Research conducted by UConn School of Social Work faculty and scholars consistently appears in top peer-reviewed journals, national policy reports, and academic publications, reaching both academic and practitioner audiences worldwide. Below are articles published in 2025:

• Curran, L., Kim, J.J. & Joo, M.M. (Online 2025). Promoting Competence: Multistage conceptualization, empirical evidence, and current controversies on licensure to inform a future research agenda. Journal of Social Work Education, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2024.2420091  

• Fendrich, M., Llakmani, I., Rodis, E., Ives, M. & Petranu, K. (2024). Burnout among behavioral healthcare workers during the pandemic. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533256x.2024.2390918  

• Fish, J.N., Paceley, M.S., Evans, S. Kosi-Huber, J.A. & Phillips, D.R. (2025). Community efforts to support LGBTQ+ youth mental health: Programs objectives, development, and delivery. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.70002 

• Hong, C., Brandenburg, D., Pushpanadh, S. & Bermoy, K.K. (2025). Sexual satisfaction among Sexual Minority Men During the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. The Journal of Sex Research, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2460669  

• Hong, C. & Skiba, B. (2025). Mental health outcomes, associated factors, and coping strategies among LGBTQ adolescent and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 182, 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.037  

• Mogro-Wilson, C. (2025). Reimagining academic productivity: Creating space for innovation and impact in social work research. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241310437  

• Osmundson, J., Holloway, I.W., Gil, R.M., Jann, J.T., Hong, C. & Bolan, R.K. (2025). Doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis for bacterial STIs: Prescribing patterns, use, short-term outcomes among 2,083 patients in a Los Angeles Federally Qualified Health Care Program, and implications for widespread use. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaf089  

• Palmer, A.N., Deckert, J.C., Goodman, A., Paceley, M.S. & Turner, P. “I am worth more than my grades”: Student reflections on ungrading in social work courses. Journal of Social Work Education, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2024.2445509  

• Sarmiento-Jaramillo, J., Poizat, G. & Fisher, R. (2025). Organizers’ dilemmas, direct action, and adult education: Challenges and Opportunities. Adult Education Quarterly, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417136241310882  

• Real, A. G., Gillis, B. T., Gower, A. L., Eisenberg, M. E., Parchem, B., Lawrence, S. E. & Russell, S.T. (2025). Disparities in sleep among diverse adolescents in two large population-based samples: A need for intersectional interventions. Sleep Health, 11(1), 40-47.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.09.009  

• Watson, R. J., Lawrence, S. E., McCauley, P. S., Wheldon, C. W., Fish, J. N. & Eaton, L. A. (2025). Examining tobacco use at the intersection of gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity using national U.S. data of sexual and gender diverse youth. Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108246  

• Schwartz, R., Cuevas, S., Oceanak, N. & Rehman, H. (2024). Developing and supporting virtual social work practicum placements. Field Educator, 14(2).  

• Valek, L., Andera, M., Thomas, R.L. & Vartikyan, A. (2025). Social problems for social entrepreneurs to solve. Social Impact. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071983669  

• Beikzadeh, M., Holloway, I.W., Karkkainen, K., Hong, C., Cascalheira, C., Wu., E.S.C., Boka, C., Avendano, A.C., Yonko, E.A., & Sarrafzadeh, M. (2025). Identifying substance use and high-risk sexual behavior among sexual and gender minority youth by using mobile phone data: Development and validation study. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 17. https://doi.org/10.2196/68013   

• Gower, A.L., Houghtaling, L., Lawrence, S.E., Eadeh, H., McCurdy, A.L., Rider, G.N., Russell, S.T., & Eisenberg, M.E. (2025). Risk and protective factors for school absence among youth with minoritized social identities. Journal of School Violence, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2025.2473470  

• Huang, W., Stegmueller, D., Ong, J.J., Wirtz, S.S., Ning, K., Wang, Y., Mi, G., Yu, F., Hong, C., Sales, J.M., Liu, Y., Baral, S.D., Sullivan, P.S., & Siegler, A.J. (2025). Technology-based HIV prevention interventions for men who have sex with men: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/63111    

• Iacono, G., Evans, S., Rozas, L.W., & Garran, A.M. (2025). Towards a socially engaged mindfulness pedagogical approach to anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work education. Social Work Education The International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2025.2531864  

• Iacono, G., Holle, L.M., Loveland, E.K., Wu, E., Pan, C., Haggerty, T., Craig, S.L., Watson, R.J., Smith, J., & Bietsch, B. (2024). Supporting sexual and gender diverse young people: Exploring the potential benefit of the Tuned In! intervention. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-024-01004-8  

• Iacono, G., Loveland, E.K. (2025). Fostering critical relational teaching in social work education: Reflections on shifting pedagogy to address the current college mental health crisis. Advances in Social Work (25)1. https://doi.org/10.18060/28052  

• Iacono, G., Loveland, E.K., Fendrich, M., Kim, D., Russell, B.S., Park, C.L., & Hutchinson, M. (2025). The impact of age and sexual orientation on work-related changes and stress early in the pandemic. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108213  

• Kalinowski, J., Carter, Z., Proulx, J., Brown, I., Nazario, J.S., & Elsaesser, C. (2025). Leveraging the power of a community-engaged framework to examine youth perspectives on stress among Hartford Black and Latine youth. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108513  

• Krueger, E.A., Cordero, L., Hong, C., Flynn, R., & Holloway, I.H. (2025). Cannabis use patterns among emerging adults in California who use tobacco: Differences by sexual identity, gender identity, and sex assigned at birth. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100624  

• Lane, S.R., Newransky, C., Acquay-Doyle, L., Furmanek, F., Keilty, M., Phanord, L., Quinn-Beers, J., & Roberson-Steele, J. (2025). Social workers as poll workers: Experiences in the 2020 and 2021 elections. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 31(2). 

• Lane, S.R., Hayes, C.M., Krase, K., Waller, B., David, S., Hodge, J., Lozano, A., Matthews, N., McClendon, J., & Kagotho, N. (2025). Collective response to the 2020 COVID-19, racial injustice, and political polarization triad: Case studies for social work education. Journal of Progressive Human Services. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2025.2498239  

• Lawrence, S.E., Watson, R.J., Gower, A.L., Rider, G.N., Macapagal, K., Russell, S.T., & Eisenberg, M.E. (2025). HIV prevention behaviors among LGBTQ+ adolescents: the Protective Role of LGBTQ+-inclusive school resources. Prevention Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-025-01799-7  

• Lawrence, S.E., Hanna-Walker, V., & Lefkowitz, E.S. (2025). Sexual orientation and gender identity expression, internalized stigma, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies, 22(2), 312-330. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2024.2311871  

• Loveland, E., Hall-Faul, M., & Libal, K. (2025). Federal rulemaking: An untapped arena for social work policy education and practice. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894251323446  

• Mammadli, T., Mack, L.M., Deng, Y., Betz, G.D., Hong, C., Runge, Z., Giovanni, T., Kamugisha, S., DeForge, B., & Whitfield, D.L. (2025) “Substance use among transgender and gender nonconforming youth and young adults living in the US: A systematic review.” Social Science & Medicine.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118330  

• Mauldin, R., Handique, S., Jang, S., & Parekh, R. (2024). Using geographic information systems analysis to understand the burden of providing rides for older adults. Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igae098.3924  

• Mlay, J.P., Naidu, T., Ramlall, S., Patankar, K., Israel, K., Esquivel, L., Curran, L., Mhlungu, S.S., Zondi, M., Lessells, R., Tomita, A., & Manuel, J.I. (2025). Strategies for relapse prevention among people with schizophrenia in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: Healthcare providers’ perspectives. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316313  

• Mogro-Wilson, C. (2025). Standing up for equality in the face of censorship. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 106(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894251365321  

• Mogro-Wilson, C., Jaggers, J., Abebe, A., Ballentine, K.L., Day, A., Hawkins, R., Loomis, A., Lovato, K., McLeod, B., Sormanti, M., & Trahan, M. (2025). A critical crossroads in child welfare: Reform or abolish? Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 106(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894251340152  

• Nenide, L.S., Sweeney, K., Costa, G., Horen, N.M., & Corso, R.M. (2025). Uniting Infant Mental Health and the Pyramid Model. Brookes Publishing. https://products.brookespublishing.com/Uniting-Infant-Mental-Health-and-the-Pyramid-Model-P1651.aspx  

• Okpych, N.J., Whitman, K., Lee, J., Neria-Piña, L., Jackson, L.A., & Day, M. (2025). Secondary and postsecondary education outcomes of students with experience in foster care: Systematic review of the literature from 200-2023. AERA Open, 11(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251331454  

• Park, C.L., Kim, D., Russell, B.S., & Fendrich, M. (2025). Trajectories of spiritual well-being across the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000870  

• Park, K., Okpych, N.J., & Courtney, M.E. (2025) Trends in social support during the transition to adulthood for youths who spent time in congregate care in California. In E. Magalhaes & S. Attar-Schwartz (Eds.), Social support of young people in and after residential care: Is someone there for you? (1st ed., pp. 18). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003424468  

• Posner, R., Moynihan, L., Centracchio, T., & Macdonell-Yilmaz, R. (2025). “I just can’t say it”: Informed non-dissent in pediatric code status discussions. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 69(5), e719-e720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2025.02.433  

• Roberson-Steele, J., Lane, S.R. (2025). Spirituality among older African Americans in recovery from substance use disorder. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 2(175-202). https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2025.2462617  

• Rozas, L.W., Grandon-Zerega, P., Negroni, L.K., Barria, D.R. (2025) Introduction to special issue on Latin American clinical social work practice with the Latinx and Spanish speaking Caribbean population. Clinical Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-025-01011-x  

• Sieger, M.L., da Cunha Gody, L., Moore, T.E., Nichols, C., Goldsborough, E.J., Chen, S., Terplan, M., Griffin, B.A., & Patrick, S.W. (2025). Connecticut’s novel prenatal substance exposure policy is associated with declining CPS reports and foster placements. HealthAffairs (44)7. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.01160  

• Singh, S., Cox, A., Berezin, M., & Nalani, A. (2025). “Even as a probation officer, we’re all very much aware that we’re black first:” an Intersectional examination of how probation officers experience system legitimacy. Feminist Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1177/15570851251330916 

• Storholm, E.D., Randazzo, J., Hong, C., Siconolfi, D.E., Nacht, C.L., Lee, S.D., & Wagner, G.J. (2025). PrEP use among sexual minority men: The mediating roles of internalized homonegativity and PrEP stigma. AIDS and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04802-y  

• Wagner, J.A., Bermúdez-Millán, A., Berthold, S.M., Buckley, T.E., Buxton, O.M., Feinn, R.S., Kong, S., Kuoch, T., & Scully, M.F. (2025) “Culturally specific trauma history is associated with dietary intake outcomes of a healthy eating intervention among Cambodian American refugees: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2025.06.006  

• Bermudez-Millan, A., Berthold, M., Buckley, T.E., Buxton, O.M., Feinn, R.S., Kong, S., Kuoch, T., Scully, M.F., & Wagner, J.A. (2025). Trauma history predicts outcomes of a healthy eating intervention among Cambodian American refugees with high risk for diabetes: A retrospective cohort study. Current Developments in Nutrition (9)2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106250  

• Conley, D.L., Lane, S.R., Smith, TR, & Bryant, A. (2025). Political social work’s role in competency-based social work education. Journal of Social Work Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2025.2560824  

• Craig, S.L., Leung, V.W., Hui, J.A., Iacono, G., Pascoe, R.V., Dillon, F., Austin, A., Pang, N., Dobinson, C., & Brooks, A.S. (2025). LGBTQ+ affirmative CBT: A hierarchical linear model of longitudinal outcomes and mechanisms of change. BMC Psychology, 13(1006). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03314-7  

• Fish, J.N., Paceley, M.S., Evans, S., McGeough, B., DeFiori, S., Offenbacher, N., Cross, C., Henderson, S.B., & Levine, D.S. (2025). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youths’ disclosure of their sexual orientation and gender identity across contexts: Processes, decision making, and related experiences. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/sgd0000841  

• Fish, J.N., Paceley, M.S., Ezra, P., Layland, E.K., Tomlinson, K.V., & Bynum, M.S. (2025). Parental sexual orientation socialization for sexual minority youth: An empirically-derived conceptual model. Journal of Marriage and Family. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.70011  

• Hong, C., Wang, L., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Chen, L., Wong, F.Y., Simoni, J.M., Holloway, I.W., & John, S.A. (2025). Barriers and facilitators to engagement with PrEP care continuum among sexual minority men in China: A systematic review. Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH25021 

• Hong, C., Mammadli, T., Wu, E.S., & Holloway, I.W. (2025). Internalized transphobia and psychological distress among transgender and gender non-confirming emerging adults: The mediating roles of social support and gender identity disclosure. Journal of Psychiatric Research, (191)554-560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.075  

• Howell, B.A., Black, A., Lin, H., Liberatore, M.A., Greene, C.R., D’Onofrio, G., Heimer, R., Grau, L.E., Hawk, K., Fiellin, D.A., & Becker, W.C. (2025). Receipt of addiction treatment after nonfatal opioid overdose and rise of subsequent overdose: A retrospective cohort study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, (273). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112679  

• Kapri, S. & Singh, S. (2025). A comparative study of resilience in sexual minorities and cisgender individuals. Discover Psychology (5)31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-025-00360-5 

• Lee, J., Sieger, M.L., & Phillips, J.D. (2025). A latent class pattern mixture model for nonignorable nonresponses in multivariate categorical data. Computational Statistics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00180-025-01627-0  

• Lunchenkov, N., Mounchid, P., Hong, C., German, E., & Steinert, J.I. (2025). Prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) using PrEP in pre-war Ukraine. Journal of Family Violence.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-025-00977-z  

• Olson, J.R., Estep, K.M., Coviello, K.A., Linkous, O., & Bruns, E.J. (2025). How state administrative structures influence implementation outcomes for wraparound care coordination. Psychiatric Services (76)6. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20240288  

• Park, S., Okpych, N., Harty, J., & Courtney, M.E. (2025). Co-producing service experiences for transition-age youth in foster care: Exploring the connection between transitional independent living plan development and independent living service usage. Children and Youth Services Review, 178.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108550 

• Phillips, J.D., Goldsborough, E.J., Davis, T., Rondini-Zayas, J., Sanborn, R., Monahan, T., & Villagrana, K.M. (2025). Development and application of the training needs assessment for the child welfare workforce (tna-Cww). Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2025.2533270  

• Shpiegel, S., Zeitlin, W., Ludeke, R., & Okpych, N. (2025). The socioeconomic outcomes of sexual minority youth who have aged-out of foster care in California. Child Abuse & Neglect (169)2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107684  

• Singh, S., Adler, J.G., Valenzuela, F.R., Jeter, J., & Smith, T.R. (2025). Moving from manufactured ambivalence to building power: Recommendations for voter engagement interventions through a participatory project with formerly incarcerated people. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70013  

The School of Social Work's Research Impact Newsletter is now a biannual e-newsletter that highlights recent research in a range of subject areas by our faculty and postdoctoral students. The most recent edition is available via the link below. To subscribe please email ssw.outreach@uconn.edu.

Fall 2025 Research Impact Newsletter
Spring 2025 Research Impact Newsletter
Fall 2024 Research Impact Newsletter
Spring 2024 Research Impact Newsletter
Fall 2023 Research Impact Newsletter
Spring 2023 Research Impact Newsletter