Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1976. / Typewritten.

Thesis (Ph.D. 1962)--University of Adelaide.

No description available.

A common decline in marital functioning has been observed in couples as they adjust to first-time parenthood. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the trajectories of change in marital quality and observed warm and hostile behaviors across the transition to parenthood. Changes in patterns of marital quality were assessed to determine if they were a function of observed marital behaviors prior to childbirth or changes in observed marital behaviors across this transition. For both parent husbands and wives (N = 260 couples, 520 individuals) and nonparent husbands and wives (N = 107 couples, 214 individuals) participating in the Family Transitions Project (FTP; Conger & Conger, 2002), latent growth curve analyses were conducted on marital quality data and observed behavior data collected at two year intervals before childbirth, shortly after birth, and two years later to examine the rates of change. A general pattern of deterioration was observed for new parents in marital quality and observed warm and hostile behaviors. Observed warm and hostile behaviors prior to parenthood were significant in predicting both spouses' marital trajectories across this transition. Results from interlocked growth curves indicated that changes in observed warm and hostile behaviors did not significantly predict changes in marital quality. Finally, rates of change across four years did not significantly differ between parents and nonparents for marital quality or behavior. Clinical implications for marriage and family therapists are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2011. / Date of Defense: March 30, 2011. / Transition to parenthood, Marital quality, Behavior / Includes bibliographical references. / B. Kay Pasley, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Ming Cui, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Thomas Joiner, University Representative; Lenore McWey, Committee Member.

Loneliness in older adults is a problem. Loneliness negatively impacts the physical, mental and social health of an individual leading to problems including increased risk of poor health, cognitive decline, and death. As older adults utilize over 2.7 times more of U.S. personal health care expenses than should occur given their proportion of the population, the health of older adults is a societal issue. The current study examines the feasibility of a method to reduce loneliness in older adults by teaching participants various methods of computer-mediated communication (CMC). Participants were older adults who qualified as lonely utilizing a loneliness scale. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was a test of the intended intervention – a course on computer-mediated communication taught to a group of lonely older adults. In Phase 1, the researcher examined participant loneliness scores before and after the course was given, and the course on computer-mediated communication was examined for areas of improvement. The second phase implemented the intervention, with the changes recommended in Phase 1. The second phase also included the examination of hypotheses related to: the connections between CMC training and the level of use of computer mediated communication by older adults, the link between CMC training and computer self-efficacy in older adults, the determination of if an increase in CMC use by older adults is followed by improvement in social support or social network (two constructs linked with loneliness), and the determination if CMC use is followed by a reduction in social or emotional loneliness. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / October 16, 2018. / computer, computer-mediated communication, gerontology, loneliness, older adults, social media / Includes bibliographical references. / Bruce A. Thyer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Mia Liza A. Lustria, University Representative; Stephen J. Tripodi, Committee Member; Penny A. Ralston, Committee Member.

Alcohol abuse is often considered a young person's rite of passage and part of the maturing process. Indeed, the developmental periods when alcohol misuse and abuse are highest are those of adolescence and early adulthood. The focus for alcohol use research and funding over the years has been with adolescent prevention and intervention. Because of this focus on adolescents, little is being done to explore and to learn more about adult use and adult entry into treatment. Since the average age of the population is increasing, these attitudes toward alcohol use and treatment are no longer valid. Use, misuse, and abuse of alcohol in adulthood, especially that leading to addiction and then treatment, is a problem within the United States (US) that merits careful attention. The purpose of this dissertation research is to investigate specific aspects of entry into alcohol abuse treatment across stages of the life course. The investigation used the sequential life course theory of Levinson as the primary guiding theory and incorporated those aspects of Bronfenbrenner's social ecology theory used by Levinson. Specifically, with a population of approximately 94,000, this research examined the differences among individuals who began alcohol abuse treatment in mid-life and who experienced variations in time duration from the age of first use to the age of first treatment. Additionally, this research evaluated the timing of treatment episodes in light of the transitions within the life course as outlined by Levinson. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester 2003. / Date of Defense: May 14, 2003. / Alcohol, Abuse, Treatment, Across stages of the life / Includes bibliographical references. / C. Aaron McNeece, Professor Directing Dissertation; Rebecca Miles, Outside Committee Member; Dianne F. Harrison, Committee Member.

The skills acquired in the first few years of life are critical in preparing children for school and for long term development. Families play a primary role in the development of cognitive and social skills as well as physical health. Changes in family structure that have occurred over the last several decades have resulted in fewer children growing up in a two parent married household; however, few children are raised by just one parent. Many children spend time in a three-generation family household, in which a grandparent, parent and child coreside. To date, little research has described the prevalence or correlates of three-generation family households or looked at the association between three-generation family coresidence and child wellbeing during early childhood. To fill this gap in the literature this dissertation was structured around three empirical chapters (papers) and the findings from those studies are described below. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,898), Chapter 2 investigates how the share, correlates, transition patterns, and duration of three-generation households vary by mother's relationship status at birth. Nine percent of married mothers, 17% of cohabiting mothers, and 45% of single mothers live in a three-generation family household at the time of the child's birth. Incidence over time is much higher and most common among single-mother households: Sixty percent live in a three-generation family household at least 1 wave. Economic need, culture, and generational needs are associated with living in a three-generation household; correlates vary by mother's relationship status. Three-generation family households are short lived, and transitions are frequent. Kin support through coresidence is an important source of support for families with young children and in particular families in which the parents are unwed at the time of their child's birth. Chapter 3 investigates to what extent stable and unstable three-generation family households (grandparent, parent, child) are associated with child health, socioemotional and academic wellbeing over the first three years of a child's life. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=4,009) differences in the association by mother's relationship status and race/ethnicity are investigated. Results suggest stable three-generation family households are associated with child wellbeing whereas unstable or transitory three-generation households are not. Living in a stable three-generation family household is protective against child behavior problems for married families but detrimental for single or Black mothers. Stable three-generation coresidence is associated with higher PPVT scores but also higher odds of being overweight for some groups. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (N~10,700), Chapter 4 investigates the associations between stable and unstable (or transitory) three-generation coresidence over the first five years of life and school readiness, and how those associations vary by race/ethnicity. With a few exceptions, the findings suggest that three-generation family coresidence is not associated with cognitive development, psychomotor development, or physical health. However, coresidence with a grandparent is associated with a higher likelihood of obesity across all race/ethnicities, as well as more externalizing behavior for Whites and less externalizing behavior for Hispanics. Although differences between stable and unstable coresidence are mostly insignificant, stability appears to matter for behavior, but in different ways for Black and Asian children. Black children who unstably coreside and Asian children who stably coreside with a grandparent experience more internalizing and less prosocial and positive learning behaviors.

Background: Elder abuse is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis and is associated with significant morbidity and premature mortality. At the foundation of this problem, elder abuse risk factors remain misunderstood. Previous elder abuse risk factor research contains methodological limitations that threaten the validity and reliability of existing knowledge. Further population-based research using standard elder abuse definitional/inclusion parameters and adaptations of established measurement tools is required to advance the literature. A major gap in the elder abuse risk factor literature is consideration of problem severity. Previous studies have focused on dichotomous prevalence/incidence outcomes, yet substantial variation exists in the extent, frequency, and self-perceived seriousness of the problem. Using data from the most methodologically rigorous population-based elder abuse study conducted to date - New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study (NYSEAPS) - this dissertation identified candidate risk factors of one-year incidence, objective severity, and subjective severity for elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect among cognitively intact, community-dwelling older adults. Methods: The NYSEAPS used a random digit-dial sampling strategy to conduct direct telephone interviews with a representative sample (n = 4156) of older adults in New York State. Inclusion criteria captured older adults aged 60 years or above living in the community, cognitively intact, and English/Spanish-speaking. Elder emotional and physical abuse types were assessed using a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale. Elder neglect was measured using a modified version of the Duke Older Americans Resources and Services scale. Potential risk factors were examined at several ecological levels of influence, including the individual victim, victim-perpetrator relationship, home living environment, and surrounding socio-cultural context. Multivariate regression modelling was used to identify factors associated with one-year elder abuse incidence in the general population, as well as factors associated with objective and subjective elder abuse severity among mistreated older adults. Results - Incidence: Older adults who were younger, functionally impaired, living in a low-income household, and separated/divorced had significantly higher odds of emotional abuse and physical abuse in the past year. Older adults who were younger, separated/divorced, living below the poverty line, non-Hispanic, and in poor health had significantly higher odds of elder neglect in the past year. Results - Objective Severity: Increasingly severe emotional abuse was predicted by younger age, functional impairment, shared living, Hispanic ethnicity, a spousal/partner perpetrator, and living alone with the perpetrator. Higher levels of physical abuse severity were associated with younger age, a grandchild perpetrator, and living alone with the perpetrator. Increasingly severe neglect was predicted by younger age, functional impairment, and low household income. Results - Subjective Severity: Victims of emotional abuse were more likely to perceive the problem as serious if they were functionally impaired, highly educated, or endured more objectively severe mistreatment; victims were less likely to perceive the emotional abuse as serious if they lived with family or lived with their perpetrator. Physical abuse victims had higher odds of viewing their abuse with greater seriousness if they were a widow, single or experienced more objectively severe mistreatment; victims were less likely to perceive physical abuse as serious if they lived with the perpetrator. Neglect victims reported higher perceptions of problems seriousness if they were functionally impaired, male, had a paid attendant perpetrator, or endured more objectively severe mistreatment; neglect victims had lower perceptions of problem seriousness if their perpetrator was an adult child or when they lived with the perpetrator Implications: Using NYSEAPS data, this dissertation contributes the most valid and reliable elder emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect risk factor knowledge available to date. It also extends existing risk factor research as the first known study to examine factors predicting elder abuse operationalized along a continuum of severity. Incidence-related risk factor information carries direct implications for policy and interventions aimed at preventing new elder abuse cases. Objective severity risk factor findings inform the development of targeted interventions to alleviate the magnitude of existing elder abuse cases and protect victims from heightened risks of mortality and morbidity. A focus on subjective severity carries indirect implications towards understanding victim help-seeking intentions and protective service utilization.

This research project was designed to identify variables within the dialysis patients' ecological field associated with behaviors. The import of this study lies in the fact that dialysis patients' health and levels of social functioning are affected by the degree to which they are able to comply with their prescribed medical and dietary regimen. Five measures of compliance were selected as the dependent measures for this study. Serum phosphorous, serum potassium, and between dialysis weight gains constituted three objective measures. An Overall Objective Compliance Index was created by standardizing and summing the patient's scores on the three objective measures.The fifth dependent measure was based upon the patients' self-reports of their compliance. We found this measure to be the least reliable and negatively correlated with the objective measures. Independent variables were grouped into five domains, demographic, intra-personal, inter-personal, health delivery system and environmental factors. A random sample of 60 patients was selected from the 131 patient population at the Brooklyn Kidney Center for this cross-sectional descriptive study. Fifty-five patients were interviewed and five patients refused to be interviewed. The interviewed sample was predominantly male (66%), Black (73%). with less than a high school education (52%), had a mean age of 46 and had been on dialysis an average of four years. A structured interview format was utilized to collect data; information was also abstracted from a review of the medical charts. Each patient was interviewed while they were being dialyzed. Less educated, married, female patients new to dialysis reported experiencing the greatest impact from renal failure and dialysis treatments. However, when we correlated the overall degree of impact of the illness with the five dependent measures, there were no statistically significant associations. In other words, while these patients experienced the greatest impact, there was no relationship between their subjective experience and the compliance measures. The findings between the demographic characteristics and compliance measures indicate that some patients are at higher risk of experiencing social role disruptions. A demographic profile of the patients most at risk in being non-compliant shows that they were older males, with less education, of lower socio-economic status, unemployed, born in the New York City area and new to dialysis. The patients' coping activities and the availability of a neighbor were the only independent variables which emerged as being associated with all four objective measures of compliance. Patients who tended to reach out to others and did not solely rely on themselves and who continued to think about the current crisis were more compliant with respect to all four objective measures. Patients who had a neighbor to call upon when in need of help were also more compliant. Families that lacked organization, internal support, or tended toward either of the extremes of over involvement or disengagement from the patient appeared to increase the likelihood that the patients would have problems with compliance. Patients with lower objective knowledge scores and who experienced barriers to following their medical and dietary instructions such as the lack of cash to purchase medications when needed, feeling depressed, being too busy, etc., were less compliant. Contrary to expectations, patients who reported higher levels of satisfaction with the dialysis staff and quality of care were also less compliant. This was attributed to the patients' use of denial and fear of staff's criticisms. A recommended program for increasing dialysis patients' compliance levels is presented in which more reliance is placed on a comprehensive psychosocial evaluation and the initiation of family and group services. Future research projects are discussed noting the importance of utilizing longitudinal type designs.

Eighty-five sponsors in a Veterans Administration family care program were interviewed for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the social environment provided a viable alternative to institutional living for the chronic mentally ill. Also, the impact of various descriptive factors of the setting on the social characteristics in the home was estimated. A level of restrictiveness scale (areas in which the freedom of the residents is restricted) and a level of deviation from normative living scale (areas in which residents are excluded from family activities) were utilized to measure the social characteristics of the family care environment. A high degree of each of these factors has been linked with a custodial care type of arrangement and a low degree of these dimensions has been associated' with a rehabilitative type of dwelling. Fifteen per cent of the homes scored above 80% on the level of restrictiveness and only 5% of the residences fell into the same category on the level of deviation from normative living (maximum score 100%), indicating that only a small minority of homes could be placed in a custodial care type category in relation to each of these dimensions. Moreover, a sizeable proportion of homes, approximately 40% of the sample, scored under 50% on the level of deviation from normative living demonstrating that some opportunities are provided for residents to experience different facets of family living. The lack of association found between the level of restrictiveness and degree of deviation from normative living would seem to indicate that the pattern of care is less consistently structured than other dwellings dealing with a similar population. This inconsistency may be the result of a variety of "cross-pressures" on the sponsors related to the decentralized manner in which the program is administered. Sponsors who were previously employed in a custodial care setting scored significantly lower on the level of deviation from normative living scale than sponsors lacking such experience. Sixty-nine per cent of the "trained" sponsors as compared with 39% of the "untrained" sponsors scored below the median on the level of deviation from normative living (p < .01), indicating that the former group may be more involved in "rehabilitative" tasks than the latter group. Younger sponsors appeared to maintain more restrictive homes than older caretakers. Sixty-seven per cent of the caretakers under 40 years of age scored above the median on the level of restrictiveness whereas only 29% of caretakers over 60 years of age scored above the median on the same dimension (p < .12), indicating that there may be more restrictions in homes managed by younger sponsors than in those managed by older ones. Comments obtained from the sponsors seem to suggest that the motivation of the individual for participating in the family care program may play an important role in shaping the structure of the setting. Such individuals as the older person who joins the program for companionship and the former employee of a custodial care facility who desires to take on a broader, more active role with psychiatric patients, may tend to establish settings consistent with these needs. What is noteworthy is the lack of relationship between size of the home and the social dimensions in the environment. This negative finding brings into question a modification in family care programs which has been considered by some or already implemented by others, namely, limiting the number of ex-patients in a home. Based upon the findings different hypotheses were formulated to be tested in future research.