National journal of professional social work最新文献

Background: There have been reports of increasing alcohol use and domestic violence among individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed the experiences of domestic violence, psychological distress, and coping mechanisms used by wives of individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome (PWADS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional institutional-based study collected data from 50 participants using the consecutive sampling method. The following tools were utilized: Socio-demographic Questionnaire, Domestic Violence Questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Brief Cope.

Results: The mean age of the spouses (PWADS) was 42 ± 8.20 years, with 42% (N = 21) being skilled workers. Sixty percent (N = 30) had been consuming alcohol for the past 10 years, and 50% (N = 25) had been undergoing treatment for 2-5 years. Among the study participants (wives of PWADS), the mean age was 40.70 ± 8.70 years, and 82% were housewives. They reported a significant increase in alcohol use and excessive spending by their husbands, which negatively affected the home environment. Domestic violence, in terms of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse, also significantly increased (p < .001) compared to before and during the lockdown. Forty-eight percent of the wives reported experiencing severe levels of psychological distress. They employed various coping strategies.

Conclusion: The lived experiences of wives of individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic were challenging, as their husbands not only continued their regular alcohol consumption but also increased the amount and expenditure on alcohol. This had a detrimental effect on the home environment, worse than the situation before the lockdown. Targeted interventions are necessary to address these issues during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar situations.

Background: Psychiatric social workers are important multi-disciplinary team members, and they assess patients and their families social, emotional, environmental, financial, and support needs in emergency settings. They support patients and their families through difficult times and improve patient lives.

Aim: To study the profile of patients availed psychiatric social work services in neurology casualty and emergency settings.

Materials & methods: The study was retrospective in nature. The ex-post facto research design was used in the study. Data were obtained from a casualty & emergency psychiatric social work referral registry maintained by the psychiatric social work team at the Neurology emergency setting at NIMHANS, Bangalore. Patients referred for psychiatric social work interventions from April 2020 to March 2021 were considered for the study purpose. Frequency and percentages were used to describe the data.

Results: Psychiatric social work services at the neurology emergency setting were started in July 2018. Social workers get referrals from triage (four hours to 24 hours), followed by priority ward (72 hours to two weeks), observation ward (72 hours days - two weeks) and emergency ICU. There are 100 beds available for neuro-emergency settings. Of ≈15,939 patients who availed the neurology emergency services, 159 patients were referred for psychiatric social work services. A majority (61.6%) received neuro-education about their illness; awareness about their illness were given to patients and their family members. More than half of them were given guidance for availing treatment welfare benefits under below poverty line and Ayushman Bharath Scheme (54%), 43.3% received supportive psychotherapy, 35.2% pre-discharge counselling, one-third received crisis intervention,12.6% family interventions, 10.7% were facilitated for hospital charges waiver off, few unknown patients management and tracing their family members. Most patients were diagnosed with a stroke, GBS, neuro-infections, and seizure disorder patients who sought psychiatric social work services in emergency and casualty settings. Assessment of their functionality revealed that most were partially independent and dependent. Social workers work from 9 am to 9 pm in the neuro-emergency setting. Immediate social work referrals were made for unknown patients, tracing the caregivers who left the emergency ward without permission, which required financial assistance and communicating poor prognosis (breaking the bad news).

Conclusion: The most common psychiatric social work intervention provided in the neurology emergency care setting were education about the illness, facilitating poor patients to avail social welfare benefits, supportive psychotherapy and crisis intervention.