Expectations of the social work role within healthcare teams was explored utilizing perceptions of physicians, nurses, and social workers from a variety of healthcare settings and specialties. Thematic categories illuminated intraprofessional and interprofessional perceptions of experiences pertinent to the inclusion of social work services. Responsibilities for social work healthcare practice in specialist settings included providing assessments, counseling to address emotional and social wellbeing, assisting in coordination of systems, and management of systemic family issues. Traits expected of the social worker included expressing confidence, communication aptitude, and basic knowledge of medical terminology.
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.