A study was conducted in the greater Houston area in the United States with 1840 Asian American participants where 413 (22.5%) were 55 years and older and 12.6 percent had depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis found that the likelihood of being depressed was significantly increased among individuals with anxiety symptoms (odds ratio (OR) = 769.36), at least a high school education (OR = 21.756), a greater number of generations living in the household (OR = 3.789), and chronic pain (OR = 2.604). Conversely, being married reduced the likelihood of being depressed by 89.5 percent (OR = .105). Implications focus on help-seeking behaviors of older Asian Americans in relation to their mental health needs.
This cross-national study identified predictive factors contributing to depression among 691 Vietnamese migrated to the United States who responded to a community survey in two American cities. Measured by HSCL-25, the overall depression prevalence was 30.5%, higher in a large (32.3%) than mid-size city (19.8%). Logistic regression showed that immigration issues, residing in a large city, being female, having health concerns, and experiencing family concerns are significantly related to Vietnamese immigrants having depressive symptoms. Over half (51.4%) of the respondents sought help, and 46.3% preferred seeing their physicians to address mental health issues. Pre-migration counseling is recommended to prevent depression.
Stigma, perception and beliefs about mental illness can significantly affect the ability of individuals with a mental health diagnosis to access and engage in treatment and, ultimately, their overall functioning. Despite these significant implications, the stigma towards individuals with schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder, in China is under-investigated. To address this gap, this study, based on knowledge support theory, examines stigma, attitudes and beliefs concerning schizophrenia. A sample of 183 adults was recruited across public spaces in Shanghai to participate in a survey comprised of demographic questions, standard instruments and experimental vignettes describing an individual with schizophrenia (manipulated on gender and diagnosis), followed by instruments eliciting perceptions towards schizophrenia. Findings indicated that individuals with schizophrenia may not be accepted by others due to personal stigma and maybe received poorly due to community stigma. Nonetheless, individuals with schizophrenia may be perceived as capable of recovery and experiencing positive future outcomes.
This study was designed to determine if the professional social work education provided by Title IV-E stipends leads to better case outcomes for children serviced by a southern state in the U.S. Desired case outcomes included lower levels of recurrence of child maltreatment, lower levels of foster care re-entries, greater stability of foster care placements, more reunifications with families within 12 months of placement in foster care, and more adoptions within 24 months of being placed in foster care. Data were obtained from the state's case outcome records. The findings from the study indicate that Title IV-E stipend workers had significantly better outcomes than Non-Title IV-E workers in two areas: reunifications within twelve months and finalized adoptions within twenty-four months. In addition, non-Title IV-E workers with social work degrees were significantly more likely to achieve positive outcomes regarding recurrence of maltreatment, stability of foster care placement, and length of time to achieve adoption. The study recommends that state child protective service (CPS) agencies continue to offer Title IV-E child welfare training programs and hire degreed social workers. CPS should also continue to support the Title IV-E program and encourage employees to participate in the program. In addition, it is recommended that jobs be restructured to maximize activities that positively impact case outcomes and that the salaries of CPSworkers be increased. Additional research should also be conducted to contribute to a better understanding of other factors that positively impact case outcomes.
Abstract This article examines factors that affect psychological distress (depression) among elderly Chinese immigrants. The factors included in the study were their grief experience associated with immigration along with acculturation, length of residence in the U.S. and other demographic factors, such as age, gender, marital status, living arrangement, contact with relatives, relatives in home country, home country visits, and home country identity. A total of 150 Chinese immigrants from a major city in the U.S. aged between 55 and 86 participated in the study. The results of the regression analysis indicated that those respondents who had a higher degree of migratory grief experience and a lower English proficiency score, who visited their home country, and were younger, were more likely to feel depressed. Among these four variables, migratory grief alone contributed to 41.5% of the variance while the remaining three variables contributed to 12.4% of the variation. Implications for social work practice were discussed.
ABSTRACTS The incidence of language delay in Chinese preschool children was studied by a stratified proportional sampling of all 3 year olds in Hong Kong. The Developmental Language Screening Scale (DLSS) devised for use with Cantonese speaking children was used to identify children with language delay. Of 855 children sampled in the stage I screening procedure, 4%, 2.8% and 3.3% were identified as having delay in verbal comprehension, expression or both respectively. The stage II clinical diagnostic study included a randomly selected group of children screened in stage I with or without any associated behavioural problem. Among these, 3.4% were identified as having a language delay using the Reynell Language Developmental Scale (RDLS) with a criterion of language age of less than or equal to two‐thirds of the chronological age; 3% had specific language delay using the criteria of language age less than or equal to two‐thirds the chronological age and developmental age more than or equal to two‐thirds the chronological age. More boys were found to have language delay, although this was not statistically significant. La fréquence du retard dans l'acquisition du langage chez les enfants chinois d'âge préscolaire a été étudiée au moyen d'échantillonnages proportionnels stratifiés au sein de la l'énsemble de la population des enfants de 3 ans de Hong‐Kong. L'on a utilisé l'Echelle de Dépistage pour le Développement du Langage (Developmental Language Screening Scale, ou DLSS), déjà mise au point pour les enfants de langue cantonaise, pour identifier ceux souffrant de retard linguistique. Parmi les 885 enfants prélevés par échantillonnage pour le premier stade du processus de dépistage, il s'est révélé que les pourcentages de retards en ce qui concernait la compréhension verbale, l'expression verbale, ou une combinaison de ces deux facteurs, étaient, respectivement, de 4%, 2.8% et 3.3%. Le deuxième stade de l'étude diagnostique clinique concernait un groupe d'enfants sélectionnés au hasard parmi ceux qui avaient déjà été examinés au premier stade, et dont certains présentaient en plus des problèmes de comportement alors que d'autres n'en avaient pas. Dans le nombre il s'est trouvé que 3.4% souffraient de retards du langage d'après l'Echelle de Reynell (Reynell Language Development Scale, ou RDLS) avec un critère d'âge linguistique inférieur ou égal aux 2/3 de l'âge chronologique, et que 3% souffraient de retard spécifique du langage en utilisant un âge linguistique de 2/3 de l'âge chronologique et un âge de développement supérieur ou égal aux 2/3 de l'âge chronologique. Davantage de garçons que de filles souffraient de retards du langage, mais la différence n'était pas statistiquement significative. Die Prävalenz der Sprachentwicklungsstörung bei chinesischen Vorschulkindern wurde an Hand von einer schichtenförmigen, proportionierten Stichprobe von alien dreijährigen Kindern in Hong Kong studiert. Um die Kinder mit einer Sprachentwicklungsstörung zu identifizieren, haben wir die Developmental Language Screening Scale (DLSS) angewendet, die für den Gebrauch bei kantonesisch sprechenden Kindern entwickelt wurde. Von den 855 Kindern, die wir in der ersten Phase der Stichprobe getestet haben, haben wir bei jeweils 4, 2.8, 3.3% eine Entwicklungsverzögerung des Sprachverständnisses, des Ausdrucks oder beides festgestellt. In der zweiten Phase der klinischen, diagnostischen Studie haben wir eine randomisierte Gruppe von Kindern ausgewählt, die in der ersten Phase geprüft wurden und die mit oder ohne Verhaltensprobleme waren. Von diesen hatten 3.4% laut der Reynell Language Development Scale eine Sprachentwicklungsverzögerung, d.h. Sprachalter ≤ 2/3 des eigentlichen Alters; 3% eine Teilleistungsschwäche, d.h. Sprachalter ≤ 2/3 des eigentlichen Alters und Entwicklungsalter ≥ 2/3 des eigentlichen Alters. Wir haben gefunden, dass mehr Jungen eine Sprachentwicklungsverzögerung hatten, obgleich dieses statistisch nicht signifikant war.
Abstract Background: Depression and diabetes are common illnesses affecting individuals with health challenges and family stress. Research suggested stigma-reduction interventions for families facing health-related stressors. This study examined factors predicting public stigma on depression alone or comorbid with diabetes. Methods : In Shanghai, China, consented respondents to a community-based survey read one of four vignettes varied by depression types and gender of the Vignette Subject (VS). This vignette method measures each respondent’s Individualized Public Stigma score, attitude toward the subject’s family with the Devaluation of Consumer’s Families score, and problem seriousness leading to stress. Results : 125 respondents expressed views on depression or diabetes-associated depression via their answers to a randomly assigned vignette. Results show significant associations with Individualized Public Stigma when entering the regression model with five variables: problem seriousness, knowing someone with a mental health problem, subject’s gender, attitude toward the subject’s family, and depression comorbid with diabetes. Regression statistics showed that a person’s Individualized Public Stigma scores could be predicted by two of these variables: perceived problem seriousness and sympathy toward the affected family. Yet, comorbidity with diabetes was not a significant predictor of stigma. Conclusions : This study concludes that the cultural value toward community support could be an educational means to help the public realize the importance of protecting the families affected by mental health stigma. Applying this theory in action, practitioners must assess how self-stigmatization interfaces with the public perception of the patient's family. In addition, when people have a highly sympathetic attitude toward the patient’s family and perceive the presenting problem as severe, they must be aware of the impact of individualized stigma on the patient. Future research must focus on these cultural perspectives to support early anti-stigma interventions.
This study analyzes the demographic characteristics of foster care children under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in Texas from 2002 to 2013. Using one state as an example, the progress charting data in 12 years demonstrates the need to set up a national agenda on closing the gap in racial disproportionality. While the data reveal an increase of Hispanic children in foster care from 33.6% in 2002 to 41.3% in 2013, in terms of disproportionality, the ratio index for Hispanic children has been much lower (0.83) than that for African American children (2.33) over all of these years. The engagement of 13 state-appointed disproportionality specialists in 2007 has shown some positive outcomes after five years. This is evidenced by examining the disproportionality index for African-American children's representation in Texas (dropping to 1.98 in both years of 2012 and 2013). Data also show that it took over six years for the state to lower the disproportionality index of the African-American children represented in the public child welfare system by only 0.02. Continuous efforts must be planned so that this reducing trend will continue and its committed workforce will expand. These demographic data analyses support the need for Texas to further examine the state's service development to ensure that foster children and their families of all ethnicities receive services that are gender sensitive, age and development specific, and efficient.
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