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Rural African American clergy: are they literate on late-life depression?
- Authors:
- STANSBURY Kim L., BROWN-HUGHES Travonia, HARLEY Debra A.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 13(1), January 2009, pp.9-16.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This exploratory study examined rural African American clergy's knowledge of and experience in providing support to African American elders with late-life depression. Interviews were conducted with nine African American clergy who oversaw rural churches in central Kentucky. A conceptual framework was used to explore participants' knowledge of late-life depression. Although few clergy had direct experience with counselling a depressed older adult, all the clergy were considered literate regarding late-life depression and its treatment. These findings have implications for social workers building collaborative community treatment relationships.
Social work practitioner knowledge and assessment of late-life depression
- Author:
- GELLIS Zvi D.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(6), August 2010, pp.495-511.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A random sample of 168 social work practitioners currently registered with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and working with adults in New York State completed surveys to examine levels of knowledge and self-efficacy (confidence) in evaluation of depression in late life. The survey instrument consisted of socio-demographic and job-related questions, knowledge about late-life depression, confidence ratings in clinical practice, rankings of common clinical problems, and knowledge about ageing issues. Relationships among knowledge on aging, job-related variables, and predictors of knowledge of geriatric depression were examined. All participants were women and had gained MSW degrees, participants were aged between 33 and 62 years. Participants had worked in the social work field for a mean of 12.3 years and 63% reported that they had weekly contact with older adults. The most common clinical problem seen by the social work sample was depression (73.3%). Overall the participants scored relatively well regarding knowledge of late-life depression (79% correct). Participants scored at the lower end on knowledge about ageing, and experienced great difficulty on the items pertaining to evaluation of suicide risk in older adults. Implications of the findings for social work practice are discussed.
Listening: a psychosocial intervention in an end-of-life case of trauma and emotion in the “space” of a residential care facility
- Author:
- ROBERTSON Matra
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, 4(3), 2008, pp.214-228.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
The author examines the context of social work practice in end-of-life care by describing and discussing her interview experience with an elderly patient who was reported as depressed, hopeless and suicidal after being placed in residential care. The patient had ischemic heart disease and congestive cardiac failure. The role of listening to the patient is stressed. The author comments that for individuals at the end of life who experience hopelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts, psychosocial factors of their health care and even the arrangement of their living spaces in the hospice or residential care facility environment may contribute to their anxiety. In order to challenge those institutional interventions in end-of-life care that may pathologise those experiencing hopelessness the author suggests that social workers in palliative care reconsider and advocate for the place of listening. She emphasises the need for social workers in palliative health care to recognise the delicate nature of the relationship between hope, place and trauma to enhance care for both the dying person, and their families.
A comparison of rural and urban older adults in Iowa on specific markers of successful aging
- Author:
- EVANS Ronnie J.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 52(4), May 2009, pp.423-438.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The focus of this study was an investigation of factors related to optimal ageing among rural and urban older adults, and an exploration of the differences between rural and urban older adults' social support and what these differences mean in terms of specific markers of successful ageing, using two indicators: level of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Data were collected through structured interviews with 140 participants aged 65 years and above, recruited from senior centres and senior meal sites in Iowa. The findings indicated that urban residents reported more symptoms of depression than did rural residents, with frequency of social interaction greater for rural than for urban older adults and subjective level of social support a stronger predictor of life satisfaction and more negatively related to depressive symptoms among rural than among urban older adults. The author concludes that the results suggest that social workers who work with ageing people need to be aware of rural-urban differences in mental health and that social workers need to have knowledge of older adults' social networks and work to ensure greater opportunity for social interaction.
Mosaic of difference: enhancing culturally competent aging-related knowledge among social workers
- Author:
- OWENS-KANE Sandra
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 48(3/4), 2007, pp.475-492.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The professional literature has not adequately addressed the behavioural and social factors that contribute to different coping outcomes for African American elder caregivers as compared to non African Americans. Awareness and understanding of these unique experiences would better prepare professionals to work with such clients. This study examines the predictors of emotional distress among 46 African American women who provide care to dependent elderly parents. Multivariate statistical analyses show that elder caregivers' rating of quality of life, their years of caregiving, as well are their poor heath constitute significant predictors of risk for depression. The results of the study provide support for the inclusion of more culturally appropriate measures of caregiver distress, and provide insights to inform social work practice, policy and research concerning African American female elder caregivers in the 21st century.(Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
'They're all depressed, aren't they?' A qualitative study of social care workers and depression in older adults
- Authors:
- MCCRAE N., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 9(6), November 2005, pp.508-516.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Statutory and voluntary social services provide care and support for vast numbers of vulnerable older adults, yet little is known about how social care practitioners respond to depression in this high risk population. This study elicited the perceptions and conceptualizations of this condition among social care staff, and views on how the response of social care and other agencies might be improved. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 social care practitioners working in generic services for older adults in south London. Depression was perceived to be remarkably common among clients, a phenomenon largely attributed to the adverse circumstances of old age, particularly social isolation. A key message from participants was that social causes indicate a need for social interventions. While primary care was criticised for not taking depression seriously in older people, mental health services were generally praised. Expansion of social, recreational and psychological interventions was advocated.
Preventing unnecessary deaths among older adults:a call to action for social workers
- Authors:
- CSIKAI Ellen L., MANETTA Ameda A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 38(2), 2002, pp.85-97.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Poor mental health and medical conditions canlead to expressions of a desire to die, depression, suicide, and requests for physician-assisted suicide. This paper examines depression and the risks for suicide, suicide prevention, physician-assisted suicide among older adults. The appropriate role for social workers in preventing unnecessary deaths is discussed.
Community interventions for helping isolated and underserved elders
- Author:
- ELLIS James A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 26(3/4), 1996, pp.145-157.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
An often overlooked but growing segment of our society consists of older people who live in isolation. This article focuses on the importance and critical role of the case manager, social worker, psychologist and other outreach workers who work with isolated older people. Looks in particular at depression due to loss, loneliness and isolation, feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty and personality dysfunction arising from difficulties with interpersonal relationships. Presents a counselling model designed to help clients and caregivers deal with the effects of dementia, but which can also be used effectively for helping isolated seniors.
Gerontological social work and cardiac rehabilitation
- Authors:
- SHAH Avani, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 58(7), 2019, pp.633-650.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Cardiac rehabilitation is a setting in which integrating social work services can benefit older adults. Many cardiac rehabilitation patients endorse symptoms of stress and depression following a cardiac event, impeding their ability to participate fully in cardiac rehabilitation services or recover from a heart attack. Gerontologically trained social workers can improve the care of older adults with heart disease in a variety of ways and this paper discusses the potential roles social workers can play in enhancing care. Two examples demonstrating how community academic partnerships can lead to improved options for older adults following a heart attack are discussed. First, using a microsystems approach, social workers embedded within cardiac rehabilitation may improve patient quality of life, address social service needs, provide mental health treatment, and assist in the completion of standard cardiac rehabilitation assessments. Second, using a macrosystems approach, social workers can help communities by developing partnerships to establish infrastructure for new cardiac rehabilitation clinics that are integrated with mental health services in rural areas. Social workers can serve an important role in addressing the psychological or social service needs of cardiac rehabilitation patients while increasing access to care. (Edited publisher abstract)
Providing mental health care for the complex older veteran: implications for social work practice
- Authors:
- CLARK Gayle, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 43(1), 2018, pp.7-14.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Mental health conditions are underdiagnosed and undertreated in older veterans, as with all older adults. Social workers bring an important perspective to the interdisciplinary team for the care of older veterans with mental health conditions. In this study authors assessed 50 older veterans referred for mental health treatment (mean age = 74.52 years, SD = 6.48) with standardised measures of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive impairment. At initial assessment, 24 percent had moderate depression, 30 percent had PTSD, and 62 percent (n = 31) had (mostly mild) cognitive impairment based on cut scores. These conditions were often comorbid with each other and with social (60 percent), retirement (26 percent), bereavement (32 percent), and financial (36 percent) stressors. Depression improved after three months of treatment [t(30) = 2.12, p = .04], but those with comorbid PTSD or social stressors had more depressive symptoms at follow-up [R2 = .36, F(4, 26) = 3.57, p = .02]. Interdisciplinary care is essential to address the multiple comorbidities and practical complexities of geriatric mental health care. Social workers play a valuable role on the interprofessional team in addressing these complexities. (Edited publisher abstract)