Loss and restoration in later life: an examination of dual process model of coping with bereavement

The Dual Process Model (DPM) of Coping with Bereavement identified two oscillating coping processes, loss and restoration (Stroebe & Schut, 1999). The utility of the model is investigated in two studies. In the first, we carried out secondary analyses on a large-scale qualitative study that we had conducted previously. In the second, we conducted a small-scale study specifically examining the DPM. In the first study we re-examined the interviews for Loss- (LO) and Restoration-Oriented (RO) Coping and examined whether these were associated with psychological adjustment. The results showed that those adjusting well reported the stressors New Roles/Identities/ Relationships and Intrusion of Grief significantly more. Those adjusting less well reported the stressors Denial/Avoidance of Restoration Changes and Distraction/Avoidance of Grief significantly more. In the second study, we asked participants about four RO stressors of the DPM: Attending to Life Changes; New Roles/Identities/Relationships; Distraction from Grief; and New Activities. These data showed that not all participants experienced all aspects of RO Coping. In particular, participants had diverse views about the utility of Distraction from Grief as a coping mechanism. The article concludes by discussing the challenges of testing the DPM empirically.     

Serving children and adolescents in the school: Can social work meet the challenge?

Educators recognize that social, personal, and environmental conditions can interfere with childrens' learning. As a result, educational reforms have emphasized family support services and the provision of social and related services at or near the school. However, the entry of agency based social workers into the school has not sufficiently taken into account the role of pupil personnel staff, including school social workers. Findings from a state study that examined the population served and services provided by school social workers are discussed in light of the implications they have for collaboration between school and agency social workers working within the school.     

Bayesian marginal inference via candidate's formula

Computing marginal probabilities is an important and fundamental issue in Bayesian inference. We present a simple method which arises from a likelihood identity for computation. The likelihood identity, called Candidate's formula, sets the marginal probability as a ratio of the prior likelihood to the posterior density. Based on Markov chain Monte Carlo output simulated from the posterior distribution, a nonparametric kernel estimate is used to estimate the posterior density contained in that ratio. This derived nonparametric Candidate's estimate requires only one evaluation of the posterior density estimate at a point. The optimal point for such evaluation can be chosen to minimize the expected mean square relative error. The results show that the best point is not necessarily the posterior mode, but rather a point compromising between high density and low Hessian. For high dimensional problems, we introduce a variance reduction approach to ease the tension caused by data sparseness. A simulation study is presented.     

‘Sitting on the Mourning Bench’: Mental Health Workers and an Elderly Client

Abstract

The present article documents the experience of a first year social work student on fieldwork placement in an Aged Persons Mental Health Service. The student was part of a team providing service to a long-term client of the service when he was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The student's compassionate response to the client raises questions about grief and professionalism, which she explored through a journal and in discussion with her supervisor and other team members working with the client. As part of their reflective practice, the student, her supervisor and the client's mental health workers formed a collective to document their experience and present a staff education session. This article is the outcome of these processes and explores important grief issues in Aged Psychiatry and demonstrates the valuable contribution made by a student to the work of the team in the rich learning environment of a fieldwork placement in aged psychiatry. It is published with the kind permission of the client's next of kin.     

Editorial Note: Referees

As the volume of UK social research addressing ethnicity grows, so too do concerns regarding the ethical and scientific rigour of this research domain and its potential to do more harm than good. The establishment of standards and principles and the introduction of guidance documents at critical points within the research cycle might be one way to enhance the quality of such research. This article reports the findings from the piloting of a guidance document within the research commissioning process of a major funder of UK social research. The guidance document was positively received by researchers, the majority of whom reported it to be comprehensible, relevant and potentially useful in improving the quality of research proposals. However, a review of the submitted proposals suggested the guidance had had little impact on practice. While guidance may have a role to play, it will need to be strongly promoted by commissioners and other gatekeepers. Findings also suggest the possibility that guidance may discourage some researchers from engaging with ethnicity if it raises problems without solutions; highlighting the need for complementary investments in research capacity development in this area.     

The Search for a New OPAC: Selecting an Open Source Discovery Layer

In early 2011, an Indiana University Libraries task force was charged with selecting an open source discovery layer to serve as the public interface for IU's online catalog, IUCAT. This process included creating a rubric of core functionality and rating two discovery layers based on criteria in four main categories: general features and functionality; authentication and account management; export and share; and search functionality and results display. The article includes information about our rubric and the two discovery layers reviewed, Blacklight and VuFind, as well as a discussion of the priorities of the task force. The article concludes with future steps and anticipated highlights for IUCAT.     

Circular migration, small-scale logging, and household livelihoods in Uganda

Little is known about the contribution of migrant logging to rural livelihoods in East Africa. In this paper, we analyze logging by circular migrants in land constrained and population dense southwestern Uganda. Drawing on a sample of 180 households, including both migrant and non-migrant households, we describe the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of migrant loggers, estimate the contribution of migrant logging to household income portfolios, test several hypotheses regarding why households decide to undertake this relatively risky activity, and explore the role of social networks as a determinant of higher incomes for migrant loggers. We find that household endowments of land, labor, and capital are different for migrant logger and comparison group households. Above all, labor endowments appear to be driving decisions to participate in logging. We find support for two migration hypotheses: higher expected incomes and wages at destination; and relative deprivation at origin. We find strong evidence that migrant logging reduces income inequality in the home community.