Mayers and Perterson’s regression analysis reveals new findings for the relationship between Tobacco Outlet Density and Demographics

May 16th, 2012

Mayers, R.S., Wiggins, L.L., Fulghum, F.H., & Peterson, N.A. (2012). Tobacco Outlets and Demographics: A Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis. Prevention Science.

Abstract
Previous studies have indicated that tobacco outlets seem to be clustered in low-income minority neighborhoods. This study utilized a cross-sectional design to examine the relationships among minority status, median household income, population density, commercial land use, and location of tobacco outlets at the census tract level in Polk County, Iowa. Using geographically weighted regression, this study re-examines one previously carried out in the same location by Schneider et al. (Prevention Science 6: 319–325, 2005). Contrary to that and some other previous studies, this research found no relationship between tobacco outlet density and percent Hispanic, and found a negative relationship with regard to two variables—that of being African American and median household income. Positive significant relationships were found with population density and land use.

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Lenna Nepomnyaschy examines the impact that nonresident fathers have on their children’s cognitive skills and behavior

May 8th, 2012

Nepomnyaschy, Lenna, Katherine A. Magnuson, and Lawrence M. Berger. 2012. “Child Support and Young Children’s Development.” Social Service Review 86 (1): 3-35

Abstract:
This study examines the influence of nonresident fathers’ formal and informal cash child support on children’s cognitive skills and behavior at 5 years of age. Taking advantage of the panel structure of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the analyses control for child outcomes at age 3, as well as for a variety of child and family sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. Findings suggest that fathers’ provision of informal cash support (but not formal support), particularly at or above the median amount, is positively associated with children’s cognitive scores. Findings also suggest that provision of formal child support is adversely associated with internalizing and aggressive behaviors. Potential explanations and implications of these results for policy and future research are discussed.

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Jeounghee Kim discovers that participation in HCD programs are associated with a higher probability of obtaining and maintaining employment

April 26th, 2012

Kim, J. (2012). The effects of welfare-to-work strategies on welfare recipients’ employment dynamics. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. 33(1), 130-142.

Abstract
This study examined the effects of U.S. Welfare-to-Work programs on the employment outcomes of Temporary Assistance to Needy Family (TANF) recipients. Using the Survey of Program Dynamics and the Welfare Rules Database, the present study followed unemployed TANF recipients who participated in Human Capital Development (HCD) and Labor Force Attachment (LFA) programs from 1997 through 2001. The analyses examined how program participation affected recipients’ employment while holding the effects of the state economy and various TANF rules constant. The results showed that, unlike the assumption of the work-first strategy in the welfare reform, participation in HCD programs was associated with a higher probability of obtaining and maintaining employment than participation in LFA programs.

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Jeounghee Kim researches welfare reform and college enrollment among single mothers

April 26th, 2012

Kim, J. (2012). Welfare reform and college enrollment among single mothers. Social Service Review. 85(4), 69-91.

Abstract:
Some research argues that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) substantially reduced college enrollment among targeted poor, single mothers, but empirical evidence is limited on the law’s negative effects. Applying a difference-in-difference-in-difference method to data from the October Supplements to the Current Population Survey for the years 1990–2008, this study finds that PRWORA’s estimated effects on single mothers’ college enrollment vary by enrollment status (full- or part-time) and by the type of institution (2- or 4-year college). Although PRWORA is associated with statistically significant decreases in full-time enrollment in 2 and 4-year colleges between the start of PRWORA and 2002, it also is associated with slight increases in part-time enrollment in both 2- and 4-year colleges between 2003 and 2008. The findings of this study shed important light on issues that deserve attention in the re-authorization of PRWORA.

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Louis Donnelly and Andy Germak present “Unpacking the Toolkit: How Important is formal public management education and training for public sector human service leaders?” in Rome

April 13th, 2012

Louis Donnelly and Andy Germak have completed a manuscript titled “Unpacking the Toolkit: How Important is formal public management education and training for public sector human service leaders?” that will be presented on Friday April 13 at the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) annual conference in Rome – Click Here to visit the Website.

The following is the title and abstract of the paper:

“Unpacking the Toolkit:  How Important is formal public management education and training for public sector human service leaders?”

Authors: Andrew J. Germak and Louis J. Donnelly

Abstract: An electronic survey was administered to 521 public sector human service managers in the United States.  This mixed-method survey instrument was designed to assess the education and training experiences of public sector human service managers and the perceived usefulness of these experiences with regard to job effectiveness.  Quantitative results indicate near significant relationships between certain academic degrees and certain continuing professional education with job effectiveness.  Qualitative findings suggest perceived usefulness of certain forms of education and training and provide recommendations for education and training design.  This study address a gap in the public management education and training literature as well as provides suggestions for future research in the area of preparedness for public human service management jobs.

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Dr. Findley and her research team find gender differences in lipid control among women veterans with cardio-metabolic conditions

April 10th, 2012

Sambamoorthi, U., Mitra, S.,  Findley, P., &  Pogach, L. (2012) Gender differences in lipid control among women veterans with cardio-metabolic conditions. Women’s Health Issues. 22 (2), 201-8.

Objectives: To measure the extent to which gender differences in poor lipid control among individuals at risk for cardiovascular diseases could be explained by patient-level characteristics.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analyses of merged Veteran Health Administration (VHA) and Medicare claims data for the fiscal years (FY) 2002 and 2003 consisting of veterans using VHA facilities and were diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease or hypertension during FY 2002 and had recorded LDL cholesterol values in FY2003 (N = 527,568). There were 10,582women and516,986menveterans. Poor lipid control was defined as LDL cholesterol values greater than or equal to 130mg/dL. Multivariate techniques consisted of logistic regressions. Based on the parameter estimates and distribution of individual characteristics, we used a decomposition technique to analyze factors that contributed to the gender difference in poor lipid control.

Principal Findings: A significantly higher percent of women (27.4%) than men (17.1%) had LDL cholesterol values greater than or equal to 130 mg/dL. Of the 10.3 percentage point difference in lipid control, 3.4 percentage points were explained by variables included in the model. The gender difference in poor lipid control was mostly explained by age, physical illnesses, use of lipid lowering medications and depression.

Conclusions: Only one-third of the gender difference in poor lipid control could be explained by differences in individual characteristics, some of which are modifiable or could be used to identify groups at risk with poor lipid control. Our findings suggest that gender differences in lipid control could be partially reduced by increasing the prescription of lipid lowering drugs and treating depression among women. Interventions that improve lipid control in the non-elderly will also benefit women. However the largest part of the difference in lipid control between women and men remains unexplained and further research is needed to identify additional modifiable and unmodifiable factors.

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Jerry Floersch performs a qualitative investigation of self-stigma among adolescents taking psychiatric medication.

March 14th, 2012

Kranke, D., Floersch, J., Kranke, B., & Munson, M. (2011).  A qualitative investigation of self-stigma among adolescents taking psychiatric medication. Psychiatric Services, 62(8), 893-899.

Abstract:

Objective: The extant literature describes stigma in two forms, public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma pertains to negative social behaviors, reactions, attitudes, and beliefs directed toward people with mental illness and among persons with mental illness. Self-stigma concerns the internalized effects of public stigma. Although both types of stigma have negative impacts on people with mental illness, they produce different effects. In particular, self-stigma can negatively affect self-esteem, social relationships, willingness to engage in life opportunities, and adherence to psychiatric services. Few adult stigma models represent self-stigma, and no models exist that examine self-stigma among adolescents with a mental illness. Because of developmental differences, adolescent self-stigma may be distinct from that of adults.This study aimed to develop a self-stigma model to elucidate youths’ responses to mental illness labels and how psychiatric services affect self-image and self-efficacy.

Methods: The qualitative study included a sample of 27 adolescents between the ages of 12 and17 who took psychiatric medication for a mental illness diagnosis. A semi-structured interview,the Teen Subjective Experience Medication Interview, was used to query adolescents about their perceptions of having a psychiatric diagnosis and of taking psychiatric medication. The analytic strategy identified a sequence of narrative plot components that illustrated a self-stigma process among adolescents.

Results: The findings revealed a self-stigma model comprising three narrative components: stereotype, differentiate, and protect.

Conclusions: The adolescent model was similar to yet distinct from the adult model, and developmental differences may contribute to the variation. The need for future research to validate an adolescent self-stigma model is discussed.

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Mental health service utilization remains a complicated phenomenon over the developmental transition to adulthood.

March 14th, 2012

Munson, M., Smalling, S., Kim, Hyunsoo, Floersch, J. (2011) Former system youth with mental health needs: Routes to adult mental health care, insight, emotions, and mistrust” Children and Youth Services Review, 33(11), 2261-2266.

Abstract:

Objective: Public health concern surrounding the mental health needs of former system youth is escalating.We know very little about mental health service utilization on the other side of the developmental transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health service use experiences among former system youth with childhood histories which included mental disorder, use of publicly-funded mental health services, and use of additional public systems of care.

Methods: In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 60 participants currently struggling with mental health difficulties regarding their service use experiences over the transition. Participants were recruited from one Midwestern state. Multi-phase analysis was conducted utilizing immersion/crystallization, constant comparison and concept matrices.

Results: Few participants received continuous mental health care across the transition, with the majority experiencing interruptions or discontinuation of care. Important facilitators of service use emerged, such as physicians, former caseworkers and family. Health clinics and parenting programs emerged as potential entrée points for reconnecting disengaged young adults to mental health services. Insight, mistrust, and emotions emerged as novel factors associated with service utilization among young adults.

Conclusions: Mental health service utilization remains a complicated phenomenon over the developmental transition to adulthood. Future research is needed that closely examines the associations between insight, emotion, mistrust and service use among young adults.

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Associate Professor Jerry Floersch researches how African American youth with a mental illness think about help-seeking and psychiatric medication

March 13th, 2012

Kranke, D., Guada, J., & Floersch, J. (2012) What do African American youth with a mental illness think about help-seeking and psychiatric medication?: Origins of stigmatizing attitudes. Social Work in Mental Health, 10(1), 53-71.

Abstract:
Stigma greatly impacts African Americans’ under-utilization of mental health treatment. Stigmatizing attitudes are attributed to racial mistrust and familial, religious, and cultural beliefs. However, most research on influences of these attitudes has been conducted with adults. Origins among adolescents may be unique because they have different competing influences relative to development. Identifying these influences is crucial to promoting utilization of psychiatric services as well as positive mental health outcomes among youth. The present article applies qualitative methods to explore the origin of stigmatizing attitudes among African American adolescents with psychiatric disorders.  Adolescents reported similar origins of stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness as adults, and also identified peer perceptions and media messages as influences. The findings promote the need to develop family psycho-education programs that account for familial, racial, cultural, community, and religious influences.

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Jerry Floersch publishes a study on the College student experience of psychiatric medication and college mental health services

March 13th, 2012

Anderson-Fye, E., & Floersch, J. (2011). I’m not your typical ‘homework stresses me out’ kind of girl”: College student experience of psychiatric medication and college mental health services. Ethos. 39(4), 501-524.

Abstract
Research has established that a large minority of college students today are taking psychiatric medications and that college mental health services are overwhelmed by this relatively recent trend. Little is known about the subjective experience of these college students in regard to their medications and utilizations of services as they transition from home to a peer-based environment during a key developmental moment in the transition to adulthood. In this article we argue that theory and methods from psychological anthropology are ripe to guide data collection in this area. We provide data from a longitudinal mixed-methods pilot study with residential college students to argue that policy and practice regarding college mental health and psychiatric medication can benefit substantially from insights gained through psychological anthropology. In particular, college administrators, counseling and health centers, and their professional organizations can benefit from research examining student experience and meaning making in particular institutional and community settings.

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