Comparison on predictors of mental health service use among Asian older adults

Studies have mostly examined mental health service use of older Asian immigrant combining all Asian Americans into one group whereas immigration backgrounds and socioeconomic status of each Asian minority group are different. Therefore, this study aimed to identify predictors of mental health service use within specific ethnic groups among older Asian adults focusing on Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese in California. The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations (BMVP) is used to guide the secondary data analysis of a sample of 3,453 older Asian immigrants from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Logistic and linear regression analyses are performed to examine predictors of mental health service use and the frequency of mental health service use, respectively. As results, mental health‐seeking patterns differ by ethnicity within the older Asian immigrant sample, not being married (Korean), higher levels of acculturation (Filipino), lower levels of neighborhood cohesion (Korean and Vietnamese), higher levels of perceived safety (Korean) and lower levels of perceived safety (Vietnamese), higher levels of mental distress (Korean and Filipino), and having perceived need (all) were related to more visits for mental health services. The study findings highlight the necessity of cultural competency services and programs for each Asian ethnicity.     

Agency and fatalism in older Appalachian women’s information seeking about gynecological cancer

Researchers consider older women in rural Appalachia to have low levels of agency and high levels of fatalism regarding decision making about cancer treatment. Using the life course perspective, we examined older women’s agency with information seeking about gynecological cancer. Semistructured interviews with 20 White women living in central Appalachia revealed four trajectories: Surrendering Control, Accepting Death, Self-Care, and Advocacy, each with its own forms of agency. Some women experienced personal transformation, increased self-efficacy, and a passion for community empowerment. Fatalism was not understood apart from placing trust in medical expertise. We implore researchers to further explore rural expressions of agency.     

Design of ISD-1: an instrument for social diagnosis in care homes for older persons*

This article describes the design process and main features of an instrument developed for use in the specialist area of intervention in care homes for older persons. The essential aim of ISD-1 (instrument for social diagnosis) is to permit the correct formulation of social diagnoses and to standardise and define the professional language used by social workers. Its content has been organised into 4 dimensions of social diagnosis, divided into 15 sub-dimensions containing 83 diagnostic categories. This work was performed in Spain, in the 24 care homes of the Madrid Social Care Agency of the Community of Madrid, involving the participation of the 40 social workers practising in these centres. ISD-1 is an easily understood and used tool, of potential use for social workers practising in care homes for older persons and capable of being adapted for use in other institutional environments, as well as being capable of adaptation and translation for its application in other countries.     

Work-related factors associated with psychological distress among social workers

The current study assesses the association between several work-related factors and psychological distress among social workers (SWs) in Israel. The data were collected through structured questionnaires, administered to a sample of 494 SWs. The findings suggest that most of the examined work-related factors (namely, years of professional experience, personal work-related subjection to violence, burnout, compassion fatigue, and sense of coherence), with the exception of compassion satisfaction, significantly predicted psychological distress among SWs. The conclusion is that it is important to embed within the social work practice strategies for reducing sources of psychological distress (job demands) and increasing material, professional, and personal resources. Reducing the levels of psychological distress experienced by SWs will benefit not only themselves, but also their families and colleagues, as well as their clients. Moreover, this has potential benefits for the social work profession and for the general community.     

‘Lost in transition?’ – Newly educated social workers’ reflections on their first months in practice

Entering the work of world can involve significant challenges for the beginning practitioner. The transition process from university to work can play an important role in the emerging practitioner’s development as a social worker. The present longitudinal study follows 12 Swedish social work graduates from university and over their first four years in practice. The study provides an insight into how newly educated practitioners may experience the transition from university to the world of work and considers how they can be prepared and supported to meet the challenges of practice within contemporary work contexts. The students were first interviewed just prior to leaving university [see Tham &; Lynch (2014). Prepared for practice? Graduating social work students’ reflections on their education, competence and skills. Social Work Education, 33(6), 704–717]. This paper captures the reflections of these students after four months in practice. Feelings of unpreparedness, unorganised, or even ‘chaotic’ perceptions of the workplace and uncertainty about the future were emergent themes, particularly among new practitioners employed in social services. The findings illustrate the vulnerability of these new practitioners and the importance of workplace induction and the provision of adequate support in their new professional roles.     

新生代农民工社会情绪的危害与对策

新生代农民工是我国产业工人群体的重要组成部分,由于体制和制度等原因,新生代农民工不满情绪压抑在内心深处,形成怨恨。造成新生代农民工怨恨感的原因是多方面的：从社会分层理论看,新生代农民工属于社会下层;从社会身份理论看,新生代农民工属于“边缘人”;从社会交往理论看,新生代农民工仍是初级交往为主;从受教育程度看,新生代农民工文化水平普遍较低。怨恨感的压抑会带来一系列的社会危害：伤害农民工自我心灵,阻碍社会进步;引起农民工思想混乱,导致群体性事件的发生;降低政府公信力,削弱社会的整合能力和动员能力。在此提出化解农民工怨恨感的对策建议：提升农民工的社会政治地位,加强对新生代农民工的人文关怀;进一步提高农民工的工资待遇,切实保障其合法权益;完善农民工就业培训,增强其社会竞争力。     

当代中国转型社会新生代农民工的基本问题

从改革开放至今,随着农村劳动力开始大规模地向城市转移,农民工内部也出现了代际变化,新生代农民工逐渐成为农民工的主体,并在我国社会主义转型过程中发挥着重要的作用。与父辈们不同,他们希望能更好地融人城市,享受与城市居民一样的就业、保险、医疗、教育等方面的平等待遇。因此,本文从新生代农民工的特点出发,寻找出其利益诉求的新变化及困境,从而探索由国家、政府、企业、个人、社会团体所共同组建的多方权益保障机制,切实维护新生代农民工的合法权益。     

城市电视台对农民工的文化关照:福建例证

改革开放后,农民工成为一个群体不断进入媒体和公众的视野。城市电视台在城镇化过程中不断建构农民工的身份,在泉州电视台"盲流—农民工—外来劳动者—新泉州人"的称谓转换中,再现了农民工身份的文化迁徙轨迹。城市电视台农民工身份建构是城市管理者、商业资本、城市电视台自身的新闻专业主义和不断走向市民阶层的农民工自我赋权共同作用的结果。城市电视台在农民工身份建构上仍存在着文化关注不足等问题,应将传递农民工文化的正能量和搭建农民工媒体平台作为城市电视台促进农民工市民化的重要手段。     

新生代农民工的城市适应研究

在城市适应的过程中,新生代农民工既要接受现代文明的观念,又要了解城市的各种规则,他们对前者的接受要高于对后者的了解。在心理和精神层面上,新生代农民工很接近城市文明,但是因为制度设置的欠缺,他们被排除在城市社会生活之外;同时,城市也缺乏对农民工有针对性的宣传、教育,这使农民工们对与自己利益有关的法律、法规的了解和认识不够,无法较好地保护自己的权益。     

空间理论视域下农民工“城市不融入”探究

现阶段,农民工作为城市化的建设者和贡献者,遭遇到无法融入城市的不公平境遇。20世纪70年代以来兴起的空间理论为解释农民工“城市不融入”问题提供了一个有力视角。基于空间理论分析,造成农民工“城市不融入”的主要原因是：制度空间设计下的户籍制度具有双重逻辑：既带来“城”和“乡”空间对立,又形成“农民”和“市民”身份排斥;地域空间中,住房的缺失与“城中村”形成,“寄生空间”与“城市空间”对立;认同空间中,“市民”的空间排斥和“农民工”的自我怀疑无法达成心理共识。要解决农民工“城市不融入”,应在制度空间、地域空间以及认同空间的基础上构建空间融入。