There is current widespread acceptance that persons with severe mental disorders are at increased risk to develop substance use disorders. The need for a theoretical framework to assist clinicians in assessing substance use disorders is critical. This study examined a piece of a popular theory of addiction, the Self-Medication Hypothesis. This theory is frequently cited among clinicians but lacks scientific support through objective studies. This study examined whether mood disorders, anxiety disorders and traumas precede the onset of alcohol, cocaine and nicotine use. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), which is a nationally representative household survey conducted from September 1990 to February 1992 and included 8,098 respondents between the ages of 15 and 54, were used for the secondary data analyses. Diagnoses were based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and DSM-III-R criteria. Results of this study suggest that some psychiatric diagnoses and traumas precede substance usage. The Self-Medication Hypothesis may explain a small subset of cases in this study. For those who reported alcohol abuse, respondents with simple phobia, social phobia, and sexual molestation reported the alcohol abuse occurred second. For those who reported cocaine abuse, respondents who reported simple phobia, social phobia, physical assault, sexual molestation and rape reported the cocaine abuse occurred second. For those who reported nicotine usage, respondents with simple phobia, social phobia and sexual molestation reported the nicotine usage occurred second. While these findings are consistent with the Self-Medication Hypothesis, the Gateway model of substance use and developmental maturation are also possible explanations for this pattern of results. The Self-Medication Hypothesis may be descriptive of some clinical samples, but it is very limited and does not appear to be descriptive of general population samples such as that of the NCS. Overall, this study's results are not sufficiently supportive of the Self-Medication Hypothesis.

This study had two primary purposes: First, to explore a new methodology to conduct studies of studies of social work research status that might provide better reliability, minimize validity threats, and require less resources; and secondly, to utilize that new methodology to examine the current status of geriatric social work research. A multi-stage sampling process was utilized in order to isolate and obtain 248 unique aging focused peer reviewed articles published from 1999 to 2003 by self-identified geriatric social work scholars. Articles were content coded using typologies borrowed from prior studies. Five waves of inter-rater, and one intra-rater, checks were utilized to maximize reliability. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the current status of geriatric social work research. Bivariate analyses (e.g., chi square and independent t-tests) were utilized to examine whether random sampling produced results than would have been obtained from a convenience total sample. Findings from this study indicated a significantly higher proportion of empirical research (71.4%) within social work gerontology than found in other prior studies. Findings also indicated that while survey research designs continue to dominate the research literature, utilization of more sophisticated statistical techniques and research focused on explanatory knowledge vs. descriptive knowledge were significantly higher than in prior studies. Findings also indicated that the new random sampling methodology produced virtually identical findings to prior methodologies, while increasing reliability, at approximately one-fifth of the resource utilization in prior studies.;This study provides a cost-effective methodology to conduct future studies of social work research status that focus either on social work overall, or on a specific subject area within the discipline (e.g., gerontology). Findings were also supportive of a call for increased interdisciplinary collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaboration was significantly associated with increased external funding, and the development of explanatory vs. descriptive knowledge. It is hoped that this new methodology will provide a means to conduct periodic systematic reviews of research status over time that are comparable to each other. The methodology is both more reliable and cost-effective, and will allow for longitudinal trend analyses.

Over the past decade, the public child welfare system has increasingly relied upon female African American caregivers to provide out-of-home placements for relative children removed from their homes because of child maltreatment. African American women who care for relative children are also known as "Othermothers" (Troester, 1984) and a growing body of research reveals that this population is at risk for psychological distress, particularly depression. Depressed Othermothers can pose a serious public health concern for women and children in state care. African American women often use social support and spirituality to foster emotional resilience. Drawing upon concepts of the Transactional Stress-Coping Model and the Africentric Paradigm, this study examined the role social support and spirituality played in mediating or moderating the relationship between caregiver stress and depressive symptomatology. Data from an on-going Title IV-E federal demonstration project on families in Maryland's foster care system were analyzed. The sample included 116 African American Othermothers. A Social Embeddedness/Sense of Community scale and Density of Support scale measured social support; the Short Form of the Brief RCOPE, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale and Organizational Religiousness Items measured spirituality; a Cumulative Stress Index measured caregiver stressors; the CES-D measured depressive symptomatology. Twenty-seven percent of the Othermothers had a positive screening for depression. Increased caregiver stress was associated with increased levels of depressive symptomatology (r = .373, p < .0005). Spirituality in the form of negative spiritual coping strategies and church attendance partially mediated the relationship between caregiver stress and depressive symptomatology. Lower levels of church attendance and neighborhood involvement were associated with elevated levels of depressive symptomatology (p < .10). This research suggests that spirituality and neighborhood factors play important roles in the psychological adjustment of African American Other-mothers. Maternal and child health, social work education, as well as child welfare implications are reviewed for African American caregivers and families in foster care.

Passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, more popularly known as "welfare reform", has been considered the most drastic overhaul of the welfare system since its inception. Perhaps the most radical feature of this legislation is limiting adults to a total of five years of welfare benefits, which can either be five consecutive years, or an accumulation of sixty months with the recipient's status periodically moving from welfare dependent to independent. Lost in the public affirmations of the success of welfare reform is the fact that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) presents a swinging door for many people. Estimates of the number of welfare recidivists are universally high, ranging from 34% to more than 50%. Given these high numbers, and the ticking of the five year clock imposed by the TANF legislation, it is imperative to identify individuals most likely to become recidivists, and to develop appropriate intervention strategies to help them reach financial independence. While most of the extant research associates the return to welfare with a number of demographic and human capital characteristics, this dissertation explores the question of whether or not certain interpersonal factors act as barriers to success, that is as factors which have an effect on recidivism or returns to welfare (TANF) among those who have exited. This research examines locus of control, perceived social support from family, and coping skills, measured using Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control, the Coping Responses Inventory-Adult, and the Perceived Social Support of Family scales, as possible explanations of recidivism by comparing a sample of recidivists and nonrecidivists. Using Expectancy Theory as a social-psychological framework for understanding how poverty might affect a person's behavior, it was hypothesized that those individuals with a more internal locus of control, higher levels of perceived social support from their families, and better coping skills, would be more likely to avoid returning to public assistance after an exit. Logistical regression analyses indicated that the two groups differed on one variable: coping skills. Individuals who did not return to welfare were significantly more likely to use approach coping (problem-focused cognitive and behavioral attempts to resolve or master a problem), than were individuals who returned to welfare.

In general, social science researchers agree that there is a need for culturally and linguistically appropriate instruments if findings are to reflect what they are intended to measure. This study examines if the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) can be translated into American Sign Language, yield an instrument with internal consistency of .80, and produce an instrument with one underlying construct as was originally designed. The was translated into American Sign Language using the backtranslation method and an expert panel of raters to examine conceptual equivalence. Once conceptual equivalence was agreed upon by the raters, the instrument was given to participants. There were 185 participants in this study, after those with missing data were excluded. Results suggested that the translated version yielded an internal consistency of .7838, which is comparable to other studies involving translated versions of the RSES. The principal components analysis revealed three underlying components, labeled competence, negative self-evaluation, and positive self-evaluation, that accounted for 55.58% of the variance in the set of components. This finding is inconsistent with other studies. Discussion of these findings suggests that translation error is unlikely given the protocol for the backtranslation. A more likely source for this finding may be that the construct of self-esteem in deaf individuals may be multi-dimensional. Further research is indicated to examine the concept of self-esteem in deaf persons.

Problem statement. Childhood poverty and child maltreatment are problems that affect millions of children, and often result in a range of negative sequelae. Yet, some individuals do well despite hardship. Understanding resilient survivors of child maltreatment and factors that contribute to their resilience is needed to best serve others who have been abused and neglected. Methods. Young adults (age 18-35) enrolled in college and in a Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) welfare to work job training program were surveyed on demographic, risk and protective factors, and indicators of resilience. Resilience was measured using a composite score composed of seven indicators of resilience (college and employment participation, scholastic achievement, self esteem, postponing childbearing, avoiding early drug and alcohol use, avoiding post traumatic stress disorder, and avoiding depression). Results. An internal locus of control, the presence of a familial mentor, religious involvement and a positive high school experience were all significant protective factors that contributed to resilience against child maltreatment and childhood poverty. As expected, recruitment site also significantly predicted resilience. Conclusion. An internal locus of control, the presence of a familial mentor, religious involvement and a positive high school experience are all associated with global resilience in young adults.

Though professional socialization is considered an essential aspect of social work education (Barretti, 2004a; Merdinger, 1982; Varley, 1963), there has been scant recent systematic inquiry in this area (Barretti). The existing literature does not provide conclusive information about the role of social work education in the professional socialization process (Weiss et al., 2004). This dissertation is grounded in an adapted theoretical model that synthesizes structural functionalist and symbolic interactionist descriptions of professional socialization and defines the process comprehensively. Data were collected from seven groups of undergraduate and graduate students, and graduate alumni representing key points along the social work education/practice trajectory. Surveys included measures derived from the social work literature, demographics, and exploratory questions. The survey was administered one time and was anonymous and confidential. The study contains four research objectives focused on adherence to the traditional mission of the profession, the degree to which the variables that comprise the professional socialization construct (commitment to social work values, idealistic social work attitude, and professional identity) are related, factors that predict socialization to the profession, and differences between groups.;Respondents are generally adherent to the traditional mission of social work and appear to be socialized to the profession. Findings indicate that the variables that comprise the professional socialization construct are separate facets of a larger whole, and that a number of factors are predictive of socialization with no discernable pattern across dependent variables. Differences emerged between groups across the set of dependent variables pointing to a pattern that suggests that the strongest differences lie at both ends of the education/practice continuum. Findings support the utility of the theoretical model for social work with additional refinement recommended. The study has implications for recruitment and retention of the social work workforce in this era of increasing need for social services. Implications for social work education and educational policy focus on the impacts of key socializing agents and venues including classroom and field experiences. Suggestions for future research include longitudinal studies, refinement of the survey instrument, replication with broader samples, comparing multiple schools of social work, and qualitative studies.

This study examined how immigrant status and access to public transit were related to elderly mobility. As the number of individuals who outlive the traditional driving span increases, there will be more older adults with limited mobility. Using the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) dataset, a cross-sectional design was used to answer two research questions: (1) Is immigrant status related to elderly mobility? (2) Is access to public transit related to elderly public transit utilization patterns? In addition, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to calculate the level of public transit access among the study respondents. Social ecological theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. To examine how immigrant status is associated with elderly mobility, individuals who were 65 or older (n=18,801) from the 2001 NHTS were included in the first research question. Descriptive statistics, t-test, multiple and logistic regressions were performed to analyze the data. To study how access to public transit influences older adults' transit utilization patterns, a Baltimore City subsample (n=580) was used to address the second research question. GIS buffer analyses were performed for spatial data and logistic regression analysis was performed for statistical data. Findings indicated that both immigrant status and access to public transit were important predictors of elderly mobility. Immigrant elderly were more likely to have lower levels of mobility, as measured by trip frequency, log of trip miles and driving status. It was also found that the level of access to public transit was positively associated with older adults' public transit use. Those who live in areas with a higher percentage of public transit service access were more likely to be transit users. This study contributes to elderly mobility literature by addressing understudied topics. The study findings generated implications for broader social work issues such as policy, research, theory, practice and education. It is hoped that some of the techniques used in this study benefit other researchers by setting examples of how to deal with data issues and using GIS techniques in social work research.

This study used a randomized two-group pre-posttest with repeated measures (RM) design to evaluate the effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention on gross motor skills as measured by the U.S. Navy's Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA), including pushups, situps, and 1.5 mile run, and fine motor skills (dart throwing proficiency). The study further evaluated self-efficacy (SE) perceptions related to each of the two types of motor tasks and to a third exploratory self-efficacy scale for combat/high-stress, high-risk (C/HSHR) mental readiness. The study sample included 95 Navy recruit trainees (60 men and 35 women) assigned to a remedial physical fitness program. Participants were randomly assigned to the one-hour Operational Readiness Cognitive Training (ORCT) group or a one-hour control group. Each of the study's three iterations was conducted over a seven-day period with pre-test measures occurring on day 1 and post-test measures occurring on day 7 in order to help control for possible effects of additional strength, endurance, or skills improvement. Repeated measures analyses were conducted on each dependent variable at pre-test and post-test. Results indicated improvement from time 1 to time 2 on PFA scores, self-efficacy for dart throwing, and self-efficacy for C/HSHR mental readiness, but not for Dart scores, or self-efficacy for PFA. Differences between groups from time 1 to time 2 on all five measures were nonsignificant; however, on fine motor (Dart) scores results approached significance ( p = .055) with the ORCT intervention group showing more improvement than the control group. While caution is warranted in drawing conclusions, the study indicates potential benefits from using strategic cognitive interventions on fine motor skills such as dart exercises conducted under a degree of pressure while controlling for effects of additional training but not for gross motor (PFA) skills. Implications for future research from this study and related research studies are discussed.

Anxiety disorders are a common and can cause significant impairment in an adolescent's life (Last et al., 1997). Psychosocial treatments, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, are effective in treating anxiety disorders, but there are many adolescents who have participated in empirically-based psychosocial treatment approaches who are still not improving (Bernstein & Kinlan, 1997; In-Albon & Schneider, 2004). The tripartite model of anxiety and depression was developed to try to account for the high comorbidity between anxiety and depression. The models states that there is a common component to anxiety and depression, which is negative affectivity, and unique components to anxiety, physiological arousal, and depression, low positive affectivity or anhendonia. The purpose of this dissertation study was to increase the knowledge base on the phenomenology of anxiety disorders. The objectives were to: (1) examine gender and ethnic differences in positive and negative affectivity and depressive and anxiety symptomology; and (2) to clarify the relationship between anxiety and the components of anxiety sensitivity within the tripartite model of anxiety and depression. This study consisted of mailed survey to a simple random sample of 315 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 who were in treatment for an anxiety and/or depressive disorder. A total of 187 completed surveys were returned for a 61.1% response rate. Adolescents filled out the Positive and Negative Affectivity Scale, Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. There was not a statistically significant difference found between the ethnic subgroups (i.e., Hispanic/Latino or any ethnic subgroup) and the Caucasian subgroup on positive and negative affectivity and anxiety and depression. There was also no statistically significant difference found between males and females on negative and positive affectivity and anxiety and depression. A modified tripartite model of anxiety and depression fit the data the best with negative affectivity being related to anxiety and depression, low positive affectivity being related to depression, and physiological arousal being related to anxiety, and anxiety being related to depression. Another modified tripartite model, which examined the specific components of anxiety sensitivity related to specific anxiety disorders, did not fit the data as well as the earlier model. This study did find difference between ethnic subgroups and Caucasian adolescents or between males and females, which suggests there are more similarities than difference between these various subgroups. Additionally, the modified tripartite model supported the role of negative affectivity being related to anxiety and depression and there are unique components, physiological arousal and anhendonia, related to anxiety and depression. This study uniquely found that anxiety was related to depression, suggesting a mixed anxiety and depressive state.