In the realm of precision psychiatry of mood disorders, the evolution of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is gaining momentum, necessitating a personalized approach that also takes into account cultural aspects. This study underscores the importance of incorporating cultural factors into the dissemination and application of IPT in Asia. Through a comprehensive analysis of a case illuminating how cultural influences impact the onset and treatment outcomes of depression, we emphasize the critical need for culturally informed IPT practices in China. This personalized approach not only enhances treatment outcomes but also paves the way for further research on adapting IPT to diverse cultural contexts in Asia.
OBJECTIVE:Social risk factors contribute to inequities in asthma morbidity among Black children and mental health among Black women. Depression affects nearly half of mothers of Black children with asthma and is associated with greater asthma morbidity. Effective maternal depression treatment improves child health outcomes but remains difficult to access. Delivering co-located care for maternal depression and childhood asthma has the potential to improve outcomes for mothers and children. This study examined barriers and facilitators of delivering Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B), a maternal depression treatment, in an urban clinic to inform the development of a Hybrid Type 1 randomized clinical trial. METHODS:Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0, we conducted qualitative interviews with asthma clinic leadership and staff and psychologists with expertise in co-located maternal mental health care and focus groups with Black mothers of children with asthma. We used rapid qualitative analysis to analyze the data. RESULTS:We conducted 14 interviews with staff and 4 focus groups with mothers. Anticipated facilitators included the relative advantage and adaptability of IPT-B, compatibility with existing workflow, recipient-centered clinic culture, and mothers' need for treatment. Anticipated barriers included the staff's lack of self-efficacy in discussing mental health and mothers' practical and psychological barriers. CONCLUSIONS:We identified anticipated facilitators and barriers to inform a clinical trial of IPT-B for maternal depression treatment in an urban asthma clinic. Addressing these determinants prior to implementation will support co-located treatment, meeting a critical need for mothers and advancing health equity in this population.
OBJECTIVE:Training in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) in clinical programs is crucial for increasing their use in practice. Twenty years ago, the National Psychotherapy Training Survey-I (NPTS-I) examined whether U.S. training programs required didactic training and clinical supervision in EBPs. Almost all psychiatry (96%) programs, but only 56% of clinical psychology Ph.D., 33% of clinical psychology Psy.D., and 38% of social work (i.e., M.S.W.) programs, required EBP training. After years of dissemination efforts, the authors reexamined EBP training levels across those disciplines as well as counseling psychology and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs by conducting the NPTS-II. METHODS:Half of accredited training programs in each discipline were randomly selected for an online survey of training requirements and electives, whether all trainees receive EBP training, and associated barriers and facilitators. Of 574 invited programs, 253 (44%) program directors completed responses: 48 psychiatry (37%), 44 clinical psychology Ph.D. (53%), 14 clinical psychology Psy.D. (36%), 34 counseling psychology (58%), 38 PMHNP (35%), and 75 M.S.W. (49%) programs. RESULTS:At least 75% of programs across disciplines offered didactic and clinical supervision EBP training. Required training rates were higher in psychiatry (90%) and clinical psychology Ph.D. (81%) programs than in clinical psychology Psy.D. (59%), PMHNP (48%), counseling psychology (28%), and M.S.W. (27%) programs. A similar pattern emerged in estimations of all trainees receiving EBP training. CONCLUSIONS:EBP training requirements held steady in psychiatry and increased in clinical psychology programs. Low EBP training rates persist in other disciplines, possibly contributing to the continuing gap between EBP research efficacy evidence and practice.
Exposure to violence and victimization is associated with adverse effects on psychological functioning, physical health, and well-being. Little is known about the association between violence/victimization exposure, event centrality and PSTD in caregivers living in poverty. We proposed direct and indirect effects such that: (1) violence/victimization exposure, depressive symptoms, and event centrality will be associated with trauma symptoms; (2) event centrality will be associated with depressive symptoms; (3) depressive symptoms will have an indirect effect on the relationship between violence/victimization exposure and trauma symptoms; and (4) event centrality will have an indirect effect on the relationship between violence/victimization exposures and trauma symptoms event centrality. We sampled 215 caregivers who were predominantly female (98.0
Abstract This chapter explains the extent of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) training in graduate and residency programs in the United States. It explains the evidence supporting the efficacy of IPT for treating a variety of disorders across populations and age groups. Thus, IPT is designated as an evidence-based treatment (EBT) while being part of prominent clinical practice guidelines. The National Psychotherapy Training Survey (NPTS-I) found that didactic training and clinical supervision in IPT were widely offered across training programs in the United States. The chapter mentions the preliminary findings of NPTS-II, suggesting that didactic training and clinical supervision in IPT continue to be offered at most training programs in the United States.
Background: The association between a lifetime history of sexual victimization and the well-being of women during the perinatal period has received increasing attention. However, research investigating this relationship has yet to be systematically reviewed or quantitatively synthesized. Aim: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to calculate the pooled effect size estimate of the statistical association between a lifetime history of sexual victimization and perinatal depression (PND). Method: Four bibliographic databases were systematically searched, and reference harvesting was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles that empirically examined associations between a lifetime history of sexual victimization and PND. A random effects model was used to ascertain an overall pooled effect size estimate in the form of an odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were also conducted to assess whether particular study features and sample characteristic (e.g., race and ethnicity) influenced the magnitude of effect size estimates. Results: This review included 36 studies, with 45 effect size estimates available for meta-analysis. Women with a lifetime history of sexual victimization had 51% greater odds of experiencing PND relative to women with no history of sexual victimization (OR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.35, 1.67]). Effect size estimates varied considerably according to the PND instrument used in each study and the racial/ethnic composition of each sample. Conclusion: Findings provide compelling evidence for an association between a lifetime history of sexual victimization and PND. Future research should focus on screening practices and interventions that identify and support survivors of sexual victimization perinatally.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), often defined as potentially traumatic experiences such as child maltreatment and household difficulties (e.g., caregiver substance misuse) that occur prior to age 18, are associated with poor health and psychiatric illness across the life span and have been increasingly used as a predictor of health outcomes in both research and practice. However, limited research has explored who should be reporting ACEs for children or to what extent reporters agree on observations of ACE exposure. This study examines respondent agreement among children, caregiver, and caseworker using data drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II), a longitudinal, nationally representative survey of children who have been the subject of a child welfare investigation. A sub-sample of participants aged 8-17 was used (n = 1,652). The following ACE indicators had responses from all three respondents: sexual victimization, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and home violence. Analyses were completed to understand patterns of reporter's responses to each of the ACEs selected using sampling weights. We calculated interrater agreement using the Kappa coefficient for each ACE indicator. Children, caregivers, and caseworkers differentially reported the number of ACEs the child experienced. Children reported experiencing just over two ACEs on average, while caregivers reported two and caseworkers reported an average of one. Overall, Kappa coefficients were extremely low with caseworker-caregiver agreement the highest at .41. Given the lack of concordance, we recommend asking multiple informants while carefully considering self-report by children when assessing for ACEs.
Despite the persistent health inequities faced by rural women in the United States, few researchers have partnered with women in rural communities to co-create sustainable change. To fill this gap, Mothers Improving Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Outcomes Through stOry Sharing (MI-PHOTOS) employed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach by partnering with mothers, community leaders, and community-based organizations in Robeson County, North Carolina, a rural, racially diverse county. The project's aims were (a) to promote maternal health by listening to mothers' stories of having and raising children in their community and (b) to develop a shared understanding of these mothers' strengths and challenges. MI-PHOTOS utilized photovoice, an exploratory and qualitative CBPR methodology. Grounded theory guided data analysis. During photovoice discussions, conversation focused on maternal experiences and evoked strengths, facilitators, and barriers impacting maternal health. Themes focused on (a) MI-PHOTOS serving as a social support group for the community and family stressors that mothers faced and (b) the necessity of professional support programs. Three overarching findings emerged during this process: (a) MI-PHOTOS as an informal support group, (b) mental health stigmatization, and (c) the need to bridge home visiting programs with peer and confidential therapeutic services. Future work should incorporate mothers' and communities' strengths into program development by drawing on existing home visiting programs, identifying opportunities for peer-support, and creating referral networks for individual, confidential therapeutic services. Through continued community partnership, we can generate fuller understandings of mothers' experiences of having and raising children and ultimately promote health equity among rural mothers.
This study aims to understand the pathways of successful educational attainment (SEA) among Chinese students who are pursuing doctorate degrees in the United States. An exploratory qualitative approach was used to identify the factors of SEA. Based on the in-depth interviews of nine participants, we found common factors of SEA at the micro level include individuals’ personalities, visions/dreams of achieving SEA, and interest about study/research; mezzo level factors include important peoples’ help, satisfaction with teachers, previous education experiences in China, and home environment; whereas at the macro level, not many participants mentioned that their SEA was due to Chinese social policy. Overall, most participants mentioned that being lucky was an important factor of SEA.
This study examines the prevalence of trauma subtypes, polytraumatization, and perinatal depression (PND) in a diverse sample of adolescent mothers to help inform PND prevention, screening, and treatment efforts. We conducted a secondary analysis of a sample (N = 210) of adolescent mothers aged 14 to 20 years from a prospective longitudinal study of PND. Participants were recruited from a county-based, public health prenatal clinic, and data were collected in the prenatal and postpartum periods. In this sample, 81% of adolescent mothers reported at least one trauma experience and 75% reported lifetime experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). The most prevalent trauma types among adolescent mothers reporting PND were sexual trauma prior to age 13 (11.9%), loss of a caregiver or sibling (28.3%), emotional adversity (17.1%), and polytraumatization (43%). Trauma is alarmingly prevalent among adolescent mothers. Results suggest standards of care for adolescent mothers should include screening adolescent mothers for trauma history and provision of appropriate referrals for IPV. Findings support the need for trauma-informed treatment in perinatal public health clinics to decrease potential health risks to both mother and baby.
Suicide is a leading cause of death of school-aged youth, with adolescent and young adult populations considered to be most at risk for suicide clusters and contagion effects. Suicide clusters have been documented in school districts across the United States, though the degree to which schools are prepared to provide postvention services in the wake of a suicide is presently unclear. The current study sought to ascertain school psychologists' training, experiences and access to school district protocols in general postvention, and specifically in suicide contagion effect prevention. Perceptions of suicide postvention knowledge and self-efficacy from 111 school psychologists in the state of North Carolina were assessed using the Perceived Postvention Competency Survey. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify associations between school psychologist characteristics and perceived competency. More than half of respondents reported limited knowledge, preparedness, and confidence in suicide postvention, and even lower degrees of competency in preventing suicide contagion effects. Formal training in postvention and years worked were significantly associated with both perceived knowledge and self-efficacy. Recommendations to enhance school psychologists' postvention competence are offered, and directions for future research to expand upon this preliminary work are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Exposure to childhood victimization and adversity (CVA) is pervasive for child welfare (CW) involved youth. However, most research with CW samples has focused on types of maltreatment and fails to recognize the additive influence of exposure to CVA beyond maltreatment. A subsample aged 8 to 17 ( n = 1,887) was drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) II. CVA included six domains. Behavioral health was assessed using the Child Depression Inventory, Trauma Symptom Checklist, and the internalizing and externalizing subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between the number of CVA reported and the risk of clinical-range behavioral health symptoms. Analyses were adjusted for the cluster-based sampling design and sampling weights were applied to provide nationally representative estimates. More than 60% of the sample experienced three or more CVA domains. The number of CVAs reported was associated with all four behavioral health outcomes ( p < .001). Children exposed to five or more domains were more likely to report high depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 5.0), high trauma symptoms (OR = 7.0), and to have internalizing or externalizing symptoms reported by caregivers (OR = 18.0), as compared with children reporting one or less CVAs. Youth involved with CW are exposed to staggeringly high rates of CVA beyond maltreatment. For children who are already at great risk for behavioral health challenges, research to understand screening and interventions for CVA is needed to inform policy and practice initiatives to prevent and mitigate harm.
Social work programs have increased evidence-based practice (EBP)-related curricular content; yet, it is unclear whether newer practitioners are successful in incorporating it into their practice. This study examines factors that influence the use of EBP among newly graduated social workers. We developed and implemented a Web-based survey that assessed individual, school, and agency factors that predict implementation of EBP among a sample of master's of social work practitioners post-graduation. Multiple regression analysis resulted in five factors that were significantly associated with use of EBP: confidence with EBP; feeling that EBP is essential to practice; organizational culture emphasizes EBP; field placement/internship emphasizes EBP; and faculty emphasizes EBP. Findings suggest that individual and organizational factors may be more important in determining use of EBP than educational program factors alone.
The aim of this study was to evaluate how CSWE's 2008 shift placing more emphasis on research have affected newly trained social workers' use of evidence-based practice (EBP). This qualitative study examined the educational and practice experiences of newly trained social workers and how those experiences influence the use of EBP and empirically supported interventions/treatments in the field. Thirteen newly graduated social workers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Twenty-three codes emerged from the interviews, with the most prominent theme being a sense of overall confusion about EBP. Other themes included lack of educational preparation, lack of agency resources, and prohibitive agency culture. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed.
PROBLEM:Adolescent mothers and their children are at high-risk for depression and the associated negative educational, social, health, and economic outcomes. BACKGROUND:However, few pregnant adolescent women with depression receive psychiatric services, especially low-income or racial/ethnic minority adolescent women. AIM:This qualitative study explores perceptions of depression, psychiatric services, and barriers to accessing services in a sample of low-income, pregnant racial/ethnic minority adolescent women. Our goal was to better understand the experiences of depression during pregnancy for these vulnerable adolescent women, and thereby improve their engagement and retention in services for perinatal depression. METHODS:We recruited 20 pregnant adolescent women who screened positive for depression from 2 public health prenatal clinics in the southeastern United States. Participants were low-income and primarily racial/ethnic minority women between 14 and 20 years old. Data were collected through individual in-depth, ethnographically informed interviews. FINDINGS:Generally, participants lacked experience with psychiatric services and did not recognize their symptoms as depression. However, participants perceived a need for mood improvement and were interested in engaging in services that incorporated their perspective and openly addressed stigma. DISCUSSION:Participants reported practical and psychological barriers to service engagement, but identified few cultural barriers. Family perceptions of psychiatric services served as both a barrier and support. CONCLUSION:Adolescent women are more likely to engage in psychiatric services if those services reduce practical and psychological barriers, promise relief from the symptoms perceived as most meaningful, and address underlying causes of depression. Culture may affect Latina adolescent women's perceptions of depression and services.
The current study examines a pilot study testing the feasibility of treating antenatal depression in public health clinics serving low-income adolescents using adapted brief interpersonal psychotherapy for depression in pregnant adolescents (IPT-BPA). This research addresses the disproportionate incidence of antenatal depression and its associated negative outcomes, including postpartum depression, among low-income adolescent mothers. Participants (N = 14) were recruited from two county-based public prenatal care clinics. Eligible participants were pregnant adolescents with major depression. Participants received nine sessions of IPT-BPA. Depressive symptoms were measured pre-and post-treatment. Differences were examined using paired t-tests. Most (81%) referred adolescents completed screening, and 73% met eligibility criteria. Of 16 eligible adolescents, 14 (87.5%) consented to participation, and 13 (93%) completed IPT-BPA . Participants who completed IPT-BPA experienced significant decreases in depression. The successful recruitment and retention of pregnant, depressed adolescents combined with significant, positive post-treatment changes in depression support the feasibility of treating adolescent perinatal depression in public health clinics using IPT-BPA.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is increasingly emphasized in social work, yet effective approaches for translating research evidence into social work practice remain elusive. Despite a growing body of evidence describing effective interventions with a variety of populations, social workers continue to encounter substantial challenges with incorporating knowledge gained from these intervention studies into their routine practice with clients. This paper presents the current research outlining the known barriers and promoters to using EBP in social work clinical practice. Because social workers practice within the context of organizations, we consider the barriers that exist at both the individual and organizational levels that affect clinical social work practice. In addition to addressing the various challenges to incorporating research evidence into practice, we will also discuss a variety of emergent opportunities accompanying the move toward EBP that can be leveraged by clinicians in their social work practice with clients.
Low-income mothers develop depressive symptoms at higher rates than the general population, adding to the existing risk that economic hardship places on their infants and toddlers. Emphasizing a few key intervention targets, an approach that is especially relevant to mothers when depressive symptoms compromise their energy and concentration, can improve interventions with populations facing adversity. The goal of this study was to identify contextual risk factors that significantly contributed to depressive symptoms and that, in combination with depressive symptoms, were associated with compromised parenting. Using baseline data from 251 ethnically diverse mothers from six Early Head Start programs in the Northeastern and Southeastern US, who were recruited for a clinical trial of an in-home intervention, Belsky's ecological framework of distal to proximal levels of influence was used to organize risk factors for depressive symptoms in hierarchical regression models. Under stress, mothers of toddlers reported more severe depressive symptoms than mothers of infants, supporting the need for depressive symptom screening and monitoring past the immediate postpartum period. Multivariate models revealed intervention targets that can focus depression prevention and intervention efforts, including helping mothers reduce chronic day-to-day stressors and conflicts with significant others, and to effectively handle challenging toddler behaviors, especially in the face of regional disciplinary norms. Presence of a live-in partner was linked to more effective parenting, regardless of participants' depressive symptom severity.
Efforts to disseminate and implement evidence-based practice (EBP) and empirically supported interventions (ESI) have been rapidly increasing in social work education, research, and practice. Nevertheless, the gap between research and practice remains substantial, reducing the opportunity for social work clients to benefit from the best available practices. Partnerships between schools of social work and community agencies to promote EBP, ESI, or both offer a promising solution to this problem. However, little is known about these partnership efforts. This article presents the results of a national, Web-based survey conducted with Council on Social Work Education-accredited schools of social work (N = 126) designed to explore partnership efforts between schools of social work and community agencies to promote EBP in social work practice. Results indicate that the majority of respondents perceive EBP as beneficial. The most common EBP partnership efforts included individual faculty members conducting EBP research in partnership with agencies, partnerships with field placement agencies for student training, and provision of EBP-related resources such as library access to agencies. Obstacles to agency-university EBP partnerships included time, funding, and limited agency resources. Addressing these barriers and building from schools' current limited partnership efforts to develop more comprehensive partnership models may help to narrow the gap between research and practice.
Websites represent a visible medium for social work programs to communicate information about social work research, academics, and professional training priorities, including evidence-based practice (EBP). However, few studies have examined the content of social work program websites. This exploratory study aimed to answer the question: Are EBP efforts in social work reflected on school websites? A guided content analysis of 40 randomly selected websites for schools of social work was used to identify how training, implementation, dissemination, and research related to EBP were represented through this medium. Implications for social work education, practice, and research are discussed.