Daphne S. Cain

Tangible and Spiritual Relief After the Storm: The Religious Community Responds to Katrina

Abstract This study assessed the types of social services and spiritual messages that were provided by Baton Rouge area churches following Hurricane Katrina. Church representatives (n = 157) completed a 26-item survey which consisted of open and closed ended questions. The most common resources provided by churches included food, clothing, and financial assistance. Nearly 75% of churches attempted to connect evacuees with outside state and federal resources. The greatest unmet needs reported by churches included evacuee shelter and housing, and on-site computer and internet access. Churches recommend preparedness, triage care, and leadership for other churches that find themselves the first responders following a disaster. Because of their responsiveness to the needs of communities, clergy need to be trained in disaster management. Moreover, government monies could be well-spent in supporting faith-based disaster initiatives .

The Effects of Religiousness on Parenting Stress and Practices in the African American Family

Despite numerous anecdotal assertions and budding empirical evidence, the profession of social work continues to ignore the influence of religiousness on parenting practices in the African American family. This study expands on what is already known and asks two related questions: Does religiousness influence parenting practices, and does religiousness influence parenting stress in the African American family? Moreover, this study uses a multidimensional measure of religiousness, allowing for an analysis of what specific aspects of religiousness (service attendance, private worship, or subjective/intrinsic religiousness) influence parenting. Results reveal that private worship and intrinsic religiousness (i.e., spirituality) positively influence parenting practices, but that attendance at religious services was not related to parenting. Moreover, religiousness had no influence on parenting stress.

Weathering the Storm: Persistent Effects and Psychological First Aid with Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

There is a growing body of research on mental health outcomes among, and interventions with, children exposed to disaster. A recommended form of postdisaster intervention is psychological first aid (PFA). This research examines the use of a 6-week PFA group intervention among children ages 5 to 15 displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. Within 20 months post-Katrina, children participated in the Weathering the Storm Psychological First Aid (WTS PFA) groups in public schools and at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer park. A total of 99 children (95% African American) completed the WTS PFA intervention. Mean posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores remained in the moderate range two years postevent. Postintervention scores reflect a statistically significant improvement in PTSD symptoms among the sample.

Parenting Online and Lay Literature on Infant Spanking: Information Readily Available to Parents

ABSTRACT Professional consensus exists against the spanking of infants based on the risk of escalation and injury. Moreover, infants are unable to recognize connections between their behavior and punishment and to modify their behavior in response. However, pediatricians and other health care professionals do not frequently discuss the issue of infant spanking with parents. Meanwhile, parents are increasingly seeking parenting information from other sources including the Internet and lay parenting books. Using content analysis methodology, online parenting sites and popular “how to” parenting books were reviewed with regard to the advisability of corporal punishment with infants. Results reveal that although the vast majority of online and popular print literature on infant parenting is developmentally sound, a small constituency of spanking advocates does exist. Given that some of the information available to parents contradicts professional consensus against the spanking of infants, it seems important for professionals concerned with the well being of infants to address the gaps in information and inherent dangers of infant spanking.

Client Perceptions of Welfare Caseworker Support and Client Mental Health: Longitudinal Evidence from the Welfare, Children, and Families Project

Although some research suggests that welfare caseworker support may improve the mental health of clients, the evidence is largely cross-sectional. Building on previous research, this study uses survey data from the Welfare, Children, and Families Project, a sample of 380 low-income women with children living in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio, to predict psychological distress over 2 years (1999 and 2001) with a multi-item measure of perceived welfare caseworker support and a host of relevant background variables. The longitudinal change score analysis indicates that women who report improvements in caseworker support tend to exhibit fewer symptoms of psychological distress from baseline to follow-up. These results persist with controls for initial levels of psychological distress, and they confirm previous cross-sectional work, emphasizing the importance of the nature of the caseworker-client relationship.

Gerontological Competencies among MSW Students: Evaluation of a Gerontology Specialization Program

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of a gerontology specialization program (GSP) within a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)–accredited master of social work (MSW) program. This study utilized a pretest/posttest design with a three-group comparison: group 1—GSP students; group 2—students from the group 1 program but not in GSP; and group 3—students at two external MSW programs with no GSPs. The overall sample comprised 220 advanced year students. A CSWE Gero-Ed Center/Hartford Partnership empirical measure was used to assess overall, gero social work practice competency. Within-group analyses revealed a significant increase in gero competency scores from pretest to posttest among all groups, with GSP students showing the largest increase. Between-group analysis at pretest revealed that the GSP group showed lower gero competency scores than both non-GSP groups. At posttest, these results overturned: GSP students scored significantly higher gero competency scores than both non-GSP groups. These preliminary findings suggest that the GSP offers an impactful, positive role in development of practice skills for the next generation of gero social work practitioners and scholars. A follow-up study with additional years of data will increase longitudinal rigor and confidence in the long-range efficacy of this GSP.

Montessori-based activities among persons with late-stage dementia: Evaluation of mental and behavioral health outcomes

Objectives Literature regarding Montessori-based activities with older adults with dementia is fairly common with early stages of dementia. Conversely, research on said activities with individuals experiencing late-stage dementia is limited because of logistical difficulties in sampling and data collection. Given the need to understand risks and benefits of treatments for individuals with late-stage dementia, specifically regarding their mental and behavioral health, this study sought to evaluate the effects of a Montessori-based activity program implemented in a long-term care facility. Method Utilizing an interrupted time series design, trained staff completed observation-based measures for 43 residents with late-stage dementia at three intervals over six months. Empirical measures assessed mental health (anxiety, psychological well-being, quality of life) and behavioral health (problem behaviors, social engagement, capacity for activities of daily living). Results Group differences were observed via repeated measures ANOVA and paired-samples t-tests. The aggregate, longitudinal results—from baseline to final data interval—for the psychological and behavioral health measures were as follows: problem behaviors diminished though not significantly; social engagement decreased significantly; capacities for activities of daily living decreased significantly; quality of life increased slightly but not significantly; anxiety decreased slightly but not significantly; and psychological well-being significantly decreased. Conclusion Improvements observed for quality of life and problem behaviors may yield promise for Montessori-based activities and related health care practices. The rapid physiological and cognitive deterioration from late-stage dementia should be considered when interpreting these results.