Professor and Editor of The Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care
Contact Information
Office: Little Hall 2028
Email: ecsikai@sw.ua.edu
Phone: (205) 348-4447
Areas of Interest and Expertise
- Hospice and Palliative Care
- Oncology and Health Social Work Practice
- Gerontology/Caregivers of Older Adults with Serious Illness
- Bioethics and End-of-life Decisions
- International research/global health
Education
- Ph.D. Social Work – University of Pittsburgh
- MPH – University of Pittsburgh
- MSW – University of Pittsburgh
- BASW – University of Pittsburgh
Bio
Ellen L. Csikai, LCSW, MPH, Ph.D is Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Alabama. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Csikai was social work practitioner in medical settings such as trauma hospital setting (ICU) and in hospice care. Dr. Csikai teaches primarily in MSW and PhD programs in the areas of research methods, practice theory, social work practice in the areas of gerontology, health, end-of-life and palliative care settings. Dr. Csikai is the founding and ongoing editor of the Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care encompassing over 20 years. Along with the journal, she is engaged in education, research, scholarship and advocacy for palliative and end-of-life care. Her research primarily addresses communication and treatment decisions among older seriously ill adults, including oncology and their family members, and health care professionals with a special focus on caregivers of older adults with serious illness. She works with internationally colleagues in Spain, Hungary, and Cuba. She has devoted her career to the development of social work research and interventions in the field of end-of-life and palliative care and to improving the quality of life for individuals and families at perhaps the most important time in life
Selected Publications
*The Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, founding editor (2003); published by Taylor & Francis publishing. Serve as continuing Editor-in-Chief.
Shaw, S.L. & Csikai, E.L. 2023. No Visitors Allowed! The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Psychosocial Well-Being of Nursing Home Residents. Journal of Long-Term Care, (2023), pp. 54–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31389/jltc.135
Roulston, A., Gerson, S.M., Csikai, E.L., & Dobrikova, P. (2023) How did the COVID-19 Pandemic
Affect Palliative Care Social Work Services? A Scoping Review, The British Journal of Social Work, 2023; bcad042, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad042
Bruton, A.E., Debosik, L.R., Pitzer, K.A., Csikai, E.L., & Washington, K.T. (2023) Problem-Solving
Dimensions among Caregivers of People with Cancer Receiving Outpatient Palliative Care, Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 19:1, 23-32, DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2022.2139333
Csikai, E.L., & Patyán, L. (2021). Hungarian social caregivers’ challenges in providing home care to older adults with cancer Journal of Aging and Social Policy. Published online first 19 July 2021. (doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2021.1926210)
Kegye, A., Czeglédi, E., Zana, A. Csikai, E.L, & Hegedűs, K. (2020). Influential factors of well-being among Hungarian Female hospice workers examined through structural equation modelling.
Health & Social Care in the community. First published: 22 March 2020. https//doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12980
Reese D.J, & Csikai E.L. (2018). Social Work Assessment and Outcomes Measurement in Hospice and Palliative Care. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 35(12), 1553-1564. [Published online first July 2018]. doi: 10.1177/1049909118788342.
Glajchen, M., Berkman, C., Otis-Green, S., Stein, G. L., Sedjwick, T., Bern-Klug, M., Christ, G, Csikai, E.L., Downes, D. Gerbino, S., Head, B., Parker Oliver, D., Waldrop, D., Portenoy, R. (2018). Defining Core Competencies for Generalist-Level Palliative Social Work. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 56(6) 886-892. [Published online: September 7, 2018]
Allen, R. S., Azuero, C.B., Csikai, E.L., Parmelee, P.A., Shin, H.J., Kvale, E., Durkin, D.W., & Burgio,
L.D. (2016). “It was very rewarding for me …”: Senior volunteers’ experiences with implementing a reminiscence and creative activity intervention. The Gerontologist, 56(2), 357-
367. (CIF = 2.772). Published online first October 2015.
Black, K. & Csikai, E.L. (2015). Dying in an age of choice. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, 11(1), 27-49. (invited)
Reese, D. & Csikai, E.L. (2015). Measuring Social Work Outcomes with the Social Work Assessment Tool (SWAT). National Association of Social Workers: Health Section Newsletter. Fall, 2015.
Allen, R. S., Harris, G.M., Burgio, L.D., Azuero, C.B., Miller, L. A., Shin, H., Eichorst, M.K., Csikai, E.L., DeCoster, J., Dunn, L.L., Kvale, E.A., & Parmelee, P. (2014). Can senior volunteers deliver reminiscence and creative activity interventions? Results of the Legacy Intervention Family Enactment randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 48(4), 590- 601. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.11.012 (CIF = 2.737).
Csikai, E.L., & Weisenfluh, S. (2013). Hospice and palliative social workers’ engagement in life review interventions. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 30(3), 257-263. doi: 10.1177/1049909112449067 [published online first Fall 2012].