Stress and Depression in Ohio Social Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Buffering Role of Social Connectedness.

Although social workers have an elevated risk of infection with COVID-19, no previous studies have investigated the virus's impact on practitioners. Using survey data (N = 441), this study identified associations between stress, depression, and COVID-related factors and explored the role of social connectedness as a moderator for mental health among Ohio social workers. The results of the study showed that among social workers with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, 70 percent experienced moderate/high levels of stress, and 37 percent met the criteria for clinical depressive symptoms. Results from the multiple regression analyses showed that perceived stress was positively associated with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis for social workers, and depression was positively associated with working with a client with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. An interaction effect was also identified between social connectedness and social workers' mental health. These findings suggest that the provision of individual or organizational interventions that emphasize social connectedness can help to protect social workers' mental health.

Substance use disorders among adults who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States.

BACKGROUND: There has been limited research on substance use disorders (SUDs) among individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). This study explored associations among activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, major depressive episode, risk perceptions for substance use, religiosity, and past-year SUDs within the DHH population. METHODS: Data was drawn from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 214,505) to compare rates of past-year SUDs between DHH (weighted % = 5.4) and non-DHH populations. SUD measures included were past-year alcohol, marijuana, pain reliever, and illicit drug use disorders. RESULTS: SUDs are more prevalent among the DHH population than the non-DHH population. When adjusted for sociodemographic variables, DHH adults were more likely to report experiencing all four types of measured SUDs. Significant associations were also found between all four measured SUDs and disability status, major depressive episodes, and perception of risk. An association between regular religious service attendance and alcohol, marijuana, or illicit drug use disorders was also identified, as well as an association between peer religiosity and marijuana use disorders. CONCLUSION: Given the high prevalence of SUDs and limited understanding of the mechanisms associated with the SUDs within the DHH population, more research is needed to address these issues.

Exploring the formation of treatment program director perceptions on entry-level social workers' substance use treatment capacities in New York.

Background: This article examines how program directors of substance use treatment providers in New York state form their perceptions on the overall substance use treatment service delivery capacities of newly graduated, entry-level social workers. Methods: The study discussed consisted of a cross-sectional, quantitative survey of treatment program directors in New York state (n = 245). Program directors were asked to rate entry-level social workers' treatment skills, knowledge of treatment concepts, and overall preparedness to deliver treatment services in the field upon first entering the professional workforce. The collected data were then analyzed using multiple regression analyses to identify associations between the skill and knowledge items and perceptions of overall preparedness. Results: The results of the study showed that five of the ten skill and knowledge competency items were significantly linked with program directors' perceptions of entry-level social workers' overall preparedness to deliver treatment services, with the model accounting for 62% of the variance in the dependent variable. Of the independent variables with significant associations, the assessment competency item accounted for 50% of the variance, while the other four variables explained 1.2-6.4% of the variance respectively. Conclusions: The findings of the study suggest that training curriculums should strongly emphasize assessment competencies for new practitioners, and that implementing a standardized training curriculum is beneficial for the professional growth and preparedness of practitioners entering into the treatment field.

The state of substance use education in Master of Social Work programs: A content analysis of course listings and faculty profiles.

Background: Substance use is currently a pervasive problem among a large proportion of populations served by the social work profession. Several studies have indicated that social workers routinely provide services to clients with direct and indirect substance use needs, making knowledge of substance use interventions and public policies a necessity for social workers to operate effectively in the field. However, despite the regularity of interaction with substance using clients, previous research has suggested that a significant deficit of substance use education currently exists in Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Methods: To determine the extent of substance use education currently offered by master's-level schools of social work, a content analysis of course listings and full-time faculty profiles was performed on all Council on Social Work Education-accredited programs in the United States (N = 263). The goals of the content analysis were (1) to identify the current prevalence and content of substance use education offered to entire cohorts of MSW students at the national and programmatic levels and (2) to examine the capacity of the full-time MSW faculty workforce to deliver substance use education to MSW students in individual programs. Results: The results of the analyses showed that a significant deficit of formal substance use education does exist in the field of social work education, and that a large proportion of programs lack the faculty personnel necessary to sufficiently offer substance use education to their students. Conclusions: The social work profession needs to make a concerted effort to improve substance use education if social work is to ethically and effectively remain at the forefront of mental health practice in the United States.