Contemporary research suggests that transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) adults encounter formidable barriers to health care, including access to quality therapeutic interventions. This systematic review is one of the first to specifically explore obstacles to TGNC mental health care. A rigorous literature review identified eight relevant studies: six qualitative designs and two quantitative designs. Thematic synthesis revealed three major barriers to care and five corresponding subthemes: (1) personal concerns, involving fear of being pathologized or stereotyped and an objection to common therapeutic practices; (2) incompetent mental health professionals, including those who are unknowledgeable, unnuanced, and unsupportive; and (3) affordability factors. Results indicate an acute need for practitioner training to ensure the psychological well-being of TGNC clients.
This study explores the role spirituality plays in selecting social work as a profession among 70 undergraduate students at a small private Christian college and a large state university. The relationship between spirituality and career motivation is assessed by the Abbreviated Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire and student self-report of career motivations. Findings from this exploratory study indicate that more than 80% of students considered their spirituality to be influential in their career choice, and significant relationships were found between students' perception of their career as a "calling," the degree of spiritual influence on career choice, and their additional motivations for choosing social work as a career. This article discusses the research findings, explores theoretical and practical implications for social work practice and education at both secular and nonsecular schools, and encourages further study of the role spirituality plays in the careers of current and future social work practitioners.
This cross-sectional study examines residential relocation among a cohort of 495 fifth graders in one urban community in the Southeastern U.S. The impact of residential mobility is discussed in relation to student/family outcomes as well as the stressors placed upon schools. Results support previous findings which suggest residential relocation is correlated with academic problems. In addition, highly mobile students are twice as likely to be referred by teachers for disciplinary intervention and families are five times more likely than their residentially stable counterparts to be involved with child protective services. Implications from this study address the need for school systems, including school social workers, to look beyond the classroom to understand and respond to the needs of highly mobile families.
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