Single-parenting and intimacy

This article presents the findings from in-depth interviews with 38 single parents of both sexes with respect to the adult, nonparenting component of their lifestyles. Autonomy, sexual constraints, intrarole conflicts, intimacy, and institutional supports are discussed from an interactionist perspective. Emphasis is given to how traditional gender roles restrict or facilitate intimacy for single parents. An emerging theme is that while gender roles are more restrictive of female parents with respect to meeting sexual needs, they are perhaps more oppressive of fathers when the broader notion of intimacy as an affective support system is examined.     

The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived stress in college students

The authors examined the effect of a 6-week mind/body intervention on college students' psychological distress, anxiety, and perception of stress. One hundred twenty-eight students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 63) or a waitlist control group (n = 65). The experimental group received 6 90-minute group-training sessions in the relaxation response and cognitive behavioral skills. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess the students' psychological state before and after the intervention. Ninety students (70% of the initial sample) completed the postassessment measure. Significantly greater reductions in psychological distress, state anxiety, and perceived stress were found in the experimental group. This brief mind/body training may be useful as a preventive intervention for college students, according to the authors, who called for further research to determine whether the observed treatment effect can be sustained over a longer period of time.     

Social work practice in palliative and end-of-life care: a report from the summit

In 2005 a Social Work Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care was hosted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) with support from the Project on Death in America (PDIA) and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Building on the work of a first summit held in 2002, work groups focused on practice, research, policy, and education with "State of the Field" presentations used as a point of convergence for setting priorities and developing action plans. This article describes a process of document selection and review which was designed to isolate aspects of social work practice and to determine concordance with domains and guidelines detailed in the interdisciplinary consensus document, Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, a publication of the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org). In addition, a group of documents written by colleagues in medicine and nursing were chosen for evaluation as they reflect the emerging and valued incorporation of palliative care principles into specialties such as pediatrics and intensive care. This second review was focused on determining the nature and scope of social work presence and participation and on understanding if the role of the profession was clearly articulated in these specialty areas. This article discusses the historical context and relevant findings that may contribute to the growth of the profession in this rich and burgeoning specialty.