Prison inmates work outside in a chain gang. Photo courtesy of CNN.

A prison inmate with a mental illness is less likely to commit another crime and return to jail than an inmate who does not have a mental illness or one who has a mental illness and also abuses drugs, according to a study from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

Case Western assistant social work professor Amy Hall said researchers took inmates from the Philadelphia jail system, one of the largest in the nation, and divided them into four groups.

The categories were those with severe mental illnesses, those with a substance abuse problem, those with dual problems of mental illness and substance abuse, and those with neither problem.

The study found that at the end of four years, 54 percent of inmates with severe mental illnesses returned to jail,  compared to 66 percent of those with substance abuse problems, 68 percent with mental illness and substance abuse issues, and 60 percent of those who did not have either problem.

More study is needed but the lower recidivism rate for those who are mentally ill could be a sign they can more readily get treatment than those with dual problems, Wilson said.

“These findings point to a possible need for more integrated services for mental and substance abuse, and more attention being paid generally to the ways that substance abuse involvement among people with serious mental illness complicates these individuals involvement with the criminal justice system,” she said.

Click here to read more about the study at NewsRx.com.

To learn more about how social workers help people overcome mental illness and addictions visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Mind and Spirit web site by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Mobiledia.

Homeless teenagers value having a cellphone as much as having food or drugs, according to a study from the USC School of Social Work.

The study raises the potential use of mobile technology to communicate with this vulnerable group and provide them with services, researchers said. In fact, social service agencies should offer homeless teens help in getting cellphones and paying cellphone bills, they said.

“It is a relatively easy structural way to get them off the streets,” said Eric Rice, lead author of the study.

The study was published in the December issue of the Journal of Urban Health. You can also click here to read an article about the study at Mobiledia.

To learn more about the valuable services social workers provide people from all walks of life, visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” consumer Website by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Bee Media.

Contrary to popular belief, suicide is a problem that can occur even among elementary school-aged children, according to a new Temple University study.

University researchers surveyed more than 400 school social workers. Researchers found most suicide threats, hospitalizations, attempts and deaths happen among high school students.

However, the problem is also very apparent in elementary schools.

Forty percent of social workers in elementary schools said they had known of a suicide attempt that resulted in a hospitalization while seven percent said the suicidal child died.

“What’s true is that adolescents are more likely to make attempts, but kids at the elementary school level are making suicide attempts, and some of them are being hospitalized for suicidal behavior,” National Association of Social Workers and Temple University assistant social work professor Jonathan Singer said.

You can read a news report about the study on the WHYY Website by clicking here.

Singer developed a Website with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program that he hopes will be a virtual support community for people who have been affected by suicide. To learn more click here. And to find out how social workers try to prevent suicide visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Suicide Prevention Website by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Home Post.

Public schools should try to help ease the burdens faced by children of military families during war, including frequent deployments and absent parents, according to a research review from the USC School of Social Work, San Diego State University and Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

“Some of the recent studies that have come out show that the deployments are really, really causing tremendous impact on the children,” said National Association of Social Workers member Ron Astor, DSW, said in this article posted on the Southern California Public Radio Website.

Astor collaborated on a video that demonstrates what military children experience. One child in the video talks about being home alone with no one to help him with homework while another speaks about moving seven or eight times as his parent took on new assignments.

Astor said the research review shows public school teachers, counselors and even classmates should give specific support to children of the military.

 Only 86,000 of 1.2 million children of military service members attend Department of Defense schools. Most attend public or charter schools.

To learn more about how social workers help people in the military visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Veterans Affairs Website by clicking here.

Students from the gay straight alliance at Mason High School in Michigan.

Lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual youth who attend high schools with gay-straight alliances (GSAs) have better mental health and are more likely to graduate and go to college, according to a study co-authored by National Association of Social Workers member Caitlin Ryan.

“This new study on the benefits of GSAs to health and education adds to our growing understanding of the importance of social environments and the need to provide institutional support for LGBT youth to promote well-being in adulthood,” Ryan, MSW, PhD, ACSW.

Ryan is director of the San Francisco-based Family Acceptance Project, a group that advocates for LGBT youth.

To get the full study click here.

The National Association of Social Workers also supports equal treatment for all, including members of the LGBT community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Photo courtesy of SAGE.

Special intervention and prevention strategies should be developed to help elderly LGBT people, according to a study from the University of Washington School of Social Work.

According to this article in HealthCanal.com, elderly LGBT individuals are more prone to suffer from depression, disabilities and loneliness than heterosexuals of the same age group. They are also more likely to binge drink and smoke.

National Association of Social Workers member and University of Washington professor Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, DSW, ACSW, led the study. Researchers surveyed 2,560 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people aged 50-95 across the nation. The population of this group is expected to double to more than 4 million by 2030.

“The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health,” Fredriksen-Goldsen said.

Fredriksen-Goldsen presented some of the study’s findings on Nov. 9 at a Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus in Washington, D.C.

Social workers are committed to equal treatment for all, including LGBT individuals. To learn more visit NASW’s Diversity and Equity Web page by clicking here. Social workers also advocate for better healthcare for the elderly. To learn more visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Seniors & Aging Website by clicking here.

Mary Beth Roth says the Northwestern University program has helped her husband Wolfgang, who has Alzheimer's Disease. Photo courtesy of ABC's Good Morning America.

Northwestern University researchers are testing whether spur-of-the-moment, improvisational theater could improve the well-being of Alzheimer’s Disease sufferers, according to this news article and audio segment on NPR.com.

National Association of Social Workers member Darby Morhardt, a research associate professor at Northwestern, is taking part in the project. And Mary O’Hara, a social worker at the university’s Feinberg School of Medicine Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center, is also involved.

“Improv is all about being in the moment, which for someone with memory loss, that is a very safe place,” O’Hara said. “Maybe thinking about the past and trying to remember makes the person a little anxious or even a bit sad because their memory is failing. And maybe thinking about the future too much is also anxiety-provoking. So being in the moment is such a safe and a good place to be.”

Researchers said the improvisational exercises will not stop or slow the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, they could improve the lives of early-stage patients.

“We’re asking people to tell us how they’re feeling about their physical health, their mood,” Morhardt said. ”How do they feel about their memory? How did they feel about their family, about their relationships? And also, how do they feel about their current situation as a whole and their life as a whole?”

There are other news articles about the Northwestern University improvisational theater program. Click here to read a recent New York Times article; click here to read an article on on Chicago’s WBEZ91.5 Web site; and click here to read an item on the treatment on ABC’s Good Morning America Website.

To learn more about how social workers help the elderly and people living with mental disorders visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” consumer Website by clicking here.

John Graham. Photo courtesy of the University of Calgary.

Fifteen percent of social workers in the United States left the profession each year between 1992 and 2001, a far higher rate than that of teachers or nurses.

So  John Graham, a professor of social work at the University of Calgary, decided to look at what factors make social workers happy and willing to continue the valuable work they do, according to this article in the Edmonton Journal.

Graham and his team sent out a survey to 2,500 social workers in the province of Alberta and got 700 responses. He found that social workers who were the happiest  had flexible work schedules, a good work-life balance and strong behind-the-scenes support to do their jobs well.

The goal is to have employers take the findings and work with organizations to improve work conditions for social workers, some of whom struggle under heavy caseloads.

Carol Tosone. Screenshot courtesy of NY1.

Carol Tosone, an associate professor of social work at NYU, lived through the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and is still spooked by the sound of planes flying overhead.

She wondered whether other social workers and mental health providers who treated 9-11 victims shared similar trauma.

So she did a survey of 500 clinicians who were in Midtown and Lower Manhattan during the attacks. That study proved many share trauma with the people they are treating, according to this article and television news clip on NY1.

Tosone hopes her study, which is being replicated in New Orleans among clinicians who counseled flood survivors, will help prepare social workers and others to work in disasters and other traumatic situations.

“We need to refortify clinicians,” said Tosone, who is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers.

To learn more about how social workers help survivors of disasters click here to visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” and read about how California social worker Dina Ortiz, LCSW, traveled to the Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Violence against social workers is common and the aftermaths of such incidents can leave social workers feeling angry, ineffective or afraid to do their work. Researchers from the Bob Shapell School of Social Work in Tel Aviv and the LaTrobe University School of Social Work and Social Policy in Australia analyzed 130 “critical incidents” reported by Israeli social workers.

Some social workers reported being punched by clients or witnessing clients do violent things to others. For instance, one saw a drug-addicted client hold a knife to his girlfriend’s throat. Others are traumatized by things they witness, such as a child being removed from an unsuitable home or listening to clients recount being sexually abused.

Besides getting training on how to handle such incidents and protect themselves, social workers also need supervision that helps them deal with such situations effectively, researchers said.

Q: Social workers have been injured and even murdered while on the job. Do you get training on how to avoid or defuse potentially violent situations or resources to handle the emotional aftermath of such scenes?

The National Association of Social Workers offers members an array of cutting-edge publications. For information on  NASW books and journals visit the NASW Press Web page by clicking here.

The study was coauthored by Temple University social work professor Jonathan Singer, DSW, and Karen Slovak, DSW, of Ohio University in Zanesville. Both are National Association of Social Workers members.

According to the study, 45 percent of 400 school social workers who were surveyed said they feel ill-equipped to deal with the problem, which has led to several well publicized suicides among young people. Only about one out of five of these social workers said their schools had an effective policy to handle the situation.

“If there’s no policy in place to guide them, staffers are flying solo in this area, and that can be a liability,” Singer said.

Social workers provide crisis intervention more than any other employees in schools, including nurses, teachers or guidance counselors. To learn more about the guidance social workers provide young people visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Schools and Communities Web page by clicking here.

Dr. Waldo Johnson Jr. Photo courtesy of University of Chicago.

Waldo Johnson Jr., DSW, hopes his new book will provide an updated, 21st century perspective on social work practice and African American males, especially younger black males.

“Social Work With African American Males: Health, Mental Health, and Social Policy” ( Oxford University Press), is a compilation of writings from about 32 social workers, nurses and criminal justice experts that offer fresh views on myriad social issues affecting black males, including depression, fatherhood, education and mental illness.

The book contributors — including M. Daniel Bennett Jr., MSW, PhD, and Michael Lindsey, MSW, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work — represent some of the youngest and brightest minds in social work.

“They do represent the next generation of scholars and their cutting-edge work,” said Johnson, who is associate professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

The book grew out of a conference Johnson held at the University of Chicago five years ago. Johnson was interested in how the social work profession served African American males and turned to some of the conference participants to assemble a book to answer this question.

Johnson said for decades U.S. social welfare policy has focused more on mothers, children, the elderly and the infirm. Men and especially African American males were neglected, although racism and the vestiges of segregation have put many black men on the lower rungs of America’s economic ladder, he said.

“We continue to have this type of social welfare policy that views men as undeserving,” he said.

“Social Work With African American Males” puts more focus on the social welfare needs of black men. For instance, past books on young black males may have focused on the high level of African American high school drop outs, Johnson said.

However, “Social Work With African American Males” examines a disturbing modern trend: young black men are more likely to be expelled or suspended from schools, making it more likely some will end up in the juvenile justice system, he said.

And Bennett at the University of Maryland wrote about how the daily hassles black men experience, including violence and harassment from authorities, may make some more susceptible to depression, Johnson said.

Still, the book does not just focus on the negative social trends. Joseph Richardson Jr., an assistant professor in the African-American studies department at the University of Maryland at College Park, wrote about how uncles and other male kin and family friends in black communities often pitch in to help raise and mentor young black men.

 ”The role that uncles play often gets ignored,” Johnson said. “A researcher or someone outside of African American culture may not recognize the role of kin.”

“Social Work With African American Males” is available on Amazon.com. To learn more click here. The National Association of Social Workers is also dedicated to social justice for all, no matter what their race, sex, sexual orientation, or income level. To learn more visit NASW’s Diversity and Equity Web page by clicking here.

E.J. Plata (left), who is gay, said gaining acceptance from his parents help him address problems with drinking and depression. His parents later started a youth outreach group to help other parents with LGBT children. Photo courtesy of the Family Acceptance Project.

Getting love and support from family literally saves the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, according to a new study from the Family Acceptance Project.

Youth who gain family acceptance are less likely to have depression, substance abuse problems and suicidal behavior in early adulthood, the study said.

Social worker Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW, is director of the San Francisco-based Family Acceptance Center and lead author of the study.

“At a time when media and families are becoming acutely aware of the risk that many LGBT youth experience, our findings that family acceptance protects against suicidal thoughts and behaviors, depression and substance abuse offer a gateway of hope for LGBT youth and families that struggle with how to handle deeply held personal and religious values with love for their LGBT children,” Ryan said in a press release.

To read more on a press release on the study click here. ABC also ran an online article that cites the study. To read that click here. NASW also supports equal treatment for all, including members of the LGBT community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Still, Zittel became a victim of postpartum depression, a condition that has afflicted 430,000 to 645,000 women in the United States.

“When we returned home, I had the baby blues. I remember crying to my mother, ‘Things will just never be the same again,” said Zittel, who is a National Association of Social Workers member.

In all of her years of professional training leading up to a doctorate Zittel had never heard postpartum depression mentioned. That is why she decided to write Postpartum Mood Disorders: A Guide for Medical, Mental Health and other Support Providers.  The book is a new offering from NASW Press.

The book is a tool to help prepare families, social workers, other counseling professionals and medical professions to help women struggling with postpartum mood disorders. It explores the theories, epidemiology, risk factors, at-risk populations and treatment options for the disorder.

By the time readers finish the book,  Zittel hopes they will understand the disorder better and the need for more community programs to help women as well as their partners, children, family members and support systems.

The National Association of Social Workers offers members an array of cutting-edge publications. For information on  NASW books and journals visit the NASW Press Web page by clicking here.

Manoj Pardasani

Modern senior centers have been around since World War II. But now it is time they adapt to the 21 century, according to a study directed by social worker Manoj Pardasani, PhD, LCSW, ACSW.

Pardasani, who is an associate professor at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, was asked to do the study by the Council of Senior Centers and Services of New  York City Inc.

The study found that senior centers must adapt to serve a more diverse clientele that includes more racial and ethnic groups, including first-generation immigrants and bilingual seniors. The centers also need to diversify their programs and services and hire more qualified staff, among other things.

Modern senior centers developed in New York City and CSCS officials said the city should lead new developments in this arena.

“It is time that the city seizes the opportunity to support, redesign, reconceptualize and innovate senior centers for the new millennium,” the study’s executive summary said.

To read the full executive summary of the report click here.

To learn more about how social workers help the nation’s oldest citizens visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Seniors & Aging Web page by clicking here.

“Contemporary characterizations and depictions suggest that African American males harbor a lifelong disregard for their own personal development, and a lack of commitment to their loved ones and society in general,” a societal attitude that keeps them from being helped, said National Association of Social Workers member Waldo E. Johnson.

Johnson, MSW, PhD,  is an associate professor at the school editor of the book, “Social Work With African American Males.” He challenged social workers to use their expertise to target this neglected demographic group.

African Americans have made great strides in the social work profession. To learn more, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Help Starts Here 2010 Black History Month Celebration by clicking here.

Social workers will go out with researchers to test ways to reduce the impact of elder abuse, the article said. Preliminary results of the $654,000 study will be available by January.

Although the study is being done in California, the results are expected to have  a nationwide impact on preventing elder abuse.

To learn more about how social workers help older clients, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Help Starts Here “Seniors & Aging” Web page by clicking here.

Language and culture, health literacy, health insurance and immigrant status create vast differences in the quality of health care among Asian Americans, according to social work professors Wooksoo Kim and Robert H. Keefe.

“Asian Americans are considered a ‘model minority,’ which prevents many Asian Americans from getting help when they need it, and this study addresses that issue,” Kim said. “There is a dire need to expand our knowledge regarding better health care services for Asian Americans.”

To learn more about the study, read this article at sify.com or this article at the University at Buffalo news center.

To find out more about how social workers help clients get better health care, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Health & Wellness Web page by clicking there.

A foster child in the care of an agency. Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Foster children who took part in a mentoring and relationship skills program done by social work graduate students had improved mental health, according to a study done by the University of Colorado.

The study tracked 156 children aged 9 to 11 who were maltreated and placed in foster care. Seventy-seven of the children received the usual care while 79 were enrolled in the Fostering Healthy Futures intervention group with the graduate students.

“Six months after the intervention, the children in the treatment group had fewer mental health problems, fewer symptoms of dissociation, better quality of life, and appeared less likely to report symptoms of post-traumatic stress than those in the control group,” according to this Bloomberg/Businessweek article.

To learn more about the role of social workers in this area, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Adoptions and Foster Care Web page by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

The decision of many mothers to go back to work before their babies are a year old will not be detrimental to the child’s development, according to a recent study co-authored by two social work professors and a child development professor from Columbia University.

This article on the study appeared in the New York Times.

The research was done by social work and public affairs professor Jane Waldfogel, associate social work professor Wen-Jui Han, and child development specialist Jeanne Brooks-Gunn.

The study found the child of mothers who went back to work full-time during the first year performed worse on a series of cognitive tests. However, children did not have any cognitive setbacks if their working moms’ wages boosted family income significantly, the mothers picked high quality child care, or the mothers remained sensitive to their children, the study found.

To learn more about how social workers help children thrive visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Early Childhood Development Web pages by clicking here.