Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Since the 1990s managerialism has spread across the public sector, implementing private sector practices targeting greater efficiency in public services. Consequently, reforms focusing on risk management, standardisation, fragmentation and accountability have increased demands for paperwork and procedure compliance from street-level bureaucrats (SLBs). Focusing specifically on the impact on social work, this paper presents the findings of a systematic literature review synthesising social workers experience of bureaucracy across thirty-nine published qualitative studies. Despite warnings being voiced about the risks associated with enforcing highly bureaucratic and managerial cultures in social work, evidence reinforces the consequences predicted over two decades prior. Major themes from the systematic synthesis include negative effects on social workers and service users, social workers' resistance to bureaucratic structures and the coping strategies they employed. Although the review found some positive perspectives, this was sporadic and only reported in a minority of studies. As SLBs, social workers face an important question: What should be prioritised in the delivery of social services? Managing procedures, administration and documentation or pursuing sustainable change through meaningful engagement with service users?

Context:In response to the growth of evidence-based practice in social work, systematic literature reviews offer significant value to social work but are often met with concerns of time scarcity.Purpose:Through a case study search strategy addressing the research question "What are practicing frontline social workers' experiences of bureaucracy?," this article seeks to promote efficiency by providing a practical guide for conducting systematic literature searches and an appraisal of database performance in qualitative social work research.Method:The total citations, unique hits, sensitivity, and precision for each database were calculated before conducting a cross-study comparison with three previously published social work systematic searches to identify emerging performance trends.Results/Conclusion:Relying on a single database is subject to bias and will not provide comprehensive or sensitive findings; however, due to consistent high performance across four systematic searches, Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and Social Science Citation Index are recommended for future literature searching in social work.

Mapping the availability of voluntary services to a niche, potentially 'hidden' population can be a complex endeavour. This practice paper focuses on a mapping study of military-based voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland, discusses the practical challenges involved, suggests improvements to existing research practice and offers methodological guidance for others who are considering undertaking a scoping review with organisations dedicated to hidden and/or hard-to-reach populations.

Abstract
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a worldwide societal concern. Adversities such as IPV are known to impinge upon mental health and socio-economic development. However, much of the existing literature addresses single or dual constructs of IPV abuse rather than capturing the more common polyvictimisation experience and how they impact on mental health. Using a Northern Irish university student sample (n = 753), latent class analysis was employed to examine distinct patterns of IPV experience stratified by gender (n = 184 males (24.44%); n = 569 females (75.56%)). Regressions were then employed to assess whether there were differential associations between the latent classes of IPV and a range of mental health outcomes. While a greater number of females reported experiencing IPV, patterns of IPV victimisation across gender were found to be similar. Results indicated that three latent classes were optimal across both genders; one characterised by Low or no IPV (males: 48.37%; females: 56.24%), another characterised by predominantly physical and emotional denigration (males: 34.24%; females: 27.42%), and a third characterised by multiple endorsements of different types of IPV (males: 17.39%; females: 16.34%). Differences in mental health outcomes across gender are noted. Classes characterised by multiple forms of abuse report an increased risk of mental health outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression but not alcohol use. The study extends the existing literature which highlights the importance of acknowledging psychological and emotional abuse (PEA) as a significant abuse type in the IPV experience. The study also reaffirms the need for definitional clarity and development of standardised measurement tools of PEA within the research context and beyond.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a worldwide societal concern. Adversities such as IPV are known to impinge upon mental health and socio-economic development. However, much of the existing literature addresses single or dual constructs of IPV abuse rather than capturing the more common polyvictimisation experience and how they impact on mental health. Using a Northern Irish university student sample (n = 753), latent class analysis was employed to examine distinct patterns of IPV experience stratified by gender (n = 184 males (24.44%); n = 569 females (75.56%)). Regressions were then employed to assess whether there were differential associations between the latent classes of IPV and a range of mental health outcomes. While a greater number of females reported experiencing IPV, patterns of IPV victimisation across gender were found to be similar. Results indicated that three latent classes were optimal across both genders; one characterised by Low or no IPV (males: 48.37%; females: 56.24%), another characterised by predominantly physical and emotional denigration (males: 34.24%; females: 27.42%), and a third characterised by multiple endorsements of different types of IPV (males: 17.39%; females: 16.34%). Differences in mental health outcomes across gender are noted. Classes characterised by multiple forms of abuse report an increased risk of mental health outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression but not alcohol use. The study extends the existing literature which highlights the importance of acknowledging psychological and emotional abuse (PEA) as a significant abuse type in the IPV experience. The study also reaffirms the need for definitional clarity and development of standardised measurement tools of PEA within the research context and beyond.

Many veterans suffer chronic pain, which may be exacerbated by military shaped attitudes to health. There is a paucity of research that explores veterans' experiences of developing coping strategies to manage chronic pain. This study employed a qualitative, Grounded Theory (GT) approach with seven participants. The participant involvement was via in-depth semi-structured interviews (male-6, female-1, mean age-46.0yrs, mean service-17.71yrs, mean pain-9.14yrs, pain sites-7, multiple pain sites-71%). The analysis led to the development of a theory of veterans' relationship with chronic pain (CP). The analysis produced five theoretical categories that informed the Grounded Theory of veterans' pain management strategies: "Oscillating Emotional Responses," "Activation of Coping Strategies." "Ambivalent Help-Seeking Patterns," and "Knowledge as Power." The participants' familiarity with military conditioning enabled them to feel in control of the uncontrollable and employ practical, pragmatic approaches to managing pain. Civilian status was associated with feeling somewhat vulnerable and less in control. The findings of this study are supported by previous studies, although this study challenges the view that veterans are poor help-seekers. Whilst veterans may have experiences that exacerbate pain unnecessarily, other experiences may reduce pain. Therefore, it is essential to employ a veteran-civilian approach to care management to understand the impact that collective life experience has on pain management. A veteran-civilian approach could be incorporated into personalized future pain management programs. By providing a rich sample of data, this research provides a basis for future studies to expand upon the current theory of veterans' relationship with CP.

Many veterans suffer chronic pain, which may be exacerbated by military shaped attitudes to health. There is a paucity of research that explores veterans' experiences of developing coping strategies to manage chronic pain. This study employed a qualitative, Grounded Theory (GT) approach with seven participants. The participant involvement was via in-depth semi-structured interviews (male-6, female-1, mean age-46.0yrs, mean service-17.71yrs, mean pain-9.14yrs, pain sites-7, multiple pain sites-71%). The analysis led to the development of a theory of veterans' relationship with chronic pain (CP). The analysis produced five theoretical categories that informed the Grounded Theory of veterans' pain management strategies: "Oscillating Emotional Responses," "Activation of Coping Strategies." "Ambivalent Help-Seeking Patterns," and "Knowledge as Power." The participants' familiarity with military conditioning enabled them to feel in control of the uncontrollable and employ practical, pragmatic approaches to managing pain. Civilian status was associated with feeling somewhat vulnerable and less in control. The findings of this study are supported by previous studies, although this study challenges the view that veterans are poor help-seekers. Whilst veterans may have experiences that exacerbate pain unnecessarily, other experiences may reduce pain. Therefore, it is essential to employ a veteran-civilian approach to care management to understand the impact that collective life experience has on pain management. A veteran-civilian approach could be incorporated into personalized future pain management programs. By providing a rich sample of data, this research provides a basis for future studies to expand upon the current theory of veterans' relationship with CP.

Many veterans suffer chronic pain, which may be exacerbated by military shaped attitudes to health. There is a paucity of research that explores veterans' experiences of developing coping strategies to manage chronic pain. This study employed a qualitative, Grounded Theory (GT) approach with seven participants. The participant involvement was via in-depth semi-structured interviews (male-6, female-1, mean age-46.0yrs, mean service-17.71yrs, mean pain-9.14yrs, pain sites-7, multiple pain sites-71%). The analysis led to the development of a theory of veterans' relationship with chronic pain (CP). The analysis produced five theoretical categories that informed the Grounded Theory of veterans' pain management strategies; 'Oscillating emotional responses', 'Activation of Coping Strategies', 'Ambivalent Help-Seeking Patterns' and 'Knowledge as Power'. The Participants' familiarity with military conditioning enabled them to feel in control of the uncontrollable and employ practical, pragmatic approaches to managing pain. Civilian status was associated with feeling somewhat vulnerable and less in control. The findings of this study are supported by previous studies although this study challenges the view that veterans are poor help-seekers. Whilst veterans may have experiences that exacerbate pain unnecessarily, other experiences may reduce pain. Therefore, it is essential to employ a veteran-civilian approach to care management to understand the impact that collective life experience has on pain management. A veteran-civilian approach could be incorporated into personalised future pain management programmes. By providing a rich sample of data, this research provides a basis for future studies to expand upon the current theory of veterans' relationship with CP.