Monica Faulkner

Interventions targeting substance abuse among women survivors of intimate partner abuse: A meta-analysis

In this article, meta-analytic techniques are used to examine existing intervention studies (n = 11) to determine their effects on substance abuse among female samples of intimate partner abuse (IPA) survivors. This research serves as a starting point for greater attention in research and practice to the implementation of evidence-based, integrated services to address co-occurring substance abuse and IPA victimization among women as major intersecting public health problems. The results show greater effects in three main areas. First, greater effect sizes exist in studies where larger numbers of women experienced current IPA. Second, studies with a lower mean age also showed greater effect sizes than studies with a higher mean age. Lastly, studies with smaller sample sizes have greater effects. This research helps to facilitate cohesion in the knowledge base on this topic, and the findings of this meta-analysis, in particular, contribute needed information to gaps in the literature on the level of promise of existing interventions to impact substance abuse in this underserved population.

Open Adoption and Post-Adoption Birth Family Contact: A Comparison of Non-Relative Foster and Private Adoptions

This study used data from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP) to compare post-adoption contact in families with non-relative private domestic and foster care adoptions. This study is the first to use a nationally representative sample to examine and compare the extent of post-adoption contact in both private and foster adoptions. The results suggest that children adopted from foster care were less likely to experience post-adoption contact with their birth families than children adopted privately despite the fact that they were more likely to have lived with their birth families.

The Influence of Spirituality on Service Utilization and Satisfaction for Women Residing in a Domestic Violence Shelter

Little is known about the influence of spirituality on service utilization and satisfaction among women survivors of intimate partner abuse (IPA). The purpose of this study was to examine differences between shelter and faith-based service utilization and satisfaction in a shelter sample (N = 73). Multiple regression techniques were used. The findings suggest that survivors with higher spirituality were more likely to utilize faith-based resources than shelters. Those who experienced greater IPA reported dissatisfaction with faith-based resources. These results suggest that spirituality should be incorporated into shelter services to meet survivors’ spiritual needs, and faith-based services should adequately address IPA.

Childcare providers: Work stress and personal well-being:

Childcare providers face multiple work-related stressors. Small studies of childcare providers have suggested that providers have high levels of depression compared to the general population. However, unlike other caregiving professions, the research examining childcare providers is sparse, and there is little information to inform practices and policies to support childcare providers. This study identifies specific work-related stressors for childcare providers and examines the impact of those work-related stressors on their personal well-being. A total of 26 home-based and centre-based providers participated in seven focus groups in Central Texas. Themes from the focus groups identify parental interaction as the most prominent stressor for providers followed by the public perception of providers as “babysitters.” Providers also discussed the impact of stress on their personal well-being manifesting through exhaustion, sleep disturbances, and physical health problems.

Understanding Intention to Leave: A Comparison of Urban, Small-Town, and Rural Child Welfare Workers

This study compared the influence of personal and organizational factors on intention to leave among 2,903 public child protection caseworkers and supervisors residing in urban, small-town, and rural counties in Texas. Although geographical location was not found to be a predictor of intention to leave, underlying factors that may influence and explain the differences between urban, small-town, and rural employees’ intention to leave were identified. Workers residing in urban areas were more likely to have a masters degree and be members of a racial/ethnic minority group, while workers in small-town counties were older and had longer tenure at the agency.

Mexican-American Youth: The Impact of Generation and Gender on Outcomes in Young Adulthood

Immigrant children have been shown to have poorer outcomes in adulthood as compared to nonimmigrant children. However, there is little information on how 1.5 generation youth (those youth immigrating before age 12) fare compared to second generation children. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, we examine the impact of generation and gender on the social and economic outcomes of Mexican American young adults. Both logistic regression and least squares regression are used. Results indicate that 1.5 generation females have worse outcomes compared to their peers.