What effect does caseworker listening have on inhalant use?
Susan Snyder
Georgia State University
Dr. Susan M. Snyder is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Dr. Snyder has over a decade of practice experience in the field of child welfare, which informs her commitment to advancing research in the field. Dr. Snyder investigates the sequelae of problem behavior, including substance use and illegal behaviors, among maltreated and system-involved youth. Dr. Snyder’s research has been published in leading journals such as PLOS ONE, Children Youth Services Review, Substance Use Misuse, and Child Abuse and Neglect. In 2017 Dr. Snyder received the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Dean’s Early Career Award from Georgia State University. Dr. Snyder was also recognized as the Most Outstanding and Most Innovative Faculty Member by the 2015 MSW Class at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, before joining GSU. She received her Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and her MSW and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Abstract
Adolescent inhalant use is a serious public health problem among maltreated youth. Examples of inhalants include glue, paint, gasoline, solvents, whipped cream dispensers, and nail polish remover (Johnston et al., 2015; NIDA,... [ view full abstract ]
Adolescent inhalant use is a serious public health problem among maltreated youth. Examples of inhalants include glue, paint, gasoline, solvents, whipped cream dispensers, and nail polish remover (Johnston et al., 2015; NIDA, 2012a, 2012b). This study investigates whether children’s perceptions of caseworker support (e.g. feeling listened to) influences inhalant use after controlling for other variables associated with use. Relying on data collected for the Second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), this research measures how often children (ages 11-17) felt listened to by their caseworkers and the effect on the relationship between maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect) and inhalant use. Binary logistic regressions were conducted using a measure of the frequency of caseworker listening to predict whether children had previously used inhalants. The study found a negative relationship between caseworker listening and inhalant use. Youth who reported lower levels of caseworker listening were 39% more likely to use inhalants. In addition, as reports of deviant peer affiliation increased youth were more 18% likely to use inhalants. Differences were not found based on sex, race, the type of maltreatment experienced, or whether youth lived in out-of-home care. This study’s findings have important implications for practice. Youths’ perceptions of support from caseworkers may influence inhalant use. Furthermore, these findings underscore the need for interventions to improve caseworker-child relationships. Findings demonstrate the important role caseworker support plays in deterring inhalant use among child welfare involved-youth.
Authors
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Darcey Merritt
(New York University Silver School of Social Work)
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Susan Snyder
(Georgia State University)
Topic Area
Voice of the Child
Session
Oral 1 » Session I-Voice of the Child (11:00 - Monday, 2nd October, Africa Room)
