The relationship between social exclusion and posttraumatic stress reactions in aging veterans is a particularly timely issue, warranting greater attention in the social work literature. Research with military veterans indicates that the social marginalization resulting from racial and ethnic discrimination can exacerbate posttraumatic stress symptoms. This marginalization suggests an increased potential for emergent or recurrent trauma reactions in aging military veterans, as previous research has documented older adults' unique risk for social exclusion. The issue takes on greater relevance as increased numbers of Vietnam veterans enter older adulthood. Professionals working with military veterans should be aware of the social and cultural factors that play a critical role in posttrauma response and recovery.

Review of The Age of American Unreason in a Culture of Lies by Susan Jacoby, Vintage (2019).

Posttraumatic stress-negative psychological experiences as a result of traumatic stressors-can hinder military veterans' reintegration into society and cause various mental health problems. Veterans need quality social relationships to facilitate reintegration and to cope with posttraumatic stress and related mental health problems; discrimination or other forms of interpersonal rejection can exacerbate these veterans' problems. Ostracism (i.e., being ignored and excluded) is a painful and psychologically distressing experience that may be one factor that contributes to the problems of veterans who are dealing with posttraumatic stress. To our knowledge, this connection has yet to be tested empirically. Thus, we investigated the correlation between posttraumatic stress, perceived ostracism, and other theoretically relevant variables (i.e., mental health problems, perceived social support, psychological need satisfaction) in a sample of veterans who have had at least one deployment. Our results provide preliminary empirical evidence suggesting that perceived ostracism may contribute to veteran' deployment-related psychological problems. Veterans' perceived ostracism correlated with psychological problems (i.e., posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety and psychological distress), and it explained additional variance in posttraumatic stress symptoms above and beyond common predictors of these symptoms (i.e., deployment stress, perceived military and civilian-based social support). Finally, perceived ostracism emerged as the most important predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a relative weights analysis.

Research has indicated that age is a significant predictor of tolerance toward sexual minorities. However, outdated measures and social desirability may hinder attempts to accurately detect bias. This study explores attitudes toward gay males among a sample of students in the Midwestern United States. We investigate the influence of gender, religiosity, and political orientation on students’ attitudes. Students’ political orientation was found to be the strongest predictor of attitudes. In contrast to previous research emphasizing the relationship between age and tolerance, our study suggests that socio-cultural factors have the greatest influence on bias. This has critical implications for social work educators working with students from conservative cultures.

A pilot study depicting a collaborative learning experience involving students in the helping professions (i.e., social work and paramedic) is presented, whereby students put discipline-specific practice behaviors into action in a training exercise using standardized clients (SCs). Real world scenarios commonly encountered in emergency response situations were replicated, providing students with opportunities to utilize assessment, intervention and referral skills in a carefully controlled, technologically enhanced learning environment. Simulations were observed and reviewed by faculty and classmates in debriefing sessions following student-SC interactions. Emergent themes, lessons learned and recommendations for further study are presented.

Calls to enhance military social work content in social work education present unique challenges for a discipline historically associated with social justice and advocacy for peace. The consequences of war demand intervention along multiple psychosocial domains. However, the question remains as to how social workers can address the discrepancies between social work values and military culture. This article argues that the context-bound nature of social work highlights the reciprocal relationship between macro and micro factors intrinsic to military issues. This provides a holistic understanding of the military system and can enhance educational content on military issues to include international perspectives.

Social workers often encounter situations in which they are required to function in systems where competing philosophies coexist. One example is the divergent philosophies of social work and the military. Throughout its history, social work has advocated peace as an essential means to achieving social and economic justice. At the same time, professional social workers have been an integral part of the military system dating back to World War I, when social workers joined forces with the Red Cross to treat victims of “shell shock” (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2010). Currently, the Veterans Administration is the nations' largest employer of professional social workers and provider of graduate internships (NASW, 2012). Defining an ethical dilemma as “a predicament in which the decision-maker must choose between two options of near or equal value,” Tallant and Ryberg (2000, para. 9) posited that military social workers may be forced to choose between the military mission and their client. This dilemma exemplifies the paradox of the social worker within the military system. In recent years, CSWE has called for enhancing content on military practice in social work curricula. Although cautioning that it is not endorsing “war or aggression,” CSWE has argued that increasing students' capacity to work with veterans will establish social workers as leaders in military care and secure future employment opportunities (CSWE, 2010, p. 2). However, discrepancies between the culture and philosophy of the military system and the social work profession warrant further discussion. The juxtaposition between the profession's advocacy for peace and the call for greater military content in social work education presents an ethical dilemma regarding how these disparate positions can be reconciled within social work pedagogy.

Veterans and their family members may need clinical services from social workers or other mental health practitioners, but that is not likely their first stop in trying to secure assistance. Instead, they may seek help through their benefit claims or try to find resources from local community organizations. However, volunteers who staff these organizations may have limited exposure to military or veteran populations and lack training in interviewing, assessment, and case management. This is especially true in rural areas or communities that are not in close proximity to military bases or Veterans Affairs facilities. A veteran certificate program based on a social work curriculum can respond to those knowledge gaps and improve basic intervention skills. A newly implemented veteran certificate program using practice-based scenarios is described along with a review of implementation issues, participant outcomes, and recommendations for future needs.

The present study examined the linkages among perceptions of self-efficacy, curriculum, and field experience on students’ attitudes and interest in working with older adults. Graduate level social work students were surveyed regarding perceived self-efficacy to intervene with older adult clients, the amount of aging content in the master of social work (MSW) curriculum, and practicum experience with older clients. Regression analysis showed a relationship between attitudes toward older adults and perceptions of self-efficacy. Pearson correlations revealed that self-efficacy was significantly related to levels of gerontology content in curriculum, as well as practicum opportunities to work with older adults. While both gerontology curriculum and practice experience significantly predicted self-efficacy, multiple regression analysis revealed that practice experience had the stronger influence.

The unprecedented growth in the nation's older adult population has called attention to the increasing need for geriatric social workers. However, research suggests that social work students hold ageist attitudes that prevent many from pursuing careers in gerontology. The present study sought to identify student perceptions of gerontology content in MSW education and possible correlations with attitudes toward older adults and interest in gerontology. A sample of 252 MSW students participated in classroom surveys. The survey outcomes revealed that gerontology content in MSW curriculum was correlated with positive attitudes toward older adults, but it was not related to increased interest in gerontology.