Older Bisexual People: Implications For Social Work From The ‘Looking Both Ways’ Study

There is a growing social work literature about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older people. However, research and guidance are predominantly based on the experiences of older gay men and, to a lesser extent, older lesbians. There is little to help practitioners work with older bisexual people. The Looking Both Ways study aimed to contribute to this gap in knowledge. We undertook in-depth purposely-sampled qualitative interviews with 12 people aged over 50, all of whom have bisexual relationship histories and half of whom also currently identify as bisexual. There were three main findings. Firstly, biphobia (prejudice against bisexual people) impacts on older people with bisexual histories in ways that may affect their wellbeing in later life. Secondly, concerns around receiving care are similar in some ways and different in others from the concerns of lesbians and gay men. Thirdly, people with bisexual relationship histories may have developed strong support networks and resilience, factors that may be very beneficial in later life. Three recommendations for social work professionals were identified: 1) understand biphobia, 2) recognise the legitimacy of concerns about receiving care, and 3) ask about support networks rather than assuming family support

Pennsylvania: Base Line Report - State Level Field Network Study of the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

This report is part of a series of 21 state and regional studies examining the rollout of the ACA. The national network -- with 36 states and 61 researchers -- is led by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York, the Brookings Institution, and the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.Although the ACA will no doubt have real financial consequences for insurers, hospitals, and health care providers, at this early stage in implementation, it is difficult to calculate precise gains and losses. For example, the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania supported the ACA, believing, in part, that reform was necessary to reduce current levels of uncompensated care and to reduce reliance on emergency care for patients who put off treatment for as long as possible to avoid out-of-pocket costs. The association agreed to significant cuts in Medicare and Medicaid to support the bill's passage. However, because cost savings from universal coverage have not yet been realized, hospitals reported cutting staff in April 2014 to offset the loss of Medicaid and Medicare funding. Safety net hospitals, which are required to serve all populations, seem especially affected, as many of their patients who fall into the Medicaid coverage gap are still showing up in emergency rooms without insurance

Construct validity, dimensionality and factorial invariance of the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale: A bifactor modelling approach among children of prisoners

The Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1989) has traditionally been conceptualised as a unidimensional measure of self-esteem but empirical evidence is equivocal, with some studies supporting a one-factor solution and others favouring multidimensional models. The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure, factorial invariance and composite reliability of the RSES within a European sample of children affected by parental imprisonment (N = 724). The study specified and tested six alternative factor models using conventional confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) techniques and a confirmatory bifactor modelling approach. The RSES was most effectively represented by a bifactor model including a general self-esteem factor comprising of all ten scale items and separate method effects for the positively and negatively phrased items. This model was found to be factorially invariant among boys and girls. Composite reliability indicated good internal consistency for the general self-esteem dimension but slightly less so for the positive and negative methods effects. Results are discussed in terms resolving the debate surrounding the appropriate factor structure and scoring of the RSES

Locating Pays de Galles in the twenty-first century: dynamic model or forgotten world?

In spite of the increased profile of Welsh national identity in the post-devolutionary age, the roleof travellers and in particular travel writers in representing Wales beyond its borders remainslargely unstudied. This essay explores the contrasting constructions of Wales, Welshpolitical structures and cultural landscapes at the dawn of the twenty-first century offered bytwo francophone travel narratives by Quebecois Dominic Ménard-Bilodeau (2004) and Breton Jean-Yves Le Disez (2006). It investigates how the travellers’ divergent discursive axes and respective emphases on heritage and ethnic tourism result in polarised perceptions of contemporary Wales as a romanticised and mysterious forgotten world on the one hand, and a vibrant and dynamic model to be emulated by non-state nations on the other. By examining the extent of the travellers’ political awareness of Wales, the essay probes the possible effects of devolution on travellers’ evolving perceptions of Wales and its representation in travel literature

Dimensionality and Construct Validity of the Romanian Self-Report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most widely utilised measures of behavioural and emotional difficulties among children and young people. Previous research has raised concerns about the psychometric properties of the measure, particularly the internal consistency of the CP and PP subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has generally supported a five-factor solution that is consistent with Goodman’s (1997) original conceptualisation of the SDQ, but alternative factor structures have been validated including models with internalising and externalising factors, and a total difficulties factor. This was the first study to examine the dimensionality, construct validity and internal consistency of the Romanian self-report version of the SDQ. Based on data collected from 1,086 school children aged 9-17 years old, six alternative factor models were specified and tested using conventional CFA techniques and a confirmatory bifactor modelling approach. The five-factor model provided a better fit for the data than alternative factor structures, but was still unacceptable according to a range of overall model fit indices and individual item loadings. Model fit statistics for the five-factor solution were also notably poorer among boys than girls. Internal consistency was low for the CP, H and PP subscales among the total sample and girls only; and for the EP, CP, H and PP subscales among boys only. Results are discussed in terms of the appropriate interpretation of the Romanian SDQ

Suicidal Ideation and Self-injury Prevalence and Impairment in an Urban Integrated Primary Care Clinic

Introduction: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents (Rosenbaum & Ougrin, 2019). Pediatric primary care staff are often the first line of intervention for youth presenting with suicidal thoughts and NSSI (Taliaferro et al., 2013). The primary aim of the current study was to describe reported suicidal ideation, attempts, and NSSI in youth presenting to an urban integrated primary care setting. Methods: Within an outpatient pediatric primary care clinic, patients were referred by medical staff and introduced to behavioral health services. Patients were asked about their history of suicidal thoughts/attempts and NSSI (Mage = 12.63; SD = 4.51; 66.3% female, 66.3% Black; 69.6% Medicaid). Patients were also screened using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC17; Gardner et al., 2007) and Top Problems (Weisz et al., 2001). Results: Seventeen percent of patients endorsed a history of either suicidal ideation/attempts or NSSI. Chi-square analyses identified a significant association between patient race and suicidal ideation/attempts [χ2(6) = 13.56, p = .035]. The sample’s mean internalizing score on the PSC17 fell within the clinical range (M = 6.13, SD = 2.49). Further results reflecting findings, interventions used, and top problem areas will be presented. Conclusion: Results highlight a demand for establishing and sustaining effective screening and engagement in mental health treatment for youth suicidality and self-injury in integrated care settings. Future directions will be discussed.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1111/thumbnail.jp

Setting the PACE—Engaging and Motivating Students Utilizing Differentiation

Concurrent Session