The authors present the field of social work with a methodology specifically aimed at the synthesis of qualitative research informed by existing methods and applications yet tailored to the unique values and goals of the profession of social work.Findings: Though qualitative research in social work is commonplace, currently, the field lacks a methodology to synthesize these qualitative studies. A synthesis of qualitative studies results in generation of a more in-depth understanding of the phenomena studied that can be used to develop theory and inform practice and policy.Applications: This methodology enables synergistic understanding of phenomena with richness in diversity of settings, participants, and qualitative traditions. This synergistic understanding can be used to develop theory and inform practice and policy.

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The authors asserted the need for increased postvention efforts for suicide survivors, individuals left behind to grieve the loss of a loved one by suicide, because they have an increased risk for suicide. Indeed, Shneidman (1972) asserted that suicide postvention efforts serve the dual purpose of assisting survivors through the grief process and preventing suicide for future generations. First, the authors briefly discussed the increased risk for suicide among survivors. Second, the authors overviewed the potential benefits of postvention programs and current strategies for suicide postvention in the United States. Finally, they recommended plans for suicide postvention program development such as states should include efforts to create or expand traditional postvention services as well as active survivor outreach to link survivors to these services.

The purpose of this study was to explore the question: Is a service member's post-deployment marital satisfaction correlated with frequency and mode of communication during deployment? This study used an anonymous exploratory design with a sample of 119 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) married veterans. Service members who communicated daily during deployment with their spouses had higher marital satisfaction scores than those who communicated less than once per week. Additionally, participants who used US mail had the highest marital satisfaction scores compared to telephone and internet-based communication. This study expands the overwhelmingly qualitative current literature to include quantitative analysis of this topic. This study also depicts the veterans' experiences since many of the previous studies of this topic used samples of spouses.In the present wars, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), military personnel have the most modern forms of communication at their fingertips. Whereas in previous wars US mail was the only mode of communication, service members now can communicate with their loved ones over such media as telephone, email, instant messenger/message board, video, and webcam (Merolla, 2010), increasing frequency and immediacy of communication. Access to much of the modes of Ponder, Aguirre/INTERNET-BASED SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION DURING DEPLOYMENT 217 communication is provided by the military with non-profits assisting with items such as telephone calling cards and cell phones. Little is known about the impact that these additional communication modes have on the marital relationship after deployment. The purpose of the current study is to determine if a service member's post-deployment marital satisfaction is correlated with the frequency and mode of communication during deployment. Theoretical FrameworkMany theories exist about marital satisfaction covering a broad spectrum of aspects that impact satisfaction including employment, communication, adoption, and stress. For the purposes of this study, the two theories discussed are related to stressful events and are focused on the uniqueness of the military couples' experiences. A long-standing theory of marital satisfaction in the face of life-stressors is Hill's (1958) ABC-X Model in which he attempted to address how (A) an event or stressor and (B) the family's resources or strengths led to (C) how the family attached meaning to the event and whether they enter or avert (X) crisis. This theory has been thoroughly tested and revised (e.g., Boss, 2002;Lavee, McCubbin, & Patterson, 1985;McCubbin & McCubbin, 1991) with more recent work focusing on the theory's application to the military marriage. Most recently, Boss (2002) expanded on the ABC-X Model by proposing internal and external contexts. The internal context includes things the family has control over and can change such as the structural, psychological, and philosophical domains. The external context includes things the famil...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious and life threatening disorder. The literature on informed reproductive decisions among people with SCD is limited, suggesting that there is a lack of awareness about SCD and Sickle cell trait status (SCT) among high-risk populations. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) is to examine the reproductive attitudes and behaviors in people with SCD or SCT to create effective genetic counseling programs to inform reproductive decision making. Three studies were included in the QIMS for a total sample of 79 participants. The majority of the sample was African American, ages 16 to 63. Other demographic characteristics of the study populations and data collection methods used in these studies varied. Seven themes on reproductive attitudes and behaviors among people with SCD or SCT emerged: lack of awareness or education about SCD and SCT; men who deny having SCT; attitudes toward learning one's SCT status; rationales for learning a partner's SCT status prior to commencing a relationship; valuing relationships over SCD risk; learning one's own and partner's SCT status; and the consequences of not asking about partners' SCT status. Implications for prevention programming involving improved education and awareness about the disease and reproduction are discussed.

Immigrant groups comprise a large segment of ethnic minorities in the United States. Although the literature is rich with strategies to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate services to eliminate health inequities, studies addressing cultural competence from the immigrant's perspective are limited. Further research is needed to build knowledge of the predictors and needs of this population, and to influence health care policy and practice. Using qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis, this study describes the lived experience of immigrants accessing health care to understand the essence of cultural competence in health care through their lens. Findings provide insight on expanding the definition of culturally competent health care beyond language, behaviors, attitudes, and policies.