A text-based approach to measuring opioid-related risk among families involved in the child welfare system.

Background: The public health significance of the opioid epidemic is well-established. However, few states collect data on opioid problems among families involved in child welfare services. The absence of data creates significant barriers to understanding the impact of opioids on the service system and the needs of families being served.

Complex, Co-occurring Needs Patterns and Evidence-Based Service Planning for Families Involved in Foster Care: A Map for Research and Practice.

This study described the complexity of service need co-occurrence among foster care-involved families and identified prevalent patterns of needs to inform future evidence-based service planning research. We utilized state administrative child maltreatment records, and restricted data to cases where the child entered foster care in 2019 and the caseworker indicated the presence of at least one need from the Family Assessment of Needs and Strengths (FANS; = 1631). We extracted all unique combinations of needs (i.

Using administrative data to uncover how often and why supervisory neglect happens: Implications for child maltreatment prevention.

Background: Despite supervisory neglect being the most prevalent and fatal neglect sub-type, the most common reasons why caregivers are substantiated for this type of maltreatment remains unknown.

Objective: Our study describes cases substantiated for supervisory neglect in a Midwestern state in an effort to inform prevention strategies against supervisory neglect.

Participants And Setting: This study utilized state administrative data from substantiated child maltreatment investigations conducted between May 1st and October 31st, 2019 (N = 11,208).

A scoping review of WeChat to facilitate professional healthcare education in Mainland China.

Aim: WeChat is the most popular social media platform in mainland China, with over 1 billion active users. Although social media is widely used in professional healthcare education in western countries, research on WeChat-based education in healthcare in mainland China is disparate and not systematic. The current study seeks to address this gap.

Prevalence and context of firearms-related problems in child protective service investigations.

Background: Despite the significance of firearm safety, we need additional data to understand the prevalence and context surrounding firearm-related problems within the child welfare system.

Objective: Estimate proportion of cases reporting a firearm-related problem during case initiation and the contexts in which these problems exist.

Sample And Setting: 75,809 caseworker-written investigation summaries that represented all substantiated referrals of maltreatment in Michigan from 2015 to 2017.

Developmental Differences in the Association of Peer Relationships with Traumatic Stress Symptoms.

Although childhood trauma exposure has a high incidence, traumatic stress often goes untreated in children and youth. We investigated peer relationship quality as a prevention strategy for reducing traumatic stress across different developmental periods. We analyzed longitudinal data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (NSCAW I) using a time-varying effect model (TVEM) to investigate the association between peer relationship quality and traumatic stress symptoms across ages 8-17 years.

Detecting substance-related problems in narrative investigation summaries of child abuse and neglect using text mining and machine learning.

Background: State child welfare agencies collect, store, and manage vast amounts of data. However, they often do not have the right data, or the data is problematic or difficult to inform strategies to improve services and system processes. Considerable resources are required to read and code these text data.

Child Protective Service Referrals Involving Exposure to Domestic Violence: Prevalence, Associated Maltreatment Types, and Likelihood of Formal Case Openings.

Childhood exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) is widely understood as potentially harmful to children. Accordingly, many child welfare systems in the United States construe CEDV as maltreatment when the exposure results in harm or threatened harm to the child. The purpose of the current study was to investigate substantiated child welfare referrals directly related to CEDV to better understand the prevalence and patterns of CEDV-related maltreatment and how child welfare workers respond under the "harm or threatened harm" standard.

A randomized controlled trial for aggression and substance use involvement among Veterans: Impact of combining Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Treatment and telephone-based Continuing Care.

Physical aggression (towards partners or non-partners) is common among patients in treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), including among Veteran samples; however, few treatment programs provide adjunct intervention approaches targeting reduction or prevention of aggression. The primary objectives of this comparative efficacy study were to examine the impact of adjunct aggression interventions delivered during treatment on aggression and substance use outcomes, including: a) an acute treatment phase 6-session integrated Motivational Interviewing-Cognitive Behavioral Treatment intervention (MI-CBT) for aggression and substance use prevention, b) MI-CBT plus a 12-week telephone-based Continuing Care (MI-CBT + CC) intervention, and c) an acute phase single session control condition [including some discussion of violence prevention and local violence prevention resources (Enhanced Treatment as Usual (E-TAU))]. Participants (N = 180; 165 males and 15 females) were Veterans with SUD problems and past-year severe aggression who were randomized to one of three conditions: MI-CBT, MI-CBT + CC, or E-TAU.

Mental health functioning and severity of cannabis withdrawal among medical cannabis users with chronic pain.

Purpose: To describe patterns of cannabis withdrawal among a large sample of those who use medical cannabis and test the association between withdrawal symptomology and functioning.

Procedures: Adults ages 21 and older (N = 801) who were seeking medical cannabis certification (either for the first time or as a renewal) for chronic pain at medical cannabis clinics in southern Michigan completed baseline measures of cannabis use, withdrawal symptomology, functioning and other related constructs. Patients were included in the current study if they endorsed using cannabis at least weekly over the past three months.

Early Exposure to Child Maltreatment and Academic Outcomes.

Early childhood trauma increases the risk of academic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of early contact with child protection services (CPS) and to determine whether early exposure to maltreatment investigations was associated with important academic outcomes. The authors focused specifically on standardized test scores (math and reading), grade retention, and special education status in third grade.

Identification of Domestic Violence Service Needs Among Child Welfare-Involved Parents With Substance Use Disorders: A Gender-Stratified Analysis.

The current study examined the prevalence and associations of a need for domestic violence services among child welfare-involved mothers and fathers with substance use disorders. Data were drawn from 2,231 child welfare-involved parents in Illinois with an identified substance use disorder. Approximately 42% of mothers and 33% of fathers with a substance use disorder had a concurrent need for domestic violence services.

Domestic violence, parental substance misuse and the decision to substantiate child maltreatment.

Families that experience domestic violence and parental substance misuse are disproportionately involved with the child welfare system. Prior research suggests that child protective services (CPS) caseworkers are more likely to substantiate maltreatment allegations when domestic violence and parental substance misuse are identified during the investigation, pointing to one possible mechanism for this disproportionate involvement. While previous studies have relied on nationally representative data sets, the current study used administrative records from a large Midwestern child welfare agency that accounts for state-level variation in child welfare policy and practice.

In Utero Exposure to Opioids: An Observational Study of Mothers Involved in the Child Welfare System.

Background: Women are underrepresented in the current substance abuse research; however, women are a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to opioid use and abuse. Pregnant women are even more so, because of the potential that exists for in utero exposure (IUE) to substances.

Objectives: To identify trends in IUE to opioids in order to ensure that resources are allocated effectively to address the current opioid epidemic and to assist the populations most affected by it.

Differences between African Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites Utilization of Clergy for Counseling with Serious Personal Problems.

There is a paradox in research on African Americans and non-Hispanic whites in the utilization of clergy. Research finds that African Americans have higher levels of religious service attendance and higher levels of contact with clergy. Research also finds that despite this, African Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to seek out assistance from clergy for psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety.

Timing matters: A randomized control trial of recovery coaches in foster care.

Substance use disorders are a major problem for child welfare systems. The abuse of and dependence on alcohol and drugs by parents increases the risk of child maltreatment and interferes with efforts to locate a permanent home for children in foster care. The current study focuses on an intervention designed to increase the probability of reunification for foster children associated with substance using families.

Prevalence and correlates of "Vaping" as a route of cannabis administration in medical cannabis patients.

Purpose: To examine the prevalence and correlates of vaporization (i.e., "vaping") as a route of cannabis administration in a sample of medical cannabis patients.

Changing perspectives on marijuana use during early adolescence and young adulthood: Evidence from a panel of cross-sectional surveys.

Introduction: Prior research has often overlooked potential cohort differences in marijuana views and use across adolescence and young adulthood. To begin to address this gap, we conduct an exploratory examination of marijuana views and use among American youth using a panel of cross-sectional surveys.

Method: Findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected annually from adolescents (ages 12-17; n=230,452) and young adults (ages 18-21; n=120,588) surveyed as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2014.

Foster home placements and the probability of family reunification: Does licensing matter?

The concept of foster care has been widely studied in child welfare. The literature is well developed with regard to the risk of initial placement, length of stay in care, placement stability, exits to permanency, and emancipation. Yet, the literature is woefully underdeveloped when it comes to understanding if variations in the types and characteristics of foster homes impact important child welfare outcomes.

Factors associated with having a medical marijuana card among Veterans with recent substance use in VA outpatient treatment.

Psychiatric symptoms, somatic problems, and co-occurring substance use have been associated with medical marijuana consumption among civilian patients with substance use disorders. It is possible that these factors may impact Veterans' ability to engage in or adhere to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Therefore, we examined whether psychiatric functioning, substance use, and somatic problems were associated with medical marijuana use among Veterans receiving substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment.

Trends in the disapproval and use of marijuana among adolescents and young adults in the United States: 2002-2013.

Background: Despite policy changes related to the use and distribution of marijuana in cities and states across the country, few studies have examined changes in disapproval and use of marijuana among American youth.

Objectives: To examine trends in disapproval and use of marijuana among adolescents and young adults in the United States.

Method: We employed nationally representative data spanning the period of 2002-2013.

Child Welfare and the Transition to Adulthood: Investigating Placement Status and Subsequent Arrests.

Studies of the transition to adulthood in child welfare focus almost exclusively on youth in foster care. Yet, research indicates that maltreated children who remain in the home may display similar risks as compared with their peers in formal foster care settings. Utilizing administrative data from child welfare, juvenile justice and adult corrections, the current study fills a gap in the literature by analyzing justice outcomes for older adolescents involved with the child welfare system regardless of their placement status.

Use of prescription pain medications among medical cannabis patients: comparisons of pain levels, functioning, and patterns of alcohol and other drug use.

Objective: Management of chronic pain is one of the most common reasons given by individuals seeking medical cannabis. However, very little information exists about the concurrent use of cannabis and prescription pain medication (PPM). This study fills this gap in knowledge by systematically comparing medical cannabis users who use or do not use PPM, with an emphasis on understanding whether concurrent use of cannabis and PPM is associated with more serious forms of alcohol and other drug involvement.