Dear Readers,
Welcome to the second issue of the year, which features seven articles: one commentary and six research papers – four quantitative projects and two qualitative projects. The first, Jenkins-Morales, Miller, and Hamlerʻs commentary Dismantling Systemic Racism in Long-Term Services and Supports: A Call to Action for Social Workers is an award winner! In a competition sponsored by the Wayne State University School of Social Work, it was recognized as the best manuscript submitted in response to the journalʻs call for papers on racism and social justice issues among older adults. Next, Alba and colleagues present their work examining Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in older lesbian women and gay men in Australia, and discuss the linkages between discrimination experiences and current quality of life. Next, Vaculiková and Hanková describe older adultsʻ mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic. Based on data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), these authors identify several risk factors associated with depression among the older Czech population. In the fourth paper, Baik and Davitt share findings from a systematic review of the literature on social work student attitudes toward older adults and gerontological practice, noting curricular infusion efforts that feature direct and indirect exposure to older adults are associated with positive changes in social work studentsʻ attitudes. Paper five is Zheng, Kane, and Lightfootʻs Helping older Tenants Remain in Low-Income Senior Housing: Predictive Validity of the Live Well at Home-Rapid Screen (LWAH-RS) in a Real-World Application, which demonstrates the predictive validity of a screening instrument that can help housing professionals effectively identify individuals at risk for transitions to a higher level of care due to health needs. Next, Kim et al. examine the meaning of active aging in Korean long-term care settings and associated care strategies to promote active aging; the authors note both meaning and care approaches vary by individualsʻ physical and cognitive status but are applicable even for those who are bedridden. The issue closes with Williams, Dakin, and Lipschutzʻs paper examining the experiences, concerns, and recommendations regarding formal services among LGBT+ older adults residing in rural south central Appalachia. These authors note that many participants experience discrimination and/or marginalization while accessing formal services and are fearful about the lack of LGBT+-inclusive services.
As always, I hope you enjoy reading the informative articles in this issue.
Robin P. Bonifas, PhD, MSW, LICSW
Editor-in-Chief
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).