Research on Social Work Practice

Objective: A study was conducted to determine the extent to which four investigations of the effect of participation in victim-offender mediation (VOM) on reoffense were successful replications. Method: The data from these four studies were combined and statistical analyses performed to determine if differences between studies were attributable to sampling variability. If the differences between studies were statistically nonsignificant, the results would be consistent with the four studies being successful replications of each other. Results: The results were consistent with the four studies representing a successful replication series. Analyses of the combined samples of 1,298 juveniles indicated that VOM participants reoffended at a rate 32% lower than nonparticipants. Conclusion: The difference in reoffense rates was more than three times larger than the average effect associated with interventions for delinquency found in a recent meta-analysis. These results suggested that VOM participation was associated with significant reductions in delinquent behavior.

Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of three inpatient substance abuse intervention strategies for women: female-sensitive treatment, mixed-gender treatment, and combination mixed-gender/female-sensitive treatment. Method: Eighty-nine women in three treatment facilities were evaluated over a 3-month period on levels of self-esteem, social support, depression, and severity of addiction. It was hypothesized that (1) these women would exhibit lower levels of self-esteem and perceived social support and higher levels of depression compared to the median scores of each instrument and (2) women in all three groups would experience improvement on the outcome variables over the 3-month period, with the female-sensitive intervention producing the greatest improvement. Results: Results supported Hypothesis 1 for social support but not depression or self-esteem. Hypothesis 2 was not supported; none of the groups improved on any outcome measures. Conclusion: The results underscore the necessity for more research on effectiveness of various treatment approaches for chemically dependent women.

Objective: An experimental outcome study with trauma-related symptoms was conducted to examine the effectiveness of traumatic incident reduction (TIR). It is a brief, memory-based, therapeutic intervention and was used to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and low expectancy of success (i.e., low self-efficacy). Method: A randomized pretest-posttest control group design with 123 female inmates in a federal prison was used to evaluate the efficacy of the interventive procedure. The Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Clinical Anxiety Scale, and the Generalized Expectancy of Success Scale were administered at pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up time intervals. Results: A repeated-measures MANOVA showed significant differences between the treatment and comparison control conditions on all measures at posttest and follow-up time intervals except for the PTSD Intrusion subscale at the posttest interval. Conclusion: The marked improvement of the treatment condition by comparison to those in the control condition supports the contention that TIR is an effective intervention with female inmates. The significant results on all measures at the follow-up time interval provide persuasive evidence of the stability of the interventive effects. The significance of this therapy model for use by practitioners with social work populations is highlighted.

Objective: An evaluation of the effectiveness of an innovative brief group treatment model for depression. Method: Data were analyzed using seven outcome measures on 59 participants at an outpatient community mental health center. The structured model was compared to a brief supportive group model and a wait-list control group. Results: Findings indicated that members of the structured groups improved significantly on five of the seven measures in relation to the wait-list control group, whereas the alternate groups improved significantly on only two measures in relation to the wait-list control group. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the structured and alternate groups on the measures. Group leadership and group process measures were also analyzed and found to have no significant effects. Conclusion: The brief structured group model is an effective treatment for depression with a community mental health center population in relation to a wait-list control group.

Objective: The impacts of a job-finding club for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients required to work were investigated. Dependent measures included welfare recipients’ self-esteem, assertive job-hunting behavior, and perceived barriers to employment. Method: Pretest and posttest data were collected from four 2-week job-finding clubs sponsored by a welfare agency in a suburban county in Georgia. Results: Twenty-five of 40 participants (62.5%) found work during the job-finding club. For those who did not find work, no significant differences were found between pre- and posttest scores on any dependent measure. Conclusion: The only evident difference between the two groups was that unsuccessful job seekers were more than twice as likely (as successful job seekers) to perceive transportation (54% compared to 24%) as their biggest barrier to employment. Policy implications of these results include orienting job clubs to specifically address clients’ perceived barriers to employment.

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of a standard cognitive-behavioral group treatment program on altering levels of moral reasoning among court-ordered batterers. Method: The study employed a nonequivalent control group design in examining the moral reasoning level of 32 adult men, 84% African American, court ordered into a standard group treatment program for domestic violence offenders. Results: Analysis of the pretest data indicated that the entire sample of batterers was employing a level of moral reasoning two standard deviations lower than adults in general. In addition, analysis of the posttest data demonstrated that there was no significant increase in moral reasoning at the conclusion of the treatment program. These findings indicated that the current treatment program was ineffective in influencing moral reasoning. Conclusion: Implications of the findings for providing a culturally relevant theoretical framework to approach intervention with court-ordered batterers are explored and discussed.

Objective: This study evaluated the performance and experiences of distance learning students enrolled in a graduate-level foundation social work research methods course. Method: Students who received face-to-face instruction in a media-readied classroom on the main campus of the university were compared with their remote classmates who simultaneously received course instruction at a regional campus via interactive television (ITV). Students’ performance in the course was evaluated. In addition, students’ attitudes toward distance education as well as their experiences in this course were assessed and compared. Results: The findings illustrate there were no statistically significant differences in students’ performance or attitudes and only minor differences in the assessment of their experiences in the course. Conclusions: With no statistically significant differences found in students’ performance or experiences, ITV appears to be a viable technological option for schools of social work to deliver research methods courses.

Objective: This article describes the development and validation of the Willingness to Care Scale, a multifactorial measure assessing the experiences of informal caregivers for persons living with AIDS (PLAs). Willingness to care describes one’s attitude toward providing emotional, instrumental, and nursing support. Method: Interviews were conducted with 155 caregivers of PLAs on caregiving and psychosocial concerns. Results: Strong evidence was found for factorial and content validity and reliability. Conclusion: The tool may be used by social workers to assess the potential for and monitor the functioning of task-focused caregiving relationships. Issues in sampling for HIV/AIDS research are discussed.