Social Work in Health Care最新文献

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted social work practice globally. Using a cross-sectional survey, we examined the experiences of hospital social workers (N = 230) in Ontario, Canada during the second wave of the pandemic. Nearly three quarters (73%) of respondents reported workload changes, and 82% had increased responsibilities due to patient care demands. Hospital social workers adapted and made an important contribution to health care during the pandemic by employing virtual resources, supporting interprofessional colleagues, focusing on advocacy, and providing mental health and trauma-focused care. They sought educational opportunities and contributed to the development of procedures. Recommendations to strengthen hospital pandemic social work practice are provided.

Unique challenges exist for hospital social workers tasked with the care of patients experiencing homelessness. These challenges affect patient care, impact social work practice, and emphasize the need to better understand the experience of providing services to this vulnerable population. Research is limited and focuses upon the experiences of unhoused patients and of medical management, not upon the experiences of the social workers positioned to meaningfully impact care. To address this gap, the current study utilized Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the lived experiences of hospital social workers providing services to homeless patients. Respondents identified fulfilling aspects of this work but also emphasized the deeply personal and professional challenges it engendered. Recommendations were offered for supporting hospital social workers' self-care, incorporating effective practice perspectives, and providing meaningful patient support. Alignment of respondent experiences with literature on compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, work life conditions, and burnout was considered.

Research regarding the intersection of social work and integrated care has recently increased. Although research specific to the role and engagement of social workers in integrated care is promising, research regarding attitudes toward social workers on integrated behavioral health (IBH) teams remains scant. This study provides perspective regarding healthcare professionals' attitudes toward the role of social workers on IBH teams. A survey was constructed and distributed to health professionals (n = 104) from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work. Mixed methods were used to evaluate survey findings. Results suggest attitudes toward social workers on IBH teams are generally favorable.

This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Emotional Abuse Questionnaire (EAQ) in Turkish. This psychometric study was conducted between 01/02/2021 and 31/04/2021, with 341 adolescents aged 12-19. Data were analyzed with SPSS and LISREL programs. Language validity of EAQ was determined to be appropriate after translation-back translation and expert opinion. The sample adequacy calculated for the EAQ was evaluated as very good Kaiser Mayer Olkin (KMO = 0.94, X² = 4104,42). In the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), of the EAQ revealed that 29 of the 30 items were suitable for Turkish society, they preserved their 6-factor structure, and the factor loads of the items ranged from 0.40 to 0.87. and the CFA fit index values were within acceptable limits/perfect fit limits. In this study, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was found to be 0.94. The two half reliability levels of the scale were evaluated as 0.91. A strong and highly significant positive correlation was observed in the test-retest results (r = 0.92). Turkish adaptation of EAQ; It was concluded that it has sufficient internal reliability and validity to be able to evaluate emotional abuse and can be easily applied.

This study examines Health Savings Account (HSA) effects on health-related debt outcomes. Applying the health lifestyles theory, a subset of 12,686 respondents from three years (2010, 2012, and 2014) of secondary quantitative data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY) was drawn. The sample included respondents who answered survey questions about owning an HSA, chronic disease status, health behavior, and health-related debt. Descriptive, bivariate, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses were conducted. Results indicate HSA ownership status (p = .76) is not significantly associated with reporting health-related debt. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Social needs are factors for health risk and depression that may negatively impact health outcomes and costly services use. Care management addresses social needs that can reduce health risk and depression. An exploratory study of the 5-step Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social Model (AIMS) was conducted to examine the effect of steps completed as part of AIMS on patients' depression and health risk outcomes at 6-months. Results reveal steps central to AIMS are significantly related to lower depression and health risk, suggesting AIMS is a valuable intervention for reducing health risk and depression.

Life-threatening illness such as cancer may lead to existential distress, fears about dying, and questioning our legacy and impact on those around us. Building on the foundation of meaning-focused interventions in cancer care and the significance of the therapeutic alliance, the paradigm of vicarious resilience can inform oncology social work, serving as a means of growth, resilience, and self-care for clinicians. Vicarious resilience is the strength clinicians may experience through clients' resilience in facing adversity, and the meaning that practitioners can gain from supporting individuals through traumatic situations, namely life-threatening illness. Social workers in the field of oncology are at risk for vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue, as they walk alongside clients through suffering and loss, while also positioned to experience vicarious resilience and meaning through the resilience displayed by clients. This paper will examine the potential benefits of vicarious resilience in the field, and through enhancing psychoeducation and incorporating it into training and supervision, it can be brought to the fore as a paradigm in cancer care, offering a means to support practitioners. A case study involving a composite client navigating her cancer journey will be shared, illustrating the companionship and vicarious resilience through the oncology social work relationship.

Despite increasing numbers of older-adult mental health service users, few studies have examined their use of public mental health services. Using the 2018 and 2019 Mental Health-Client Level data for clients age 18+ (N = 4,291,737 in 2018 and N = 4,513,946 in 2019), we examined whether those age 50+ who received outpatient-only, both outpatient and inpatient, or inpatient-only services had greater odds of certain types of mental disorders, especially schizophrenia, than younger adults. Of all users, 25.3% were age 50-64 and 6.7% were age 65 + . Multivariable logistic regression results, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, census region, and alcohol/substance use disorder, showed that compared to the 30-49 age group, the 50-64 and 65+ age groups had higher odds of having depressive disorder in outpatient-only settings; however, they had consistently higher odds of a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder in all three service settings. Along with advocating for increased funding for publicly-financed mental health services, social workers in public mental health service systems should ensure that they utilize effective intervention skills for older adults with serious mental illness.

Depression and anxiety, as the two most prevalent psychiatric disorders, pose a huge challenge to the quality of life of the elderly. Using a sample of 7,721 elderly from the latest Chinese Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey (CLHLS), the present study intended to explore the association between mental health and socioeconomic status, physical functional disability, and cognitive impairment among Chinese elderly by adopting multivariate logistic regression analyses. The results revealed that depression, anxiety, and their comorbidity are significantly higher in the elderly with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability, cognitive impairment, financial strain, and living alone. Findings of the study will provide implications for policymakers, social workers, and individual caregivers to develop necessary intervention measures to improve the mental health of the elderly and promote successful aging.

Continued provision of essential services is critical to maintaining society's functioning during a crisis. During COVID-19, lockdowns and restrictions designed to preserve the public's health forced an examination of what it means to be an essential worker. Drawing from thematic analyses of focus group data from 55 social workers employed in a large, urban, pediatric, quaternary hospital, this study examines the perspectives of hospital social workers on the meaning of the essential status designation of social work. Findings revealed themes pertaining the substance of social work, the ways in which essential status is carried out, and implications of the designation not only for the future of the profession but also for the populations who receive social work services. The discussion raised important questions about the essential role of social workers in broader health care settings. Our findings suggest that health care systems need to engage in ongoing discussions of how to maximize the efficacy of the social work workforce, both in terms of integration with medical teams and recognition of the important roles social workers play across the hospital system, and facilitate the performance of their essential functions.