College of Social Work

: "It's Really Overwhelming"; Rates of pregnancy and parenthood among current and former foster youth are two to three times higher than non-foster youth peers. Repeat pregnancies among young mothers aging out of foster care also occur at higher rates than peers not involved with the child welfare system. Furthermore, mothers aging out of foster care demonstrate high levels of parenting stress and risk for child maltreatment. Indeed, this population is in significant need of help; however, beyond anecdotal evidence, little is known about the needs and day-to day experiences of this population. In order to tailor interventions to meet the needs of parents aging out, the perspectives of stakeholders must be taken into account. Using qualitative data gathered from separate small group interviews with parents aging out and service providers, this study examined participants' perceptions of parents' daily experiences, strengths, and needs. Findings indicated that parents aging out face overwhelming adversity and stress with little outside financial, emotional, or parenting support from family or friends. Yet, parents also expressed motivation to be good parents, resilience, and the desire to gain effective parenting skills. Although similar themes arose among parent and provider interviews, perceptions differed. Parents expressed hope and optimism in providing for their children while providers expressed systemic failure in preparing parents for independent living. Based on these findings, we conclude that parenting interventions specific to parents aging out may need to address three fundamental and key components: basic needs, social support, and effective parenting techniques. Published by Elsevier Ltd., Keywords: adolescent mothers, age, child-welfare, experience, older youth, Parenting intervention, pregnancy, risk, Single mothers, support, transition, Youth aging out, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.05.013

: "business As Usual"; Client-perpetrated violence (CPV) against child protective services (CPS) workers is prevalent and problematic for workers and clients leading to psychological distress, physical injury, and compromised service delivery. With accumulating evidence of prevalence and detrimental consequences, few studies examine the characteristics of violent incidents among CPS workers. This study explores how CPS workers perceive CPV through exploring characteristics of incidents that they experienced. We applied components of the stress process model to consider the importance of workers' perspectives when interpreting violence and its effects. We used inductive, thematic analysis to analyze interview data focused on workers' experiences with CPV during their first 3 years as CPS workers. The qualitative subsample (N= 34) was drawn from the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families (FSPSF), a statewide, longitudinal sample of recently hired frontline child welfare workers. With few exceptions, workers experienced a variety of physical and nonphysical violence. Some experienced more frequent exposure than others, particularly those who defined yelling as violent. Workers identified predictable patterns of violent circumstances and people, and commonly felt that their agencies treated violence as "business as usual." The high prevalence of violence, often predictable, indicates the importance of promoting a violence-free workplace through agency culture and responding to workers' reports of CPV with empathy and support. In addition, given workers' diverse perceptions of CPV, a manual could provide definitions of CPV, procedures to increase worker safety, and procedures to respond effectively to violence. Skill-based trainings can support workers at all levels to minimize, yet prepare for and handle, violence., retention, child protection workers, client perpetration, professionals, social-workers, worker safety, workplace, workplace violence, The publisher's version of record is availible at https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520934446

: A dialogue about the U.S. dialogue on mental health: Exploring the nature, scope, and implications of the conversation; With all the emphasis on having more conversation about mental health, remarkably little attention has been paid to how exactly we want to be having it. In what follows, we review five areas about which sharp differences currently exist: (1) Biology – how are physiological contributors to mental distress being framed? (2) Symptoms – how should we best work with distressing signs in the body? (3) Action Steps – what needs to happen in order to improve mental health in the nation? (4) Barriers – what are the primary barriers that need to be overcome in improving public mental health? (5) Lifestyle – what role do lifestyle choices play in mental health? After illustrating the different positions being taken on each of these questions, we then consider the diverging implications for individuals and families facing these problems. We conclude with recommendations as to how the larger dialogue on mental health could become more inclusive and productive., Keywords: Mental health, Dialogue, Neuroplasticity, Psychiatric treatment, Risk factor, Stigma, Publication Note: This is the peer-reviewed author’s manuscript as accepted by Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry., Preferred Citation: Hess, J.Z., Decker, A., Lacasse, J.R., & Foster, M. (2017). A dialogue about the U.S. dialogue on mental health: Exploring the nature, scope, and implications of the conversation. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry.

: Acculturation Factors Related to Obesity of Latino American Men Nationwide.; Obesity is a public health epidemic, particularly among underrepresented populations. With a large proportion of immigrants, Latino Americans comprise the largest minority population in the United States. This study examined the association of acculturation factors with obesity among Latino American men ( n = 1,127) using the National Latino and Asian American Study. The result identified two acculturation-related factors (being U.S.-born and living in the United States for the longest period/5-10 years) as positive correlates. In contrast, a different study on obesity in Latino American women demonstrated discrimination, but not the above factors, as significant correlates. The men's pattern suggests that the Hispanic/Latino paradox might have greater implications for men with respect to weight issues. Furthermore, Mexican American and Other Latino American men presented a greater likelihood of being obese than Cuban and Puerto Rican men. The findings, if replicated in prospective research, suggest the need for gender- and ethnic-specific intervention for obesity in Latino American men, particularly for the largest subgroup, Mexican Americans., Keywords: Men of color, Obesity, Risk factors, Sex differences, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6142145.

: After DSM-5; Keywords: DSM-IV, DSM-5, medicalization, reliability, validity, mental disorder, chemical imbalance, evidence-based practice, evidence-based medicine, Note: This is the peer-reviewed author's manuscript as accepted by Research on Social Work Practice. The final published version of the record is available at http://rsw.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/10/28/1049731513510048.full.pdf, Citation: Lacasse, J.R. (2014). After DSM-5: A critical mental health research agenda for the 21st century. Research on Social Work Practice, 24(1), 5-10.

: Alcohol Abuse, PTSD, and Officer-Committed Domestic Violence; In a unique prevention project in a large US state, researchers explored how alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates influence rates of self-reported domestic violence committed by law enforcement officers. Survey methodology with a cross-sectional design was used, and multiple measures and instruments were analyzed. Because of the novel nature of the online curriculum and resources, there was no comparison group. A strong association—not a cause/effect relationship—was found: officers who had PTSD were four times more likely to report using physical violence, officers who had hazardous drinking were four times more likely to report violence, and dependent drinkers were eight times more likely to report being physically violent with an intimate partner. The findings suggest new opportunities for agency action and have resulted in new recommendations for training and policies to help support healthier law enforcement officers. No previous study has explored the link between PTSD, alcohol use, and domestic violence within this population., Keywords: alcohol abuse, PTSD, officer-committed violence, domestic violence, Note: This is the peer reviewed manuscript as accepted for publication in Policing. The version of record can be found at http://policing.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/4/418.full, Citation: Oehme, K. L., Donnelly, E., & Martin, A. (2012). Alcohol Abuse, PTSD, and Officer-Committed Domestic Violence. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 418-430.

: Antidepressants and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression; Keywords: Chemical imbalance, serotonin, Ronald Pies, Zoloft, bioreductionism, biopsychosocial model, antidepressant, direct-to-consumer advertising, FDA, informed consent, Note: Open-Access article per the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies., Citation: Lacasse, J.R., & Leo, J. (2015). Antidepressants and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression: A Reflection and Update on the Discourse. the Behavior Therapist, 38(7), 206-213.

: Artículos Escritos por la Industria o Mayoritariamente por la Industria (Ghostwriting) y Firmados por Académicos; Keywords: ghostwriting, medical writing, academic medicine, antidepressant, antipsychotic, conflict-of-interest

: Assessing Attitude and Reincarceration Outcomes Associated with In-Prison Domestic Violence Treatment Program Completion; Studies indicate that as many as 30%-56% of incarcerated men have perpetrated domestic violence, and that factors related to domestic violence perpetration are associated with long-term recidivism after release The current study evaluates the effectiveness of an in-prison domestic violence treatment program called STOP and Change Direction to increase positive attitudes toward women, decrease levels of criminal thinking, and reduce general recidivism rates for program completers. Two research designs are used: a single-group pretest-posttest design to assess the attitude-related outcomes, and a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group created using propensity score matching to assess the impact of program participation on reincarceration. Paired samples t-tests revealed significant increases in positive attitudes toward women and decreases in criminal thinking. Binary logistic regressions revealed no significant differences in the five- and seven-year reincarceration rates, although examination of the 95% confidence intervals suggests encouraging clinical implications of program completion., Publication Note: “This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation on August 20th, 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10509674.2015.1076103.”, Preferred Citation: Mennicke, A. M., Tripodi, S. J., Veeh, C. A., Wilke, D. J., & Kennedy, S. (2015). Assessing attitude and reincarceration outcomes associated with in-prison domestic violence treatment program completion. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 54, 465-485.

: Beliefs about Alcohol Use among Youth during Early Adolescence; Understanding alcohol use onset among young adolescents is critical in identifying their perceptions, socialization, and decision-making that will assist in prevention efforts. This study examined children’s beliefs about alcohol. We conducted focus groups with 18 youth in grades 3-8 to explore their views about 1) the risk and protective factors of underage drinking, and 2) the consequences of alcohol use. Findings suggest that youths’ perceptions of media content, use of family members as verbal and behavioral referents, non-family member adults’ alcohol use, and peer factors are concomitant processes that youth consider in formulating beliefs about alcohol use., Keywords: Alcohol, Consensual Qualitative Research, Early adolescence, Focus group, Publication Note: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse on June 20, 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1067828X.2012.747893, Preferred Citation: Randolph, K.A., Smith, T., Teasley, M., & Archuleta, A. (2013). Beliefs about alcohol use among youths during adolescence. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 22(4), 295-320. 10.1080/1067828X.2012.747893

: Benefits and Challenges of Service-learning in Accredited Baccalaureate Social Work Programs; Service-learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates students' classroom instruction with community experiences. This paper discusses qualitative results of a national survey examining service-learning in Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited baccalaureate programs. Almost 80 percent of the 202 respondents required service-learning. Respondents reported benefits of incorporating service-learning in baccalaureate social work curriculum include assisting students in building community connections; applying theory and skills; socializing to the social work profession; and increasing self-awareness and exposure to diverse populations. Cited challenges include securing agency sites, time, and, logistics. Findings support existing research suggesting that service-learning benefits social work students., Note: "This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Journal of Teaching in Social Work [forthcoming], available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/[DOI unissued at time of deposit].", Citation: Schelbe, L., Petracchi, H.E., & Weaver, A. (forthcoming) Benefits and Challenges of Service-learning in Council of Social Work Education Accredited Baccalaureate Social Work Programs. Journal of Teaching in Social Work.

: Case Study Approach to Mental Health Recovery; This manuscript documents one woman's experience of mental health recovery using a case study approach. Specifically, qualitative data collected through a semi-structured interview were triangulated with the medical record to understand more about how this woman experienced a transition from a period of her life marked by severe psychological and emotional impairment to an extended period of time during which she was thriving and did not experience symptoms consistent with her former diagnosis of Severe Mental Illness. This case study offers important implications regarding the importance of trauma-informed care in the field of mental health., Keywords: Mental Health Recovery, Case Study, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Clinical Depression, Citation: Citation: Lietz, C.A., Lacasse, J.R., & Cheung, J. (2014). A case study approach to understanding the complicated process of mental health recovery: The importance of trauma-informed care. Ethical Human Psychiatry and Psychology, 16(3), 167-182.

: Challenging the Narrative of Chemical Imbalance; Note: This is the author's manuscript as accepted by Springer. The final published version of record is available at http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319177731#, Citation: Lacasse, J.R., & Leo, J. (2015). Challenging the narrative of chemical imbalance: A look at the evidence (pp. 275-282). In B. Probst (Ed.)., Critical Thinking in Clinical Diagnosis and Assessment. New York: Springer.

: Characterization of Stress in Low-Income, Inner-City Mothers of Children with Poorly Controlled Asthma.; The goal of this longitudinal analysis was to characterize factors associated with the experience of life stress in low-income, inner-city mothers of minority children with high-risk asthma.Participants (n = 276) reported on family demographics, child asthma control and healthcare utilization, social support, contemporary life difficulties (housing, finances, violence exposure) measured by the validated Crisis in Family Systems scale, and daily stress. Latent growth curve modeling examined predictors of life stress across 12 months as a function of home and community difficulties, asthma-specific factors, and social support. Mothers were primarily single (73%), unemployed (55%), and living in extreme poverty with most (73%) reporting an annual family income <$20,000 (73%). The children were young (mean age = 5.59, SD = 2.17), African-American (96%), and had poorly controlled asthma (94%) at study enrollment. Higher daily stress was associated with financial difficulties, safety concerns in the home and community, and housing problems. Access to social support was consistently related to reduced stress. The only asthma-specific factor associated with life stress was healthcare utilization, with more emergency services for asthma related to higher daily stress. Findings underscore the clinical significance of assessing diverse home and community stressors and social support in low-income, inner-city caregivers of children with poorly controlled asthma., Keywords: Asthma, Caregivers, Life stress, Poverty, Grant Number: R01 NR010546, NR010546, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5722723.

: Child Maltreatment Reporting Patterns and Predictors of Substantiation; Adolescents, and especially male adolescents, make up a disproportionately smaller portion of maltreatment reports compared to younger children. This study used the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) to better understand the characteristics of adolescents reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), to examine if these characteristics changed over time, and to determine if certain child or CPS report characteristics predicted CPS involvement. Whereas adolescents were the focal group, younger children were also analyzed for comparison. Between 2005 and 2010, reports of neglect and the proportion of children of Hispanic and unknown racial/ethnic origins increased. Concurrently, the proportion of cases resulting in CPS involvement declined. Although race/ethnicity predicted CPS involvement, this pattern was not consistent across all age groups or races/ethnicities. The type of alleged maltreatment did not typically predict CPS involvement; however, allegations of sexual abuse among school-age children and adolescents, particularly among girls, were more likely to result in CPS involvement. These findings can assist child welfare professionals in determining appropriate services tailored to families and developing prevention programs targeting adolescents., Keywords: adolescents, child maltreatment, child welfare services, child protection, Note: This article has been accepted for publication in Child Maltreatment, a SAGE journal, and is posted here under the terms of SAGE's Global Journal Author Reuse Policy [DOC]. Citation information will be updated upon publication. © 2013, The Authors. Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Dr. Deb Daro, Dr. Candice Feiring, and four anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. This study was supported in part by the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well- Being: Seeking Innovations to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. The results and conclusions of the paper are those of the authors and do not imply concurrence by any of the above parties., Citation: Raissian, K. M., Dierkhising, C. B., Geiger, J. M., & Schelbe, L. (2014). Child maltreatment reporting patterns and predictors of substantiation: Comparing adolescents and younger children. Child Maltreatment, 19(1), 3-16. doi:10.1177/1077559513518096

: Childhood Abuse and Postpartum Psychosis; Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a serious mental health issue associated with maternal suicide and infanticide. Although a growing research base suggests that childhood abuse is predictive of psychosis, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression, the link between abuse and PPP is less clear. Currently, prevention and treatment strategies are pharmacological and require hospitalization once symptoms arise. Unfortunately, these strategies are not ideal for affected women and their infants. Testing the relationship between experiences of childhood abuse and PPP may reveal abuse variables to be both statistically and clinically meaningful predictors of the disorder. A dose–response model suggests that women who report more severe abuse or multivictimization will be more likely to develop PPP. The authors suggest trauma screening in psychiatric, obstetrical, and community practice settings to identify women at risk for PPP and advocate for the addition of gender-responsive and trauma-focused psychotherapy to pharmacological interventions for this population., Keywords: childhood abuse, dose response, motherhood, postpartum psychosis, Note: This is a peer-reviewed draft of the article as it was accepted for publication. The version of record can be found on the publisher's website at http://aff.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/07/24/0886109914544719.abstract, Citation: Kennedy, S. C. & Tripodi, S. J. (2014). Childhood abuse and postpartum psychosis: Is there a link? Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work.

: Civil Citations for Cannabis Possession; Abstract Results from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Sur-vey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) have indicated that approximately 8% of responding adolescents ages 12–17 engaged in illicit substance use during the past year; the most commonly reported substance used was marijuana (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis-tration (SAMHSA), NSDUH series H-44, HHS publica-tion no. (SMA) 12-4713, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD, 2012). Importantly, marijuana use places adolescents at risk of arrest when found in possession of cannabis. Drug abuse violations are associated with multiple consequences for the youth, their families, and communities. Policy mak-ers, therefore, have encouraged the use of civil citations to reduce drug abuse related arrests for youth. Purpose: The current study sought to identify and describe civil cita-tions use for youth marijuana possession. Methods: Using a secondary dataset, we examined aggregate arrests in a Central Florida county. Results: During a 3-year period, 1635 arrests were made for cannabis possession. The vast majority of such arrests were for multiple charges (n = 1272; 78%). For those arrested due to cannabis posses-sion alone (n = 363; 22%), over 75% were adults (n = 281). Therefore, only 82 youth were arrested under the charge, accounting for less than one quarter of all arrests for F.S. §893.13.6b (2013). However, the majority of these youth were detained in juvenile assessment centers (65%, n = 59); a rate markedly higher than their adult counterparts (37%, n = 105). Discussion: Due to the concerns associated with arrest and detainment, the authors contend eﬀorts should be made to increase use of civil citations for youth with can-nabis possession when possible. Implications for policy are presented., Keywords: Marijuana, Civil citations, Juvenile justice, Arrest, Publication Note: Publisher's Version Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10560-016-0487-8, Preferred Citation: Bedard, L., Prost, S.G. & Smith, T.E. Child Adolesc Soc Work J (2017). doi:10.1007/s10560-016-0487-8

: Clarification Regarding Truthiness in Advertising; We would like to clarify one statement in Dr. Frosch's reply (1), in which he states that the accuracy of advertisements awaits further investigation. Regarding Zoloft advertisements, as we pointed out in our letter, they have already been investigated. In our study, we compared statements in these advertisements to the scientific literature and found a substantial disconnect between the two (2), an unchallenged finding echoed throughout the scientific literature. The issue is best summarized by NIMH researchers who stated, "[T]he demonstrated efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors…cannot be used as primary evidence for serotonergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of these disorders" (3). Other researchers have reached similar conclusion (4-6). The Irish Medical board specifically prohibits claims such as those made in the Zoloft advertisements based on the scientific data. Wayne Goodman, the chair of the FDA psychopharmacological advisory committee, recently stated that the serotonin theory of depression was a "useful metaphor." (7). Given these data, the fact that Frosch et al. categorize the unfounded claims of serotonergic dysfunction in social anxiety disorder as 'factual claims' without further analysis is problematic. It potentially infers that providing inaccurate factual claims is superior to making emotional appeals. Our recommendation was not that future research should study the veracity of consumer advertising, but that any content analysis of consumer advertising is quite incomplete without inclusion of the existing literature. References 1. Frosch, DL. Author reply. Annals of Family Medicine, 7 Feb 2007 2. Lacasse JR, Leo J (2005) Serotonin and depression: A disconnect between the advertisements and the scientific literature. PLoS Med 2:e392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392 3. Murphy DL, Andrews AM, Wichems CH, Li Q, Tohda M, et al. (1998) Brain serotonin neurotransmission: An overview and update with emphasis on serotonin subsystem heterogeneity, multiple receptors, interactions with other neurotransmitter systems, and consequent implications for understanding the actions of serotonergic drugs. J Clin Psychiatry 59:4—12. 4. Delgado P, Moreno F (2000) Role of norepinephrine in depression. J Clin Psychiatry 61:5—11. 5. Healy, D. (1997) The antidepressant era. Cambridge, MA: Harvard. 6. Stahl SM (2000) Essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 7. Television adverts for antidepressants cause anxiety. New Scientist (12 November 2005). Available online at http://dtca.net/media/11.12.2005.htm., Keywords: direct-to-consumer advertising, sertraline, SSRI, accuracy, evidence-based medicine

: Clinical Social Work and the Biomedical Industrial Complex; This article examines how the biomedical industrial complex has ensnared social work within a foreign conceptual and practice model that distracts clinical social workers from the special assistance that they can provide for people with mental distress and misbehavior. We discuss (1) social work's assimilation of psychiatric perspectives and practices during its pursuit of professional status, (2) the persistence of psychiatric hospitalization despite its coercive methods, high cost, and doubtful efficacy, (3) the increasing reliance on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders despite its widely acknowledged scientific frailty, and (4) the questionable contributions of psychoactive drugs to clinical mental health outcomes and their vast profits for the pharmaceutical industry, using antipsychotic drugs as a case example. We review a number of promising social work interventions overshadowed by the biomedical approach. We urge social work and other helping professions to exercise intellectual independence from the reigning paternalistic drug‐centered biomedical ideology in mental health and to rededicate themselves to the supportive, educative, and problem‐solving methods unique to their disciplines., Keywords: Biomedical industrial complex, mental disorder, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-III, DSM-IV, DSM-5, evidence-based practice, coercion, involuntary commitment, psychiatric social work, prevention, poverty, Note: Final version of record posted with permission from JSSW., Citation: Gomory, T., Wong, S.E., Cohen, D., & Lacasse, J.R. (2011). Clinical social work and the biomedical industrial complex. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. 38(4), 135- 165.

: Clinical Trials of Therapy versus Medication; Keywords: evidence-based medicine, SSRI, escitalopram, RCT, conflicts-of-interest, media, stroke, therapy, depression, Note: This is the author's manuscript as accepted by the Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy., Citation: Leo, J., & Lacasse, J.R. (2010). Clinical trials of therapy versus medication: Even in a tie, medication wins. Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, 10(3), 154-156.

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