Homeless women demonstrate higher rates of mental illness than homeless men. The combination of complex life circumstances, stigmas related to mental illness, and homelessness may cause homeless women with mental illnesses to face unique barriers that prevent them from accessing necessary mental health services. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to expand the body of literature on homeless women's experiences with the mental health system and to understand the barriers to treatment services. Guided by Young's critical social theory of gender, this study was designed to develop a better understanding of the support that may be in place to help women overcome service access barriers related to social issues of race, class, sexuality, and gender. Study participants included 10 chronically homeless adult women in the Southeastern United States who were diagnosed with a mental illness. In-person semistructured, open-ended, phenomenological interview questions were used to explore the research questions. Thematic analysis revealed 5 main themes: (a) reasons for homelessness, (b) reasons women stay homeless, (c) mental health experiences and issues, (d) experiences with being homeless, and (e) services and supports. There were 3 subthemes associated with services and supports: (a) the shelter experience, (b) services that are needed, and (c) professionals should know. Understanding women's unique backgrounds and histories may help service providers and policy makers develop ways to make mental health services more accessible to the homeless women who need them.

Mental illness is a problem that affects many people; however, little to almost no research relates to mental illness and reunification rates for mothers who have had their children removed from them by the child welfare system. The purpose in this study was to assess and compare reunification rates between mothers with mental illness, those with substance abuse, and those with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. The conceptual framework for this study was the use of the structured decision making (SDM) assessment tool in child welfare. The research questions addressed the differences in reunification rates among mothers with mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring mental illness and substance use in cases where children are removed due to neglect or abuse. This study also addressed the difference in timelines for reunification for mothers with mental illness in comparison with mothers with substance use and mothers with co-occurring substance use and mental illness in cases where children are removed due to neglect or abuse. In addition, this study addressed the dynamic assessment factors from the family assessment of needs and strengths (FANS) that predict reunification. This study used archival data related to the reunification status, reunification timelines, and the strengths and needs of the mother. A ï?£2 analysis was used to determine whether a difference exists in reunification rates between the groups. In this study, no statistical significance was found; however, the study brought to light areas for further research. This includes using larger sample sizes that cover an entire state to compare reunification rates. This can assist in program development for reunification and decrease the number of children in care.

Sexual minorities (SM) are at a greater risk for experiencing a serious mental illness (SMI) compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, SM with a SMI continue to experience stigma and discrimination that leads to more negative outcomes and a greater need for counseling services. Current researchers have not adequately addressed the specific needs of SM with a SMI and how to prepare counselors to work with this population. Furthermore, most SM with a SMI find that counseling services are inadequate and do not meet their unique needs. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study, grounded in a Husserlian philosophical and Minority Stress Model conceptual framework, was to explore the experiences and perceptions of counselors who provide counseling services to SM with a SMI. Data was collected from six participants using a semistructured interview and followed a thematic data analysis process, ensuring thematic saturation. The results of this study highlighted many themes regarding the unique needs of SM with a SMI, such as their multiple minority stressors, negative counseling experiences, and the impact of family, as well as counselor's perception regarding the lack of preparation in graduate school to work with SM with a SMI. Study findings may improve counselors' understanding of the needs of SM with a SMI so they may provide more effective counseling services. Also, this study highlights the importance of training counselors to work with this population and may bolster the efforts of counselor educators.

Theorists propose that because psychodiagnosis is not a completely objective procedure, it is influenced by sociocultural values. It was hypothesized that religion might be one aspect of sociocultural values which influences psychodiagnosis. The present study sought to determine, by using a clinical analogue design, whether psychologists' formal diagnoses of clients are biased by their present religious affiliations and activity levels, their religious upbringing (assessed by their fathers' and mothers' religious affiliations and activity levels), the clients' religious affiliations and activity levels, or interactions between psychologist and client religious variables. Questionnaires were sent to 228 psychologists licensed to practice in Utah, inviting them to participate in the study. Items eliciting the psychologists' religious characteristics were disguised amidst irrelevant items on the questionnaire. Respondents were sent four case reports which were varied on the religious affiliation (LOS vs. Other) and activity level (Active vs. Inactive) of the fictitious clients. The reports included identifying data, referral reason, background information, behavior observations, psychological test interpretations, and summary. Subjects diagnosed the reports according to the typology of the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-II. Usable data were obtained from 60 psychologists. The cases elicited a wide variety of diagnostic labels. Data were arranged in 56 frequency count tables (14 hypotheses on each of the four cases), and were analyzed with the chi-square test, with alpha = .05. Two significant relationships between religious variables and diagnosis were found. Because of the number of analyses performed, these were viewed as chance findings. In addition, the distributions of diagnoses in eight categories across all four cases were visually inspected according to the religious affiliations of the clinicians making the diagnoses and the clients being diagnosed. This procedure also failed to produce evidence of religious bias. It was concluded that formal diagnoses of clients made by psychologists in Utah are not influenced by psychologist or client religion, or by interactions between the two, when diagnoses are compressed into broad categories.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Mental illness has been identified as one of the major contributors to the global burden of disease in the world. The four leading causes of mental health disorders are depression, alcohol abuse, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Recent studies indicate that schizophrenia is among the major mental disorders affecting more than 21 to 29 million people in the world. Family members living and caring for a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia may experience burdensome challenges in such a way that can easily generate secondary stress in various life domains such as work and family relationships, loss of quality of life as well as high social and economic costs.

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