Rorschach Responses of Sexually Abused Children

Clinicians have few reliable methods with which to accurately detect and assess the incidence of child sexual abuse. Using archival data, this exploratory study copmared Rorschach protocols of 94 sexually abused children to the Exner (1986a) norms in order to determine the potential usefulness of the Rorschach in the area of hcild abuse assessment and treatment. Subjects, both male and female and between the ages of 6 and 16 years of age, were combined into three age groups and compared to the Exner norms. Of the 18 Rorschach variables studied, 17 significantly distinguished at least one subject group from the norms. Results were consistent with findings in the literature regarding characteristics of sexually abused children. Rorschach scores suggest that sexually abused children suffer impairment in terms of emotional experience and expression, attitudes toward self and others, and perceptual conventionaliy. Future research is discussed, including the need for comparison groups and for controling several subject variables.     

Delivering LGBT-sensitive substance use treatment to sexual minority women

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have consistently found elevated rates of alcohol and other substance use among sexual minority women (SMW), and despite calls for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)-specific” services and culturally tailored interventions, few such services exist. This study involved qualitative interviews with directors from substance use treatment programs (N?=?10) about how they addressed the needs of SMW. Strategies implemented primarily focused on creating a safe and welcoming environment for sexual minority clients. Findings highlight challenges involved in meeting the treatment needs of SMW and provide guidance to researchers and service providers on how to improve the quality of care for them.     

The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Appearance of Psychological Symptomatology in Adult Women Victims of Child Abuse

ABSTRACT

Child abuse affects people’s ways of thinking, feeling, and observing the world, resulting in dysfunctional beliefs and maladaptive schemas. Thus, consequences of child abuse may persist during adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychological consequences (anxiety, phobic anxiety, depression, and hopelessness) of different types of maltreatment (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect) and to study the role of early maladaptive schemas in the onset of symptomatology in adult female victims of child abuse. The sample consisted of 75 women referred by associations for treatment of abuse and maltreatment in childhood. Sexual abuse was the type of maltreatment that was most strongly related to most dysfunctional symptomatology, followed by emotional abuse and physical abuse, whereas physical neglect was the least related. Also, early maladaptive schemas were found to correlate with child abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology. Finally, early maladaptive schemas mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and dysfunctional symptomatology when the effect of other types of abuse was controlled. These results may provide important guidance for clinical intervention.     

Utilizing Social Work Skills to Enhance Entrepreneurship Training for Women: A Ghanaian Perspective

ABSTRACT

This article describes a women's entrepreneurship exchange program that was designed and facilitated with the cooperation of various governmental and nongovernmental entities in Ghana for Ghanaian women. The article briefly reviews the entrepreneurship development literature from an international perspective and discusses the Entrepreneurship Program as a targeted approach for empowering and sustaining women's economic situation in Ghana. Emphasis is placed on understanding the impact of cultural and social networks and the women's ability to succeed as entrepreneurs through the use of social work skills.     

Theory-Based Community Practice for HIV Prevention in Midlife and Older Women

ABSTRACT

In the last decade there has been a significant increase in HIV transmission among midlife and older women, particularly those from racial/ethnic minority communities. Although the number of women aged 50 and older diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States is increasing, they are rarely included in community HIV prevention strategies. This article presents integrating social capital with social justice themes into a socioecological framework for community practice that can significantly impact the efficacy of HIV prevention programs for midlife and older women. It also reviews the research and program implications for including midlife and older women in community interventions to halt the spread of HIV infection in this at-risk group. Suggestions for HIV prevention community practice with this underserved population are presented.     

Hope Floats: African American Women's Survival Experiences after Katrina

This article describes how 15 African American women 18 to 55 years of age coped with traumatic life events during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The study's main question is how did African American women cope with traumatic events during and following Hurricane Katrina? Second, we explore how the intersection of race, gender, and social class influenced their experiences. An exploratory design of primary and secondary data using grounded theory methods generates a mid-level theory about resilience, spirituality and coping among Black women in the aftermath of the storm.     

Transition From Welfare to Work: Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy Influence on the Employment Outcome of African American Women

Empirical strength-based research focusing exclusively on African American female welfare recipients and employment outcome is limited. This study examined whether self-esteem and self-efficacy influenced the employment of African American female welfare recipients. Findings indicated that recipients entered the job-readiness program with a significantly high level of self-esteem. Their self-efficacy, however, was positively influenced by the job-readiness program, and once it was completed, the recipient's self-efficacy decreased.     

Women,Economic Development,and HIV/AIDS: Transforming Systems of Care for Sustainable Change

ABSTRACT

In this concept article, the authors utilize Maslow's Hierarchy to define and discuss a proposed conceptual treatment framework that includes economic development efforts with examples of successes that have been demonstrated in the literature. The authors posit that HIV/AIDS treatment practitioners should not overlook the interconnectedness and interdependency of economic equilibrium and public health and suggest that the creation of treatment plans based on multi-dimensional interdisciplinary approaches are necessary to achieve maximum benefit for care and resource dollars.     

Women's Perception of a Sad Married Life and Higher Marital Instability: How Does Children's Gender Matter? A Perspective from Rural Haryana,India

Earlier studies showed that the presence of a son in the family consistently decreases the likelihood of marital instability. We investigated the determinants of a perceived sad married life and high marital instability by analyzing data from an in-depth interview of 329 women in an ethnographic survey conducted in five villages of Haryana state of India during the year 2003. Our study provides empirical evidence of an association between children's gender and women's perception of their married life as sad in rural India.     

Intimate partner violence: An application of attachment theory

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has gained increased prominence over the past several decades in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. Attachment theory, however, has not been systematically applied to intimate partner violence (IPV), a phenomenon that disproportionately affects women in poverty. This article provides an overview of IPV as a social problem, reviews existing literature related to the application of attachment theory to IPV, discusses the theory’s strengths and limitations in understanding and resolving IPV, and considers areas for future knowledge development.