CSW General

Preventing adolescent depression in rural communities

With research indicating that the early stage symptoms of depression emerge in early adolescents there is a strong need for early intervention, according to Assistant Professor Dr. La Tonya Noël.

“”It is when these symptoms are not addressed at this stage that it progresses to Major Depressive Disorder, which can be a lifelong struggle,” Dr. Noël stressed. “So all the research basically indicates that it’s best to intervene early to prevent this.”

Gerontological/Aging Studies: An increasingly important focus in social work

“I did my initial field placement in gerontology and it was right after my dad died. He was an older gentleman and I really saw the need. Social workers are always talking about those personal experiences and I had that experience and decided that was the way I wanted to go,” Victoria (Vicky) Thomas reflected when seated at her desk at Elder Day Stay, a facility run by Elder Care Services, Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida.

Distinguished Graduates: A New Tradition

The fall 2013 semester marked the beginning of a new tradition recognizing five distinguished graduates from the College of Social Work at the annual student scholarship dinner.  The College’s commitment to service lives on through its students and alumni, exemplified by the five special people acknowledged at this year’s dinner, including the Distinguished Emeritus Alumni Award (Joyce Laidlaw), Distinguished Young Alumni Award (Dana Morris-Brooks), Distinguished Field Educator Award (Sharon Maxwell-Ferguson), Distinguished Alumni in Social Work Practice Award (Jeanene J

Doctoral student’s Three Minute Thesis wins People’s Choice Award

Florida State’s Graduate School held its first Three Minute Thesis competition on February 25th in front of a live audience on the main Tallahassee campus.  Developed by The University of Queensland in Australia, this research communication competition challenges doctoral student competitors to present a comprehensive and captivating oration on their dissertation topic and its significance in three minutes or less.  Popularity for the competition has spread across the globe and is held in numerous graduate schoo

Rushing to prescribe: Antidepressants and grieving parents

Some doctors are too quick to prescribe antidepressants to parents who have suffered the death of a child either during pregnancy or within the first month of life, according to a study conducted by Florida State University researcher Jeffrey R. Lacasse.

In a study of 235 bereaved parents participating in an online support community, Lacasse found that 88 — or 37.4 percent — of them were prescribed a psychiatric medication to help them cope. Some women received prescriptions within a week of losing their children.

Domestic violence resources made available to Puerto Rico’s law enforcement

The Institute for Family Violence Studies in Florida State University’s College of Social Work has partnered with the Center for Public Safety Innovation at St. Petersburg College to create a Spanish-language version of an online training program to prevent domestic violence in the homes of law enforcement officers.

The Spanish-language online training went live March 17 and is free to all law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico.