Sibling group treatment

This paper examines a model of treatment for working with sibling groups. It is suggested that the sibling group is rarely considered as a viable treatment entity, yet siblings potentially exert a powerful influence within the family system. Assumptions underlying this model of treatment are examined. As a unit of treatment, sibling groups can be worked with in three ways: (1) as an adjunct to family or adult treatment, (2) as an adjunct to individual child therapy, and (3) by itself. Treatment objectives are described and a case illustration is provided. Finally, limitations and benefits of sibling group treatment are discussed.     

The Social Mobility of Women: a Causal Model of Socioeconomic Success*

This paper extends the analysis of socioeconomic achievement initiated by Blau and Duncan and subsequently developed by both Jencks and Rainwater. The major extensions are the specification of models for female heads of household in the labor force and the inclusion of several previously neglected predictors of socioeconomic achievement including some which require panel data. Our analysis suggests that a different model is needed for females than for males and that a different model is needed for black females than for white females. The evidence also suggests that the socioeconomic success of women is more fixed by background, education, and occupational factors, and is less a function of individual ability than is the case for men. The evidence supporting this conclusion is particularly compelling for black women.     

Antecedents of Contemporary Witchcraft in the Middle Ages

Present interest in the occult can be seen i n the proliferation of horoscopes included in newspapers, in the incredible business of the palm reader, and i n the tremendous popularity of books like the Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby. I n such interest, the witch has always held a special place, and it should come as no surprise that witches frequently are female. As Elizabeth Tuckerpoints out i n her essay, the practice of herbal “magic” was often the task of so-called “wise women” in the Middle Ages, who specialized in “white witchcraft,” the cure o f disease with herbal mixtures. Such “white witchcraft,” however, was not favorably looked upon by the Church fathers; one wonders i f the distrust of female practitioners of “magic” had more to do with the fact that they were women who did not, for one reason or another, fit into society. The belief in the dual nature of the witch should not be overlooked; if the witch healed, she could also destroy. That duality remains today i n the instructions for witchcraft in such works as Paul Huson's Mastering Witchcraft.     

Third Space Activities and Change Processes: An Exploration of Ideas from Social and Psychodynamic Theories

Discussions pertaining to culture, power and/or identity frequently create tensions that are enacted by dyads and groups within schools, workplaces and communities. Although tensions can easily escalate into conflict or violence, we have observed that these tensions can serve as prompts that promote a change process. When individual perspectives are challenged, some participants are able to dissemble their views and consider other perspectives from which new understandings and views emerge. At times, when groups seem to be on the threshold of overt conflict, some participants engage in processes that examine the tension, explore new possibilities, and alter the view of one’s subjectivity. We suggest that these activities occur as momentary states in psychological spaces conceptualized as third spaces (Bhabha, The location of culture. London: Routledge, 1994). In this paper, we use concepts from psychodynamic and social theories to describe the conditions that coalesce to form states of mind (nepantla) (Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera: The new mestiza. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, 1999; Interviews Entrevistas. New York: Routledge, 2000) and the ability to engage in new relational possibilities (third space activities) with dyads and groups, outside of psychotherapy. The conditions include: critical consciousness, regulation, recognition, and responsibility. We then describe how such momentary experiences can subsequently result in an examination of one’s subjectivity, particularly as it pertains to issues regarding culture, power, and identity. Throughout the paper we provide four examples from various settings to illustrate these concepts and processes. Given the increasing racial/ethnic diversity of clients and clinical social workers in North America, this concept of third spaces holds particular relevance for contemporary clinical social work practice.

Homeless youths' perceptions of services and transitions to stable housing

Use of available services is low among homeless youths, and how youth make decisions to access services or seek housing is unclear. This study explored perspectives of current and former street youth about these processes. Recruited from the streets and a drop-in center, 27 youth ages 16–24, participated in individual qualitative interviews. Findings from consensual qualitative analyses indicated choices to use services were embedded within developing autonomy and identification with street lifestyles. Themes of self-reliance, substance use, and relationships with street and housed persons were expressed as critical for both using services and transitioning to stable housing. Agency-related factors such as caring staff, a nonjudgmental atmosphere, and flexible policies were perceived as important for service use while youth-related factors such as experiencing major events, being internally motivated, and embracing mainstream values were seen as conducive to transitioning off the streets. Implications for service providers and future research are discussed.     

Longitudinal HIV risk behavior among the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies (DATOS) adult sample

Longitudinal trajectories for HIV risk were examined over 5 years following treatment among 1,393 patients who participated in the nationwide Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies. Both injection drug use and sexual risk behavior declined over time, with most of the decline occurring between intake and the first-year follow-up. However, results of the application of growth mixture models for both sets of trajectories indicated that a subgroup of individuals reverted to a high-risk behavior over time, with a higher level of risk at the 5-year follow-up than their original risk level at intake. Of clients who were engaged in regular injection drug use at intake, 76% continued to inject drug at a moderate-stable or increased rate during the 5-year follow-up.     

The decision making process of older adults who elect to receive ECT

Although there is extensive literature on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), little documentation exists about how an individual makes the decision to receive ECT. This phenomenological study is an exploratory examination of the decision making process of older adults with mental illness who elect to receive ECT. Study participants included 7 older adults without dementia from a suburban geriatric medicine/psychiatry practice who elected to receive ECT. The lived experience of decision making as perceived by these 7 participants was a process that moved them toward wellness. The data revealed four significant themes: Support, Trust, Past Experience, and Desperation. An overriding substantive theme identified as an obstacle was the Stigma of Mental Illness. This study provided a basis for planning clinical practice and building further research.