title: Personal, family, and multiple barriers of long-term welfare recipients.
abstract: This article reports the results of an in-depth, descriptive study of long-term welfare recipients. A random sample of 284 respondents, all of whom had received public assistance for at least 36 months, were interviewed. Results illustrate personal barriers to self-sufficiency, including physical health problems that prevent work, severe domestic violence, educational deficits, substance abuse, learning disabilities, child behavior problems, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and clinical depression. Study findings underscore the complex, persistent, and multiple difficulties experienced by this population and suggest that for some welfare recipients, long-term (even lifelong) financial supports and social services may be in order. Implications for policy and programming are discussed.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112-0260, USA. lmjtaylor@socwk.utah.edu
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Amanda Smith
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Barusch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D017579:Domestic Violence; D004651:Employment; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology