The 1996 Research Assessment Exercise and the Response of Social Work Academics

Summary In 1996 the Higher Education Funding Council undertook the fourthResearch Assessment Exercise (RAE) in universities in England,Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Performance in researchis a crucial measure in university departments because it hasdirect implications for funding, but some doubt that the criteriaused are appropriate measures of quality of research. Many factorshave an impact on the way that research by social work academicsis presented in the RAE. After the 1996 RAE, the Joint UniversityCouncil Social Work Education Committee undertook a survey ofdepartments which teach social work to try and elicit responsesto the assessment exercise which might inform preparations forthe next RAE.     

Mode Effects in Self-Reported Mental Health Data

This article analyzes the impact of audio computer-assistedself-interviewing (ACASI) administration on the reporting ofmental health syndromes in a general population survey. Estimatesof four mental health syndromes (major depressive episode, generalizedanxiety disorder, panic attack, and agoraphobia) obtained froman interviewer-administered, paper-and-pencil (I-PAPI) mentalhealth module were compared with those obtained from an ACASIversion of the same module implemented in a separate field test.The mental health questions consisted of four scales from theWorld Health Organization's Composite International DiagnosticInterview Short-Form. Comparisons of ACASI and I-PAPI estimatesfor each mental health syndrome were made overall and withinage, race/ethnicity, gender, educational level, geographic region,and population density subgroups. To assess the likelihood ofreporting a mental health syndrome using ACASI versus I-PAPI,logistic regression models were utilized controlling for possibleconfounding and interaction variables. The results suggest thatadult respondents reported more mental health symptoms wheninterviewed with ACASI than when interviewed with I-PAPI, andthe results support the use of ACASI in general population surveysof mental health.     

Public rejection of the ex-mental patient: are attitudes changing?*

Selon une analyse détaillée des articles écrits sur l'attitude sociale envers les patients ex-mentaux, il ressort que la société adopte une attitude plus tolérante envers ces ex-malades. Toutefois, il est à noter que le degré de tolérance révélé vane selon les études. Afin de permettre une analyse plus complète de ce changement social, nous avons choisi l'étude de Cummings intitulée « Closed Ranks » comme base de nos recherches présentes. Faisant usage des méthodes habituelles pour notre recherche, nous arrivons à la conclusion qu'aucun changement important n'est à noter. En fait, de toutes les études, les résultats de 1974, corroborent le plus à l'original de Cummings; des cinq changements statistiquement significatifs que nous notons, il en ressort deux points importants (10 per cent des points). La premiere concerne « un des enfants de l'ex-patient se mariant », la deuxième « la famille dans laquelle l'ex-malade se marierait ». En général, il en ressort que l'ex-patient mental jouit d'une attitude quelque peu plus tolérante dans la société. Toutefois l'ampleur de cette tolérance est bien moindre que ne laisse supposer la lecture des textes. Pour conclure, il est suggéré que plus de discernement soit porté aux facteurs de méthode et de théorie dont il est fait usage dans de telles études. A review of the literature and a detailed analysis of standard social distance items reported in the various studies suggest that attitudes towards ‘ex-mental patients’ are becoming more tolerant. However, there is considerable variance in the magnitude of the change reported. In order to look more closely at the extent of this change, we re-examined the Cummings' baseline Closed Ranks study area, using essentially the same research instruments and tactics. The findings show no dramatic change. Indeed, the 1974 results were more like the original Cummings' results than most other studies. Of the five statistically significant changes reported, only two questions concerning ‘one for the respondents children to marry’ and ‘a member of a family into which the respondent would marry,’ are of a substantial (10 percentage points) magnitude. An overall view indicates that attitudes to the ex-mental patient have changed somewhat in the direction of increasing public acceptance of the mentally ill, though the magnitude of the change is less than what one would expect from reading the literature. It is suggested that more attention be paid to the methodological and theoretical factors involved in the study of public acceptance of the formerly mentally ill.     

The Limits of Competence in Social Work: The Assessment of Marginal Students in Social Work Education

Summary Out of a population of 208 final year social work students,a sample is gathered of those whose fieldwork gave rise to commentby tutors. A further sample of 35 deemed to be ‘at risk’is identified, and the process by which all but four obtainedtheir Certificate of Qualification in Social Work is carefullymonitored. Among topics discussed are the need to define theprocess of assessment more clearly, the weakness of so-calledtheoretical foundations in social work practice, the risk ofmisunderstanding between fieldwork teachers (supervisors) andcourse tutors regarding their respective responsibility forjudging competence in practice, and the desirability of requiringstudents to demonstrate competence rather than expecting coursesto prove incompetence.