases the risk of substance abuse and suicide ideation in adults. This research project includes two systematic reviews of the literature. The first review analyzed mental health outcomes resulting from adverse childhood experiences by addressing the following research questions: 1) What are the long-term psychological health outcomes developed among adults who had adverse childhood experiences? The second review analyzed the effectiveness of mindfulness in comparison to more structured interventions EMDR, CBT, and CBP in treating the impact of ACEs among adult survivors. The review consisted of 49 peer-reviewed studies from 2007-2017. It included a mixture of longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, meta-analysis studies, mixed method design studies. All studies demonstrated that ACEs led to mental illness in adulthood. Childhood unresolved issues were expressed within depressive symptoms, anxiety disorders or substance abuse disorders. Results indicate new frameworks are needed to treat the impact of ACEs. It is recommended the field of social work continue to research the impact of Aces and develop effective interventions. Keywords: “Childhood adversity”, “Mental health”, “Emotional abuse”, “Emotion regulation”, “Resilience”, “Psychological development”, “Sexual abuse”.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
7. The relationship between exercise, gender, poverty level and falls to the ground among the elderly
- Creator:
- Montoya, Angelina M.
- Description:
- Falls to the ground is a major health issue in older adulthood and a primary cause for nursing home placement and premature death. Older adults who are sedentary have a greater likelihood of falling to the ground than those who exercise. The present study examined the relationship between exercise, gender, poverty level, and falls to the ground in older adults. The data utilized in this study was obtained from the California Health Interview Survey, (CHIS) 2007 Adult's survey. The main independent variables for this study are levels and frequencies of exercise. They are characterized as Vigorous Leisure Activity for 3 days/ wk and 20 min/day, Regular Moderate, or Vigorous Activity, and Moderate Leisure Activity for 5 days/wk and 30 min/day. The independent variables, gender, and socioeconomic status are also examined. SES is characterized by combined measures of poverty level and educational attainment. To distinguish between younger seniors versus older seniors, this re- search compiled those in the age group of 60 to 74 years of age, and 75 years of age plus. The dependent variable is, falls to the ground in past 12 months. In order to examine the relationships between variables, frequencies and regression analyses were performed. The regression analyses found that the prominent predictors of Falls to the ground among the elderly were exercise and gender.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Martinez, Kimberly
- Description:
- ABSTRACT A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXAMINING THE ASSET BUILDING BARRIERS AND FACILITATING FACTORS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP AMONG LATINOS By Kimberly Martinez Building assets is important for everyone in United States, because it guarantees individuals and families economic security if they fall into time of financial crisis (such as a sudden unemployment, illness, etc…). Nonetheless, minorities in the United States are less likely to build asset wealth, such as owning a home. Homeownership is one of the biggest assets a family can have for income stability. This study was a quantitative and longitudinal research analyzing the barriers and facilitating factors of purchasing a home among two Latino individuals. Barriers included legal matters, mistrust of financial institutions, family/friend’s financial responsibilities, and unforeseeable emergencies. Some of the facilitating factors included family/friend support (informational, motivational, etc…) and individual attributes (saving techniques, language, etc….), among other factors.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Guardado, Lindsay
- Description:
- The purpose of this thesis research project is to explore correlates associated with caregiver burden among caregivers who care for an older adult with at least one chronic illness. The results from Chapter two suggest that caregiver burden is predominately associated with factors related to care-recipient characteristics and care recipient behaviors. The care-recipients characteristics is linked to behavioral disturbances, such as repetitive behaviors and memory deficits. While care-recipients behavior is associated with the level of functioning in the care-recipients (ADLS & IADLS), such as dependency in bathing, clothing themselves, needing assistance with eating, transferring and other common daily task. Caregiver’s perception was a strong predictor of how caregivers reacted to the care-recipient’s characteristics and behaviors. The least evident factor of caregiver burden were the factors related to caregiver’s demographic characteristics. In addressing caregiver burden, multicomponent interventions compared to psychoeducational, supportive, and therapeutic programs demonstrated the most effectiveness. However, there were several common limitations found throughout the literature. The gaps with in the literature suggest that there is a need for future research in capturing a diverse population, a larger sample size and recruiting more male caregivers in the studies. Keywords: caregiver burden, caregiver stress, caregiver strain, caregiver distress
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ross, Mariel
- Description:
- The mental health wellbeing of adolescents is an important issue affecting our youth population today. This study examined the effect of gender identity, substance use and parental involvement have on the mental health of adolescents. Data used from this study was retracted from the 2011 California Health Interview Survey. The sample of this study included adolescents aged 12-17 years old. Findings from this study found a relationship between parental involvement, substance use, and gender identity affect the mental health of adolescents. Main findings revealed that female adolescents were more prone to have mental health predictors when compared to male adolescents. Alcohol use and cigarette smoking were also predictors of poor mental health. Finally, adolescents living in a single parent household and adolescents who had limited adult supervision during after school hours also reported mental health concerns.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Perez, Donna Candi
- Description:
- The United States has the highest rates of juvenile incarceration in the world. For decades, African American and Latino youth have been disproportionately overrepresented at every level of the juvenile justice system, including confinement. This is alarming, given that they only represent a small percentage of the total juvenile population. Environmental risk factors (i.e. poverty, neighborhood violence and lack of mental health services) and characteristics of family functioning (i.e. family structure and parental absence) emerged among the literature to explain the relationship between race and juvenile incarceration. Findings were mixed within the literature to explain the influence that race had on disproportionate incarceration rates. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) was evaluated to determine whether it is an effective intervention in treating juvenile offenders. Though findings were not unanimous, 10 of the 13 studies yielded positive results. However, future research needs to be conducted with minority groups, as existing studies with this population is limited. Implications for social work practice include psychoeducation for law enforcement officers as they are the entry point of juveniles into the juvenile justice system. Policy implications include gang enhancement and gang injunction laws, which disproportionately impact minority youth from low income neighborhoods where police hyper surveillance exists, thus increasing their chances of coming into contact with the law and increasing their chances of incarceration.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Crave, Lisa
- Description:
- Older adulthood is often accompanied by physical and emotional challenges that put individuals at greater risk for developing depression, and, if left untreated, suicidal ideation. Research points to healthy aging as a holistic approach to increasing overall well-being. Social integration and supportive relationships serve as protective factors in the prevention of isolation, loneliness and depressive symptoms. The proactive approaches to managing anxiety and maintaining physical health have positive effects on psychological well-being. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) supports the precepts of healthy aging in decreasing depression with its tools of addressing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and in using healthy coping skills to improve quality of life. Individual CBT, with its in-depth method of treatment, was shown effective in reducing depressive symptoms, especially when coupled with case management. Group CBT was found to be beneficial as it was more cost-effective and incorporated an added component of social functioning that supported the concepts of healthy aging. Clinicians and physicians would benefit from a more holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment of depression in older adults who tend to have many confounding layers of issues. Creating a standardized definition of healthy aging will assist not only clinicians but also provide concrete indicators in which to create policies that educate the public and provide preventative measures.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Stailey, Rex Lavar Prats
- Description:
- Depression is a common mental illness that effects millions of people around the world. The diagnosis and treatment of depression is disproportionately higher amongst women compared to men. Men with depressive symptoms that are untreated are likely to display maladaptive coping behaviors and are at greater risk of suicide. Higher rates of suicide among men suggests a correlation to the under diagnosis and treatment of depression in men. Barriers to the diagnosis of depression in men result in poor detection, awareness and disclosure of depressive symptoms. These barriers can be contributed to masculine gender norms that lead to restricted emotional expression and mental health stigmas that lead to the avoidance of help seeking from mental health practitioners. Among the treatments for depression, Cognitive Behavior Therapy is one form of treatment that has been proven effective in reducing depression in men. However, the majority of studies evaluating Cognitive Behavior Therapy contained smaller samples of male participants. To diminish the barriers of treatment for men a greater effort to raise awareness through public service campaigns would help to counter the mental health stigmas and reduce the negative effects of gender socialization on men. The use of male specific screenings tools, inclusive diagnostic criteria and targeted treatment can potentially decrease suicide and other harmful risk-taking behavior in men.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Costales, Tatiana Lopez
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to examine the model minority myth and its impact upon the mental health of Asian American students via a systematic literature review of both risk factors and interventions. Specifically, this study examined factors correlating to poor mental health associated with academic achievement, discrimination, and intergenerational differences. Forty-five published studies consisting of four systematic literature reviews, one meta-analysis, and thirty-nine empirical studies of both qualitative and quantitative study designs published between 2006 to 2016 were analyzed. The findings revealed that academic performance is a protective factor against poor mental health. However, discrimination and intergenerational differences yielded poor mental health results such as anxiety, lack of self esteem, and depressive symptoms. The second portion of this literature review analyzed interventions protecting against poor mental health results and addressing lack of help seeking among Asian American students. Cultural Adapted Therapy for individual counseling and group counseling were common interventions highlighting positive outcomes for Asian American students in reducing depressive symptoms as well as dropout rates in treatment. In addition, family counseling was found to be an effective approach to increasing healthy communication of intergenerational differences. Research and practice in addressing the mental health of Asian American students then suggested that AAPI students can maintain hardworking values and ethics without living up to the pressures of society. Implications for theory are also discussed. The literature presented in this review drew a general conclusion that the model minority image remains a myth and contains material worthwhile for future exploration.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
15. The Impact of Childhood Trauma: Cognitive Development, Mental Health, and Trauma Informed Treatment
- Creator:
- Roman, Jessica Vianney
- Description:
- According to the National Children’s Alliance (2015), in 2014 approximately 116,940 children that experienced maltreatment were between the ages of 0 to 6. The risk of victimization is especially high during the first years of life that it is estimated that for every 1,000 children in the same age range, approximately 23 are victims of abuse (National Children’s Alliance, 2015). It is nationally estimated that in the fiscal year 2014 approximately 1,580 children died as a result of abuse and neglect (United States Department Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2014). Of these fatalities over 70% is composed of children younger than 3 years old. Annually over 75% of the reported child abuse cases consist of victims that were neglected, 17% were physically abused, 8.3% were sexually abused and 6.8% experienced “other types of maltreatment” (USDHHS, 2014). Child abuse does not only have a detrimental impact on the cognitive development of children, but also on their mental health. Research examined in this project demonstrates that neurodevelopmental changes in the brain, cognitive functioning, internal working model and mental health are the most adverse outcomes of childhood abuse. Trauma informed interventions examined in this study include Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(TF-CBT); Eye, Movement, Desensitization, and Re-processing (EMDR); and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
16. The Relationship Between Bullying, Gender, Academic Success, and Emotional Well-being in Adolescents
- Creator:
- Bagumyan, Lilit
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between bullying, gender, academic success, and emotional well-being in adolescents living in the United States. The following research is a a quantitative study in which secondary data are used as a means of gathering information from the (CHIS) Adolescents Survey. In this study, the researcher analyzed the data using descriptive statistics including frequency, mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics, such as independent sample T-test, logistic regression, and correlations analysis. The findings in this research revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between bullying, gender, academic success, and emotional well-being of adolescents. The social work implication is that the social workers should work in collaboration with schools to reduce the incidents of bullying. The link between bullying, emotional well-being, and academic success emphasized the importance of creating programs and practices that try to address this phenomenon. Making sure that there are policies and programs that protect youth from emotional harm that is associated with bullying will possible prevent serious mental health consequences.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Clement, Lauren
- Description:
- Homelessness in the United States has evolved into a pervasive issue, which has left youth who are most vulnerable entrenched in a cycle of poverty and despair. The effects of this crisis has created an atmosphere where homeless youth are not recognized as victims, but are rather associated as criminals for engaging in behaviors needed to survive life on the street. With literature surrounding the criminalization of homeless individuals’ dominant narrative ideologies, stigmatization, and the privatizing of public space surfaced as main themes, providing insight into how survival behaviors are criminalized among homeless individuals. Additional subthemes were social control, “broken windows” theory, and media influence. In attempt to bring criminalization and homelessness to an end, the Housing First model was examined as an intervention to address both issues. Review of the research surrounding Housing First confirms that this model positively addresses homelessness and criminalization. Current policy has been found to create positive and negative outcomes for homeless youth. For instance, the Runaway Homeless Youth Act creates positive opportunities and outcomes for youth through the development of service programs, whereas local policies like the Storage of Personal Property ordinance supports anti-homeless legislation in privatizing public space. Incorporating Trauma Informed Care into practice is suggested to create positive outcomes for service providers and homeless youth, helping to break down barriers to service that can help end homelessness and criminalization. Future research should expand the scope of study to examine additional variables that impact policy, and research on the Housing First model should focus on the collection of youth specific data.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Panahon, Vania
- Description:
- Domestic violence (DV) is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey estimates that 4.2 million women have experienced various forms of DV and The National Children’s Exposure to Violence found that one in nine children in the United States witnessed violence in the past year (U.S Department of Justice, 2011). In this study, the literature examined whether children exposed to domestic violence (DV) are more likely to exhibit internalizing or externalizing behavioral issues than children who have not had DV exposure. Children and adolescents exposed to DV are more likely to develop internalizing behaviors such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Similarly, the literature confirmed that children exposed to DV are more likely to have externalizing behavioral issues such as acts of aggression, bullying, and delinquent behavior. The literature evaluated two forms of parent-child counseling therapy and multicomponent intervention and its effectiveness in reducing the effects of DV. The literature showed that parent-child counseling therapy reduced child behaviors associated with DV exposure in addition to caregivers showing reduced incidents of PTSD. All multicomponent interventions were found to reduce child conduct problems as a result of improved parenting quality and parenting skills. Based on the findings, suggestions are offered for further research and future intervention as well as discuss policy implications in child welfare such as increasing training for social workers to recognize the externalizing and internalizing effects associated with DV exposure and utilizing those skills to better protect children exposed to such damaging living conditions.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Reyna, Giselle Nicole
- Description:
- The purpose of this content analysis through an extensive literature review is to examine the detrimental effects of bullying and family rejection amongst Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) adolescents. The research also focused on the coming out process of LGBT adolescents and the implications it has on their psychological well-being. Through this study, it highlighted different factors affecting LGBT adolescents. LGBT adolescents were at higher risk for victimization of school bullying. Moreover, adolescents who disclosed their LGBT identity encountered physical and verbal abuse. The study concluded different factors that affected LGBT adolescents. One factor, which affected LGBT adolescents, was the lack of resources they had access to such as shelter homes. Another factor was family rejection amongst LGBT adolescents had a negative outcome on them that stemmed out to further problems. Through the extensive literature review, a number of themes that confront LGBT adolescents were identified. These themes include LGBT adolescents are a vulnerable population placed at higher risk for psychological distress, suicide ideation, victimization of school bullying, and homelessness. Moreover, through existing literature review the study presented existing intervention strategies to address issues encountered by LGBT adolescents. The findings found that drop in centers tailored for LGBT homeless youth decreased their psychological-well being. Additionally, schools that had integrated GSA and policies that prohibit expression of homophobia reduced suicide ideation and victimization of school bullying. Furthermore, Family acceptance amongst LGBT adolescents can shield them from experiencing negative outcomes in regards to their mental and physical health. Adolescents who identify LGBT are a vulnerable population. Through existing literature review, it suggested recommendations to implement better resources to help LGBT adolescents. It highlighted how important is to get adequate training for anyone working with adolescents who are in a coming out process or who identify as LGBT. Working with LGBT adolescents is a delicate situation, therefore important for social workers to implement long lasting change.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Durkee, Chelsia Michelle
- Description:
- The purpose of this research was to describe and explain how ethnicity impacts help-seeking behaviors among female victims of intimate partner violence. The independent variable was ethnicity and the dependent variable was patterns of resource utilization. This study was a comparative analysis and used a nonprobability sample of convenience. Data was collected using a cross-sectional survey design. The sample size was 222 participants. The results indicated that there was no significant difference of ethnicity on help-seeking on the use of scaled informal and formal services or on the use of individual resources between ethnic groups. However, this may have been because Latinas comprised 70% of the total sample relative to the Asian, African American, and White sample sizes. Future researchers should continue to conduct studies on resource utilization patterns in order to create culturally competent outreach programs for at-risk communities.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Espe, Christopher
- Description:
- Military veterans are a large, vulnerable group, and while they receive a number of benefits from their time in military service, many are still at risk of homelessness, mental illness, and other negative life events. This study is an examination of the effects that health practices have on psychological distress among this population. The most significant factors for psychological distress were poverty level and self-rated health. In addition, a number of other factors, such as age, gender, smoking, and exercise were also statistically significant.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Mach, Linda
- Description:
- The purpose of this research will be to examine the potential contributing factors of depression and substance abuse among adolescents in foster care. In addition, the dangers of comorbid depression and substance abuse will also be examined. The findings from this study will be used to identify and develop effective interventions for this population. A qualitative analysis and comprehensive literature review was conducted by examining scholarly peer-reviewed articles. The dependent variables were the background of foster care and maltreatment. The study produced evidence that the background of foster care and maltreatment contributed to depression and substance abuse. Maltreatment can lead to the development of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which have all been linked to substance abuse among this population. Adolescents in foster care are also at risk for developing comorbid depression and substance abuse which can lead to suicide. It is clear that adolescents in foster care are vulnerable to a variety of risk factors which can continue to affect them into adulthood. The significant findings have proven that this at-risk population require immediate services and treatment. Further studies should be conducted on the effectiveness of interventions for adolescent substance abuse. In addition, future policies should be recommended to provide continuing support after foster care because abstinence from substance abuse is a lifelong battle.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ayala, Vanessa Carolina
- Description:
- This research project explores contributing factors to suicidality in South Korean youth and the effectiveness of various intervention and prevention strategies used to reduce this social problem. Twenty peer-reviewed articles were evaluated to explore the correlation between various factors and the prevalence of suicide in South Korean youth. Seventeen peer-reviewed articles evaluated the effectiveness of intervention and prevention strategies. Sociodemographic variables related to suicidality included gender, family, academics and health variables including substance use and depression. Service provider trainings, parent/family trainings, peer trainings, school-based preventions strategies and Cognitive Behavioral and Alternative intervention strategies are the most widely documented to be effective. The prevention and intervention strategies focused on youth in the United States due to the lack of research in South Korea. Suicidality among South Korean youth has become a rapid and alarming social problem that needs more attention.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Barrales, Erika
- Description:
- Youth violence is a major public health issue in the United States that affects adolescents. Within the Latino population, youth are at risk for delinquency as their population has increased within the past decades and it will continue to grow. This research project strives to understand the contributing factors of youth delinquency within the Latino community in the United States and to analyze the effectiveness of prevention and intervention parent involvement programs that have been established to address this social issue. Two literature reviews were conducted in this project. The first focused on the contributing factors that place Latino youth at risk: (1) demographic characteristics such as gender, SES, education, and religiosity; (2) parenting factors that included parental acculturation and parenting; and (3) gang membership. The second literature review focused on evaluating programs that have been developed to address this social issue among this population and found that programs that involved both parents and adolescents were most effective. Parents were offered culturally sensitive engagement and parenting training while adolescents received social skills training and academic support. This projects can provide an awareness educators, policy makers, and police offices of the contributing factors and effective intervention strategies. Future research is needed to expand on current knowledge regarding effective programs to inform policy and practice in addressing the needs of this population.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Perez, Anthony
- Description:
- Although all students in the United States have access to what is supposed to be an equal public education, an academic achievement gap has existed for years between minority and non-minority students and continues to exist today. As a result, this thesis project aims to add to the literature by examining the factors that are associated with the achievement gap and the interventions that can help to narrow this gap between minority and non-minority students. This thesis is guided by the following research questions: 1) what factors or correlates are associated with academic achievement among minority students? 2) what effect do after-school programs, in comparison to summer school programs, and supplemental education services, have on academic achievement among minority students? Findings indicated that parental demographics, parental involvement, school characteristics, teacher experience, school funding and achievement gap disparities all played a role in affecting the academic outcomes of minority students as defined by GPA, standardized test scores, and grades. Findings also indicated that there are interventions which have been shown to be effective at narrowing the academic achievement gap between minority and non-minority students. When looking at the research, it was found that after-school programs, supplemental educational services and summer school programs helped to narrow the achievement gap and that students who attended these programs saw an increase in their academic outcomes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Jones, Sarah C.
- Description:
- Studies have found that mental health and inmate safety are correlated (Runck, 1983), as well as mental health and recidivism (Lurigio, 2011). Animal-assisted therapy has received a great deal of attention in recent years as a tool for various mental health outcomes. This research was proposed to evaluate the influence of a therapy animal on an offender population. This proposed study is mixed-methods, following a longitudinal design with multiple data collection points. The study examines the influence on blood pressure, Oxytocin and psychological well-being. A pilot study was conducted, and the resulting feedback was incorporated into the final proposal.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Sanchez, Brenda
- Description:
- Placement instability in foster care affects a large number of children and considered to be the biggest issue affecting children in foster care (Steen & Harlow, 2012). This thesis project sought to increase our understanding of the causes of this instability. This project was guided by two research questions: 1) What factors contribute to placement instability for foster care children? 2) Among foster care children, what effect do parent only intervention programs have in comparison to parent-child intervention programs in promoting placement stability? The 45 studies, primarily cross-sectional and quasi-experimental, included in the two systematic literature reviews were found through the California State University of Los Angeles database and Google Scholar. The studies included in this project revealed that children’s problematic behaviors and untrained foster parents were the leading causes for placement instability. Results indicated that Incredible years, Promoting First Relationships, Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported, and Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Preschoolers have components that were effective in increasing parenting skills thus placement instability. Recommendations for practice includes utilizing the findings to inform micro and macro practice in child welfare along with recommendations for future research utilizing longitudinal studies with ethnically diverse samples.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Coker, Jasmine Denise
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to examine mental health among African-American and Caucasian-American adults and to examine whether there is a significant difference between these two ethnic/racial groups, as well as to examine how extensively employment status influences mental health in the two groups. Survey questions used can be found in the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study data set, which is publicly available. A literature review of 32 articles on the subject was completed. Key findings include that about 46% of African –American respondents were employed at the time of the survey, while 49.6 % of Caucasians reported being employed. The bivariate relationship between employment status and mental health show that for both groups, there is statistical significance for the relationship between employment and depression diagnosis. For the Caucasian group, 49.7% of those unemployed reported a depression diagnosis (χ2 = 22270.076, df=1; p=0.000), while 34.2% of unemployed African-Americans reported having been diagnosed with a depression diagnosis (χ2 = 2435.281, df=1; p=0.000). Results also indicate that, unemployed Caucasians experience more poor mental health days per month than unemployed African-Americans. Unemployed Caucasians experience 9.56 days of poor mental health per month (t=-177.428, df=348476, p=0.000) while unemployed African-Americans experience 7.39 days of poor mental health (t=-43.868, df=33794, p=0.000). Research indicates that employment has more of an impact on the mental health of Caucasians than African-Americans, suggesting that resilience is a protective factor for African-Americans, while the Caucasian experience makes them more prone to poor mental health outcomes when out of work.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Long, Katrina
- Description:
- A large number of youth in the United States spend much of their childhoods institutionalized by the juvenile court system, either as juvenile offenders, victims within the foster care system, or both. The institutionalization of the juvenile court system removes them of personal identities and forces them into new roles, creating a number of needs to be addressed by reentry programs, when they begin aging out of the system. Few studies have been done on dually involved youth leaving a need for more research and support for this population. The purpose of this proposed study is to determine the effectiveness of reentry programs for dually involved youth in the United States focusing on housing, employment, financial assistance, and case management within the community. The study involves qualitative interviews of dually involved youth and the professionals who work with them.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Tarula, Yesenia
- Description:
- College students are not fully equipped to make informed financial decisions, which can lead to costly consequences. Research shows that college students score low on financial literacy tests and do not have adequate financial knowledge. Although research addresses differences in financial literacy levels within college students including gender, major, age and race, there is little research on the financial literacy levels of first generation college students. This study examined the financial literacy levels of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) students. In class room surveys were conducted and a sample size of 598 CSULA students was collected Students aged 17 to 68 years old from various majors. Results showed that only 60.6% of participants passed the financial literacy test. Results from this study also show that of the characteristics of CSULA students, the strongest predictors of financial literacy were being Hispanic, gender, being a business major, education level, and being African American. These predictors explain 18% of the variance in financial literacy levels while 82% of the variance is not accounted for in this study. This study found that first generation students scored significantly lower than non-first generation students. In addition, business students scored significantly higher than non-business students in the financial literacy test. Social workers should be formally taught the topic of personal finance in order to better their own finances and to empower them to discuss finances with clients to initiate referrals. Social workers can also inform policy to mandate financial education in all colleges and universities.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Hwang, Sei E.
- Description:
- Child poverty is becoming one of the most critical social problems in the United States, which can expose children to developmental problems. In order to understand the relationship between poverty and the risk of developmental delay in children, this study examines the impact of poverty level, adult educational attainment, and race/ethnicity on parental concerns about children's feelings, behavior, and ability to learn to do things for themselves. The results predict that if a child is exposed to poverty and is of Asian ethnicity, parental concerns exist about the child's feelings as well as the child's ability to learn to do things for self. Also, significant predictors that parental concerns exist about a child's behavior are if the child is of Latino or Asian ethnicity. These findings are important for social work practice and policy, and it may be utilized as reference for future studies.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Mills, Crista Catherine
- Description:
- The home is the most important asset a low to moderate income family can own. During the economic crisis of 2008, low to moderate income families suffered the greatest financial losses by losing their homes. While we know much about methods of asset building in wealthy communities, few studies have explored the ways in which low to moderate income families can build wealth through homeownership. This qualitative, longitudinal research study recruited participants from a HUD approved first time homebuyer and financial counseling work shop. The participants were interviewed monthly over the course of 4 or more months while engaging in the homeownership process. Participant interviews were transcribed and emerging themes across two selected participants were identified. Major findings show that the use of financial products designed for low to moderate income families, such as specialized loans and down payment assistance programs, were essential in facilitating the participants’ home purchase. These findings demonstrate the need for policy makers to increase access and availability of financial products tailored for low to moderate income families. In addition, these findings show the importance of financial education and counseling services for low to moderate income families beginning the home purchase process.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Gonzalez, Nayeli
- Description:
- Military individuals have been committing suicide at alarming rates with 1 in 5 committing suicide (George Washington School of Media and Public Affairs, 2015). They are exposed to a lifestyle that contributes to suicide through combat exposure, PTSD, TBI, burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Each variable can affect the military personnel in different ways, ranging from effects acquired while being in service to when the individual returns home. For example, feelings of being a burden to love ones, unable to connect with family members, avoiding certain places, inability to develop connections with other military individuals, and changes to their health or physical status are all possible scenarios that the military individual can face. This project examined CBT as an intervention that can help address and prevent suicide among veterans. Different innovations in how to incorporate and provide CBT to veterans are provided, through online, over the phone, couples therapy, and a mindfulness approach. The Department of Veterans Affairs has also implemented a form of CBT called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Depression (CBT-D), which helps address suicide since it can be linked to depression. Future research should examine if different socio economic status, military ranks, and social support would affect the possibilities of decreasing or increasing the changes of the military personnel committing suicide.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Diaz, Monique
- Description:
- In 2011, over 329,000 babies were born to teenage mothers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Worldwide, one in five girls has given birth by the age of 18 (World Health Organization, 2012). Despite its steady decline in recent years, the United States continues to have the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world, including Canada and the United Kingdom (Lightfoot, Cole, and Cole, 2009). This study hypothesized that girls who had an absent biological father are more likely to become teen parents than girls whose father was present. The results indicated that adolescents who had a father present were less likely to become teen parents than those who did not, which is consistent with the literature. The literature also showed that formal sexual education classes were found to significantly reduce teen pregnancies compared to those groups who received no sexual education class.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Garza, Steve
- Description:
- The effective treatment of clients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has historically been viewed by clinicians with skepticism. Due to BPD clients’ behaviors, clinicians experience burn out and consequently have been known to avoid working with these patients. This study is written in the spirit of finding the most effective treatment modalities for BPD clients. The method used for this study includes the examination of more than 40 peer reviewed journal articles. These articles utilized a variety of analyses including both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results of this study are mixed, but current treatments do show promise in terms of longer term relief for clients. For example, pharmaceuticals such as Clozapine are known to be effective, but will lead to negative physical repercussions. Longer term “talking” therapies are shown to be effective, but require high levels of client motivation. Additionally, technology shows promise as a BPD intervention. Despite past negative connotations, treatment for this condition has advanced. With continued academic and practical inquiry, these clients should experience higher levels of relief.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Green, Kelsey
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of diet and exercise, self-rated health, gender and socioeconomic status on mental health among adults 18 and older. The data obtained in this research study is from the 42,714 adult participants from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2011-2012. The dependent variable is mental health. Mental health is measured in the CHIS as feeling nervous in the past thirty days, feeling restless in the past thirty days and feeling depressed in the past thirty days. The independent variables utilized are health behaviors: diet and exercise, self-rated health, gender and SES. Diet is measured in the CHIS as the number of times a participant is eating fruit, vegetables and fast food per week. Exercise is measured as the number of times a participant walked for leisure in the past seven days. Self-rated health is measured as general health condition, gender is male or female and SES is measured as the federal poverty level. The study has revealed that there is a significant correlation between diet and exercise, self-rated health, gender and socioeconomic status in predicting mental health status among adults 18 and older. Mental illness and poor mental health is becoming more recognized in our communities. To better treat individuals with a mental illness or poor mental health, it is imperative to be informed of the factors contributing and causing mental difficulties.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- De Anda, Yesenia Ruby
- Description:
- This research project was designed to explore the barriers to health care that women in African countries face at time of delivery, as well as programs being implemented to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). The review of literature revealed that there are multiple barriers that women face in African countries when seeking skilled care. There is a need for interventions that use a multidimensional approach to address these barriers. Implications for social work practice include empowering and educating women on the importance of seeking health care at time of delivery and advocating at the policy level for more funding to be put towards programs that will save the lives of these women.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
38. The Impact of Community Involvement on Mental Health Among Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites Age 65+
- Creator:
- Soto, Carolyn
- Description:
- This study examines the impact of community involvement on mental health among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites age 65+. Several independent variables were examined for purposes of this study. The independent variables are community involvement, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. The dependent variable is mental health among older adults. The findings of this study revealed that there is a strong correlation between community involvement, SES, and race/ethnicity on mental health among the older population. The study concluded that community involvement is a significant predictor on mental health. In addition, the findings determined that poverty and low education was associated with poor mental health. Race and ethnicity was also found to be a major predictor on mental health. The study demonstrated that Hispanics were more likely to lack education and live in the lowest level of poverty and therefore are at greater risk for worst mental health. It is also important to note that the findings of this study found that being an older woman was a key predictor of greater feelings of being nervous, hopeless, depressed, and feeling that everything is an effort. Social work professionals should consider the impact of these variables on mental health among this population when assessing, providing, and creating social services for this population.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Desmond, Alexandra
- Description:
- Nearly half of all pregnancies each year in the United States are unintended. (O’Reilly, 2009). Women confronted with an unintended pregnancy are then faced with the decision of whether to continue the pregnancy and parent, terminate the pregnancy with an abortion, or continue the pregnancy and place the baby for adoption. Only when these options are truly understood will social workers and other professionals be able to provide comprehensive and non-directive counseling services that will help clients to make an educated and non-biased decision that is best for them. They may seek the guidance of their school counselors, local community clinics, or any other social service agency. It is pertinent that professionals working in these settings where women access services are accurately informed about the fundamentals of each option including the resources available to women wanting to parent, the different types of adoption and their characteristics, and the various termination procedures (O’Reilly, 2009). Not only is it important to examine the options available to women, but it is necessary that the barriers to women receiving unbiased and comprehensive are scrutinized and addressed. This project provides a foundation base for future research and a proposed curriculum to train professionals, so that researchers and social work professionals continue to expand the knowledge base in order to better understand and serve these women.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Hernandez, Brenda
- Description:
- ABSTRACT Latino Adolescents Engagement in Suicidality: Contributing Factors, Prevention, and Intervention approaches By Brenda Hernandez Suicide-related behaviors among the adolescent population have become an area of concern. The number of adolescents engaging in this type of behavior continues to increase (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.a). This research project intends to display the leading factors that Latino adolescent’s experience, raising their likelihood of engaging in suicidal behavior. It also, explores the suicide prevention and intervention strategies available for adolescents and their families. In the first literature review, leading factors were addressed through (1) family dynamics, including family disconnects, and family expectations; and (2) school influences, including friendship, peer victimization, and school involvement. The second literature review explored the different types of intervention and prevention programs available to address suicide with both the family and the adolescents. It also, discussed the need to integrate cultural competence among these programs, because Latinos are least likely to seek mental health resources. Results demonstrated that within families with higher rates of conflict, disconnections, and unrealistic expectations, adolescents were more likely to engage in suicide-related behaviors. Likewise, hospital based interventions served as positive indicators for treating and reducing suicide attempts among the youth population. Also, gatekeeping programs were seen as a necessity among schools in order to bring awareness of suicide, and to offer help to adolescents in need. Furthermore, the studies evaluated demonstrated a common reoccurrences of lack of awareness in regards to suicide.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
41. Implications of homelessness among the aging population: An evaluation of issues and interventions
- Creator:
- Bagley, Shoichi Phillip
- Description:
- Homelessness is a social issue that affects all populations. Although there are vast amounts of research regarding homelessness, the aging homeless population often goes overlooked. This project aims to explore contributing factors of homelessness among older adults and the effectiveness of treatment programs for this population. The aging homeless population is noted to be more susceptible to homelessness and is challenged with added harm and risks. Mental health disorders, substance abuse, physical health issues, lack of social support, and the lack of obtaining treatment are all variables impacting this population. Case management, treatment-first, and housing-first programs aim to treat homelessness in general through different interventions. Housing first treatment demonstrated the highest level of effectiveness among all programs and interventions evaluated, while treatment first was found to be least effective. This project revealed a lack of programs addressing the specialized needs of older adults experiencing homelessness. Implications include building off the knowledge observed from the effectiveness of housing first interventions to tailor services for the older adult homeless population. Further research is needed in order to address and conceptualize the unique concerns of the aging homeless populations. In order to implement best practices to treat such issue, social work practitioners, students, helping professionals, educators and policy makers could all benefit from additional research.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Alfaro, Ernan Dario
- Description:
- There is a high need to use research evidence to guide practice in juvenile delinquency because billions of tax dollars are used to incarcerate the youth. The purpose of this thesis project is to advance our understanding of the complex social issue that is juvenile delinquency, and examine alternative interventions used to address this issue. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine the risk factors and interventions used to address juvenile delinquency. A total of 45 studies were analyzed that sampled youth between the ages of 11 and 19-years-old. The research was guided by two questions: 1) What factors or correlates are associated with juvenile delinquency among adolescents? and 2) What effect does Functional Family Therapy (FFT), in comparison to Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST), have on juvenile delinquency among adolescents? Twenty-five studies revealed that environmental factors, family characteristics, and negative peer influences are correlated to juvenile delinquency among adolescents. In addition, twenty studies found that FFT and MST are effective interventions, especially when high parental involvement and high therapist availability are implemented. Possible implications of this research should concentrate on enhancing the quality of data collection through specific samples to identify distinct factors of juvenile delinquency based gender. Those in the human service profession may draw upon the knowledge presented to gain empathy of these factors that increase the risk of juvenile delinquency and implement effective interventions to eradicate cultural and gender gaps in serving our youth.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Thomas, De'Shay Sharika
- Description:
- Many research studies have explored how disadvantages such as history of victimization, early onset delinquency, and substance abuse, explain and/or predict violent juvenile offending. Research has also examined the influence of hopefulness and future orientation on violent behavior. These disadvantages have been explored independently; to date, there are no documented studies that examine the interaction between history of trauma, history of delinquency, onset age of substance use, and hopefulness. This research explored that matter. The present study analyzed how each of the above factors distinguishes three offense types of juvenile offenders: homicide, aggravated assault, and sexual assault offenders. To explore this issue, a secondary data analysis using the data from the LAVIDA study was conducted. The results revealed no distinguishable differences based on offense type. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Yan, Bonnie J.
- Description:
- The purpose of this thesis project is to conceptualize and develop an effective program evaluation model for a short-term Mexico study tour for California State University, Los Angeles Masters of Social Work students. However, there is a lack of literature that outlines how to effectively evaluate international social work education programs. The review of the literature explores three bodies of literature: international social work education programs, program evaluation, and the nature of education in Mexico. The proposed program evaluation model is based after Barkman's (2000) Logic Model and includes three avenues of data collection methods: a pre-test and post-test questionnaire, reflective journal entries, and focus groups. These evaluation tools were developed specifically for the proposed Mexico study tour program. The last component of this project reflects on the process, implications for social work practice, limitations, directions for future research, and ideas for growth for the Mexico study tour program.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Romero, Lizette M.
- Description:
- The purpose of this asset mapping and needs assessment was to list available resources for the homeless, specifically focusing in the City of Cerritos. Information obtained in the needs assessment was gathered through several methods: community immersion through the reoccurring homeless count, informal conversations with residents, and extensive research of online databases. It was found that there is a lack of community resources to help the homeless population within Cerritos. Homeless are guided to use resources from other neighboring cities. Further awareness of homeless issues and their needs must be highlighted in order to receive the proper education and resources to address this social problem.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Leon, Denise
- Description:
- After losing their significant other, widowed adults have been faced with the damaging effects of emotional, physical, and financial hardships. This project report will discuss the standing relationship between social behavior and psychological well-being upon widowhood. It was hypothesized that the presence of social behavior upon spousal loss could lead to an increase in psychological well-being for the surviving spouse. The literature suggested that engagement in social behaviors could lead to an increase in psychological well-being for widowed adults; furthermore, the following themes arose in the literature: social participation and its relevance to activity theory, social support and its relevance to social exchange theory, culture, and length of widowhood. When it comes to program evaluation, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) appeared to be the most effective intervention, especially for symptoms of complicated grief (CG). The social work practice implications include more consideration for widowed adults when applying theories (i.e., activity theory and social exchange theory) by clinicians. Social work policy implications include more advocacy for multidisciplinary collaboration for services so that the widowed population could be better served. It is suggested that the direction for future research should be focused on end-of-life services specifically targeted toward the widowed population to determine effectiveness.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Glenn, Mara
- Description:
- The purpose of this thesis project is to advance our understanding of the complex social problem that is child physical abuse as every year, many children in the United States fall victim to what is referred to as child physical abuse (CPA). A systematic literature review was conducted to examine three research questions: 1) to what extent does exposure to domestic violence place a child at greater risk for child physical abuse?, 2) what maternal and paternal correlates are associated with or related to child physical abuse?, and 3) what effect does home visitation programs, parent training programs and parent-child interaction therapy have on child physical abuse? Research found that when a child is living in a home that is experiencing domestic violence, the risk of child physical abuse is heightened. Risk factors such as low socio-economic status, maternal depression, single parent households, substance and alcohol use and young caregiver age, were found to be key paternal and maternal correlates that exacerbate the likelihood of child physical abuse. Among the interventions examined; parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), home visitation programs and parent training programs, PCIT was found to be the most effective intervention to decrease the risk of child physical abuse. Those in the social work profession may draw on the knowledge presented to better understand the plethora of parental risk factors that may increase the probability of child physical abuse and implement effective interventions to eradicate the problem of child physical abuse.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Garcia, Mayra E.
- Description:
- Juvenile delinquency has been recognized as an immense problem in this country. As a result, there are efforts to reduce delinquency among the youth. The factors that potentially influence criminal behavior are extensive. This thesis focuses on family composition, level of attachment and parental involvement. Focusing on these three factors are vital. The home environment plays in an important role in shaping individuals. Additionally, this thesis will look at existing programs implemented to address juvenile delinquency. Funds are being allocated to programs and agencies that focus on preventing and/or reducing crime. Existing programs include truancy efforts, mentoring programs and after school programs. The idea is that by focusing on initiatives already implemented and evaluating their effectiveness will give us general understanding of what holes exist and need repairing. I found that most existing efforts focus on restoration. It may be worthwhile to invest in prevention and implement programs at the elementary school level that encompass character development, mental health, and life skills which may be the solution to prevent delinquency among youth.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Melgar, Cindy Scarlet
- Description:
- The consensus of the literature is that that Black Americans have worse physical health than White Americans, but have better mental health (Mezuk et al., 2010). This study utilized secondary data from the 2013-2014 California Health Interview Survey adult questionnaire to analyze psychological and physical well-being disparities between Black and White older American adults between the ages 65 to 85. Chi-square and t-tests were performed. Consistent with this study’s hypothesis, psychological distress results between the two ethnic groups did not differ significantly (t=0.364, df =13141, p = 0.716). Results also supported the second hypothesis that negative health habits such as poor diet would correlate with greater levels of psychological distress. Results were (r=.158; p=.000) for Black Americans, and (r=.091; p=.000) for White Americans. In line with the third hypothesis, participants in both ethnicity groups who reported an increase in psychological distress tended to rate their general health less favorably; supporting the conclusion that psychological distress and general health go hand in hand; one cannot be affected without impacting the other. Results were (r=.293; p=.000) for Black Americans and (r=.337; p=.000) for White Americans. A correct assessment of Black Americans mental health, if the current assessment is incorrect, would allow social workers and mental health professionals to fully address the actual issues and concerns of the Black American communities and to formulate strategies and programs to effectively deal with the circumstances actually faced by Black Americans.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Rosell, Tyrel
- Description:
- There are certain stressors that might occur as being part of a minority group trying to adapt to the host culture. These stressors might affect an individual life in a way that maladaptive coping strategies manifest as a way to alleviate problems that originated from, being a part of a certain socio economic status based on racial classification. Using the ecological systems theory the study will examine structural factors such as socioeconomic status, geographical location, levels of acculturation, and gender among Latinos and its relationship to the level of alcohol use. This study examines the demographical factors that would increase the likelihood of alcohol use among the adult Latino population in the United States. Factors such as educational attainment, levels of neighborhood trust, acculturation (as it relates to language used at home, and country of origin), and gender may have a statistically significant relationship with alcohol use. Significant data and previous studies point to acculturation as a variable when examining how it affects this population. High levels acculturation showed significant differences that would directly or indirectly affect an individual’s SES, geographical location, level or education and gender norms. These components must be placed into account when examining a large and growing population as they continue their development, acculturation, and aging process in the U.S.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Los Angeles
- Department:
- Social Work