LibGuides: Advanced Reading: Human Services

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Ai, Amy L., et al. "Childhood Abuse, Religious Involvement, and Substance Abuse among Latino-American Men in the United States." International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 23, no. 6, 2016, pp. 764-775. ProQuest Childhood abuse/victimization and subsequent substance abuse are significant behavioral health problems among developed countries. In the United States (U.S.), however, few studies have examined whether this early trauma exacerbates adulthood substance abuse, viewed as a negative coping strategy, among Latino-American men. Furthermore, little is known about how collectivist cultural factors (i.e., ethnic identity, social support, and religious involvement), indicating potentially positive coping resources, were related to substance abuse in this largest minority-male population. he results identified considerably elevated rates of childhood physical abuse/victimization (35.7 %) and lifetime substance abuse (17.3 %). Childhood physical (not sexual) abuse/victimization was positively associated with lifetime substance abuse, alongside age, being U.S.-born, and perceived discrimination. Latino-American men with lifetime substance abuse reported more religious coping. Findings may contribute to the design of culturally competent behavioral care.
Bowen, Gary L., et al. "The Willingness of Military Members to Seek Help: The Role of Social Involvement and Social Responsibility." American Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 57, no. 1, 2016, pp. 203-215. ProQuest Anchored in the social organization theory of action and change, we use data from a large sample of active-duty Air Force members to examine the direct and indirect influence of social involvement and social responsibility on willingness to seek help in times of need via trust in formal systems and informal supports. Group comparisons are conducted between junior male, junior female, senior male, and senior female service members. The key mediational path in the model for all groups is the connection between social involvement and willingness to seek help via trust in formal systems. These results can inform both unit- and community-level interventions intended to increase the likelihood that active-duty AF members will seek help in times of need.
Kaplan, Seth, et al. "A Test of Two Positive Psychology Interventions to Increase Employee Well-being." Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 29, no. 3, 2014, pp. 367-380. ProQuest Despite an abundance of organizational research on how contextual and individual difference factors impact well-being, little research has examined whether individuals themselves can take an active role in enhancing their own well-being. The current study assessed the effectiveness of two simple, self-guided workplace interventions (gratitude and social connectedness) in impacting well-being. Sixty-seven university employees participated in one of the two self-guided interventions for 2 weeks and completed self-report measures prior to the intervention, immediately following the intervention, and one-month post-intervention. Growth curve modeling was used to examine the effects of each intervention. Partially supporting hypotheses, the gratitude intervention resulted in significant increases in positive affective well-being and self-reported gratitude but not did significantly impact negative affective well-being or self-reported social connectedness. The social connectedness exercise did not significantly impact any of those four outcomes. However, both interventions related to a reduction in workplace absence due to illness. The study suggests that self-guided, positive psychology interventions (particularly gratitude) hold potential for enhancing employee well-being. Because the interventions are short, simple, and self-guided, there is little in the way of costs or drawbacks for organizations. Thus, these types of interventions seem like a potentially useful component of workplace wellness initiatives. This study is one of the few to examine whether self-guided, positive psychology interventions can enhance well-being. Moreover, this is the first study to examine a social connectedness workplace intervention and the first to demonstrate effects on illness-related absence.
Mesidor, Jean K., M.S., and Kaye F. Sly PhD. "Mental Health Help-Seeking Intentions among International and African American College Students: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior." Journal of International Students, vol. 4, no. 2, 2014, pp. 1 This study examined the relationship between social-cognitive factors (e.g., attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), psychological distress, and help-seeking intentions for a sample of 111 international and African American college students. The results of this study showed that the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables (e.g., attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) accounted for 17.7 % of the variance in help-seeking intentions. The first hypothesis, which predicted that positive attitudes toward mental health services and perceived behavioral control would be significant predictors of the students' intentions to seek mental health services, was partially supported. Perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictor of help-seeking intentions. Contrary to our expectations, attitudes toward mental health services were not a significant predictor of mental health seeking intentions. The second hypothesis was not supported. There was no significant difference in mean intention scores for African American college students compared to international college students. These findings have implications for mental health service providers in terms of designing outreach mental health programs that would motivate these students to translate their help-seeking intentions into behaviors (e.g., seeking mental health services when they experience psychological distress).
Rawat, Anushri, and Shiva Nadavulakere. "Examining the Outcomes of having a Calling: Does Context Matter?" Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 30, no. 3, 2015, pp. 499-512. ProQuest The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of calling. Further, the study examined the conditions under which individuals with a calling thrive, specifically focusing on the moderating role of work discretion and participative decision making. Data were collected using surveys from 298 teachers and aides working in 68 child care centers. The study results demonstrate that having a strong work calling is beneficial for both individuals and organizations. Results show that individuals who have a strong work calling are more committed to their organizations, have less emotional exhaustion and exhibit higher levels of contextual performance. Thus, in order to reap positive outcomes from their work individuals should engage in work that enables them to pursue their calling. Also, organizations will have increased work outcomes by hiring individuals who have a strong work calling. Further, organizations will benefit greatly by creating conditions that enable individuals to pursue their calling. Findings indicate that individuals with a high calling thrive in organizations that have more participative decision-making practices and which offer high work discretion. The study significantly contributes to the scant literature on calling by examining the affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of calling. The study also responds to calls for research on the conditions under which calling leads to positive individual and work outcomes and identifies the conditions under which workers with a strong calling thrive.
Ruggles, Kelly V., and Sonali Rajan. "Gun Possession among American Youth: A Discovery-Based Approach to Understand Gun Violence." PLoS One, vol. 9, no. 11, 2014. ProQuest The objective of the study was to apply discovery-based computational methods to nationally representative data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System to better understand and visualize the behavioral factors associated with gun possession among adolescent youth. From these analyses, we identified more than 40 behavioral factors, including heroin use, using snuff on school property, having been injured in a fight, and having been a victim of sexual violence, that have and continue to be strongly associated with gun possession.
Vermaas, Jodi D., et al. "Predicting the Mental Health Literacy of Clergy: An Informational Resource for Counselors." Journal of Mental Health Counseling, vol. 39, no. 3, 2017, pp. 225-241. ProQuest Though clergy often serve as informal helpers and conduits to the formal mental health care system, few researchers have examined whether such clergy maintain the knowledge necessary to complete this mission. în this study, denominational affiliation, educational variables, and demographic characteristics were examined as potential predictors of mental health literacy (MHL). As a measure of MHL, the Mental Health Literacy Scale was completed by a nationwide sample of 238 Christian clergy. The results provided the first parametric measure of denominationally diverse clergy from across the United States. Results indicated that female gender and higher numbers of clinical mental health training courses significantly predicted higher MHL scores. No significant differences in MHL scores emerged among four main denominational groups: Catholic, evangelical Protestant, historically Black Protestant, and mainline Protestant. Findings may inform mental health counselors on how to increase interprofessional dialog and referral partnerships with local clergy.