Apologies for forced adoption practices: Implications for contemporary intercountry adoption

2012 marked historic events in the practice of adoption in Australia. Government focus was on the formulation of apologies to those people affected by past forced adoption practices. A critical reflection on these and other Australian apologies, highlight assumptions that differentiate past domestic adoption practices from past and contemporary practice in intercountry adoption. The importance of social work, founded in the values of social justice and human rights, to ensuring the same practice standards apply to all people who give birth to children regardless of where they live is highlighted. Expanding knowledge on intercountry adoption indicates that Australia should prepare for another apology

Intercountry adoption: Privilege, rights and social justice

Intercountry adoption tends to be understood in parts - the individual child, the needs of adoptive parents, the legality of its processes, and perceived red tape. Mostly, however, the focus is the facilitation of placing a child with a prospective adoptive family, and the elimination of perceived barriers between the adoptive parents and the desired child. By failing fully to consider the whole picture concerning intercountry adoption, important issues are obscured and disempowered people remain disempowered. Resources are consequently directed towards specific, enabling aspects of intercountry adoption, a need constructed by influential voices particularly where the market approach dominates (Fronek, 2009). In that process, other considerations such as the moral or material circumstances that lead to intercountry adoption and the disempowered first parents, families and communities tend to be ignored in public commentary in the media and in adoptive parent group blogs and chatrooms

‘Together … for only a moment’ British newspaper constructions of altruistic non-commercial surrogate motherhood

Objectives: To explore how national altruistic surrogacy is framed in a representative selection of the British press. Methods: A study of 90 British national newspaper articles was carried out using the Lexis-Nexis data base to search for articles on altruistic surrogacy. Content analysis of gain, loss, neutral frames and high or low alarm and vulnerability frames in the titles and the body of the text was carried out. The type of construction used in the article content was also analysed. Data were coded and consensus reached using a coding strategy specifically developed for the purposes of this study. Results: Titles and content were predominantly loss, high alarm and high vulnerability framed. The content was also gain framed, and written with a focus on the social and legal aspects differentially between the newspaper types. Discussion: The tabloid press emphasizes social issues, and the middle market and serious press focus on legal issues of altruistic surrogacy. Selectively framed and reinforced information provided by the different newspapers, reflect the different readership, with Tabloid readers likely to be, surrogates (mostly from lower socioeconomic strata) and serious/ middle-market readers likely to be commissioning parents (mostly professionals)

Non-specific psychological distress following the Christchurch earthquake:10 Years later-how are they doing now?

Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, had two major earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, with thousands of aftershocks relatively close to each other. Disasters affect peoples’ lives in many ways resulting in changes to family and social relationships, employment, education, and other roles in life. Often these impacts are hidden while people struggle to cope with the immediate task of survival and surface later, after the initial reactions have subsided. This study uses in-depth interviews conducted between 2018 and 2020 to explore the longer-term impact of the earthquake on the mental health and wellbeing of a randomised sub-sample of 60 clients out of the 858 who attended for counselling at the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust (CCHT). Self-report measures on the 36-Item Short Form health survey (SF-36v2) and the Demoralization Scale (DS-II) were completed to ascertain the participants’ current social, physical, and mental health functioning. A comparison of the CCHT SF-36v2 scores with age-specific respondents in the New Zealand 2006/07 national health survey showed that in terms of mental wellbeing the participants in this study had significantly (p < .001) poorer health than the national sample. The ongoing aftershocks and secondary stressors were also causing continual disruptions in their lives. Overall, these findings show that many years later the participants in this study were still recovering from the psychological impact of the earthquakes. This indicates the need for the development of longer-term mental health care strategies that can be better integrated into future disaster planning.fals

‘This neo- natal ménage à trois’: British media framing of transnational surrogacy

Background: Media framing can influence people’s perceptions of social changes in family building, and has the potential to influence their future actions. Objectives: to analyse the type of framing and construction used in British news print of transnational commercial surrogacy. Methods: UK newspapers were searched using the search engine Lexis-Nexis. One hundred ninety seven articles were analysed. Content analysis was undertaken to identify the use of gain, loss, neutral, alarm and vulnerability frames, as well as type of construction (i.e. ethical, social, legal, financial and medical). Four researchers independently analysed articles using a coding strategy. Results: Differences between serious (mainly legal, financial), middle market (legal) and tabloid (social, financial) newspapers were found. There were three main foci; buying babies - affordable only to those wealthy enough to pay for it; the legal complications of transnational surrogacy - reporting a sense of the legal system lagging behind this practice; and gay families - repeatedly questioning their suitability as parents - demonstrating a prevailing heterosexual stereotype about reproduction and parenting. Conclusions: Stereotyping was prevalent and the welfare of children and medical aspects of transnational surrogacy were minimally addressed, indicating the media selectively influences its readership

History repeating..disaster-related intercountry adoption and psychosocial care of children

Disasters are prevalent with devastating effects on vulnerable populations that include the elderly, disabled, women and children. Historical responses to vulnerable children and families post-disaster raise questions concerning further harms to children rescued by adoption in the aftermath of devastation. This article offers critical and historical perspectives on child removal for adoption in the context of disaster and the psychosocial care of children affected by disaster. It brings into question whether removal, especially permanent removal for adoption, is in their interests. This article concludes that efforts are needed by the international community to ensure that past abuses do not recu

Perfecting adoption? Reflections on the rise of commercial off-shore surrogacy and family formation in Australia

No abstract available

Responding to COVID-19 in social work field education in Australia, New Zealand and the United States

Author(s), Kathryn Hay, "Responding to COVID-19 in social work field education in Australia, New Zealand and the United States". International Social Work pp. 1-14. [2021] Copyright © The author/s. DOI: [10.1177/00208728211048934]. Published source must be acknowledged with citation. Reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative usesPublishe

Ankle brachial index combined with Framingham risk score to predict cardiovascular events and mortality - A meta-analysis

CONTEXT: Prediction models to identify healthy individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease have limited accuracy. A low ankle brachial index (ABI) is an indicator of atherosclerosis and has the potential to improve prediction. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the ABI provides information on the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality independently of the Framingham risk score (FRS) and can improve risk prediction. DATA SOURCES: Relevant studies were identified. A search of MEDLINE (1950 to February 2008) and EMBASE (1980 to February 2008) was conducted using common text words for the term ankle brachial index combined with text words and Medical Subject Headings to capture prospective cohort designs. Review of reference lists and conference proceedings, and correspondence with experts was conducted to identify additional published and unpublished studies. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if participants were derived from a general population, ABI was measured at baseline, and individuals were followed up to detect total and cardiovascular mortality. DATA EXTRACTION: Prespecified data on individuals in each selected study were extracted into a combined data set and an individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted on individuals who had no previous history of coronary heart disease. RESULTS: Sixteen population cohort studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included. During 480,325 person-years of follow-up of 24,955 men and 23,339 women, the risk of death by ABI had a reverse J-shaped distribution with a normal (low risk) ABI of 1.11 to 1.40. The 10-year cardiovascular mortality in men with a low ABI (< or = 0.90) was 18.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3%-24.1%) and with normal ABI (1.11-1.40) was 4.4% (95% CI, 3.2%-5.7%) (hazard ratio [HR], 4.2; 95% CI, 3.3-5.4). Corresponding mortalities in women were 12.6% (95% CI, 6.2%-19.0%) and 4.1% (95% CI, 2.2%-6.1%) (HR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.4-5.1). The HRs remained elevated after adjusting for FRS (2.9 [95% CI, 2.3-3.7] for men vs 3.0 [95% CI, 2.0-4.4] for women). A low ABI (< or = 0.90) was associated with approximately twice the 10-year total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and major coronary event rate compared with the overall rate in each FRS category. Inclusion of the ABI in cardiovascular risk stratification using the FRS would result in reclassification of the risk category and modification of treatment recommendations in approximately 19% of men and 36% of women. CONCLUSION: Measurement of the ABI may improve the accuracy of cardiovascular risk prediction beyond the FRS

A multiple timepoint pre-post evaluation of a ‘sexual respect’ dvd to improve competence in discussing sex with patients with disability

Sexual problems are common after chronic illnesses and disability, yet research indicates that this is a neglected area in healthcare services. Evaluation studies provide evidence of the effectiveness of education in enhancing professionals’ knowledge, skills, and comfort in addressing patients’ sexual concerns. However, there are limited evaluations aimed at improving ability to discuss sexuality when working with people with disabilities. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate a ‘Sexual Respect’ DVD as an intervention to improve competence in addressing ‘sexuality and disability’. A mixed methods design was used with both quantitative and qualitative components. Nursing students’ self-report ratings of knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness (to discuss sexuality) levels were collected across four time points: baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Data were analysed using one-way repeated measures ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons. Open-ended qualitative comments relating to the barriers and facilitators to discussing sexuality were analysed using content analysis and subsequent frequency analysis. Reported barriers included lack of knowledge about sex¬uality and disability issues, the patient’s level of disability, and waiting for the patient to raise sexuality issues first. Facilitators included education/training, written information, and if the patient raised it first. Overall, the DVD intervention had a significant and positive impact on nursing students’ self-reported knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness levels. The findings are discussed in relation to the PLISSIT model, which emphasises the importance of a proactive approach to addressing sexuality issues