scholarly journals Mental illness and addictions: Our responsibility to support the family

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Jessica Kean
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Addiction Services ◽  
The Family

Mental health and addictions is a field within the realms of social work practice that appears to be consistently growing. This article seeks to discuss the importance of social work practice with the families that come into contact with mental health and addiction services. It will also draw attention to the questions of whether social workers are effectively supporting and engaging family and how we can work alongside or in partnerships with family. It will seek to highlight the importance of having a clear understanding of the experiences of the family who have been affected by mental illness or addiction in order to more effectively work towards recovery.

Managing Risk in the Pro-Empowerment Era of Mental Health Care: A Cross-Cultural Study of Social Work Perspectives in Hong Kong and Sydney

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jialiang Cui ◽  
Limin Mao ◽  
Christy E Newman ◽  
Chi Kin Kwan ◽  
Kari Lancaster
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Assessment Guidelines

Abstract Risk management and empowerment have become key features of social work practice. Despite their increasing salience, relatively little is known about the perspectives of mental health social workers regarding how they navigate competing risk management approaches in modern practice that supports empowerment. The socio-cultural influences on risk management have also received insufficient attention in social work research. Focusing on these issues, this paper explored the perspectives of social workers in two geographically and culturally distinctive settings (i.e., Hong Kong and Sydney). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with frontline social workers and were analysed using thematic analysis. Similar views were expressed by participants in both settings regarding assessment of clients’ readiness for risk-taking. Differences were identified in their practices of negotiating the perspectives of other key stakeholders and can be attributed to the influences of distinctive cultural and socio-political contexts. These insights may contribute to the development of more systematic, localised and practice-based risk assessment guidelines for mental health practitioners working towards the empowerment of clients.

scholarly journals SOCIAL WORKERS’ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF POPULATION’ MENTAL HEALTH PRESERVATION IN THE XXI CENTURY

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 2823-2828
Author(s):  
Liliia Y. Klos ◽  
Mariana V. Shkoliar ◽  
Sofiya G. Stavkova ◽  
Olena P. Kokhanova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

The aim: Social work is focused on overcoming inequality and social isolation of individuals and communities due to health conditions. Therefore, substantiating the activities of social workers to preserve mental health of citizens is an important component of the new strategy for the development of the profession in the XXI century. Materials and methods: The methodological basis of the study is a holistic approach to the interpretation of individual health in the unity of physical, mental, social, and spiritual components; ecosystemic approach assumes the impact of the environment on the social functioning of the individual; interdisciplinary approach identifies ways of dealing withmental health challengein the global context; social inclusion approach provides a basis for the practice of experts of the social spherein the XXI century. Conclusions: The article substantiates the need for social workers to maintain the mental health of the population under the negative impact of global factors within their own countries and internationally. The evolution analysis of the international experience of transformations of social work practice in the area of mental health preservation is carried out. Preserving the mental health of citizens under the negative effects of globalization processes depends on the concerted actions of states, international organizations, civil society, communities, and individuals themselves. This encourages social workers to work at regional and international levels with institutions interested in fair policies and practices in social and health services.

scholarly journals Mad studies and social work: Conceptualising the subjectivities of service user/survivors who experience significant mental health problems

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-118
Author(s):  
Stephen J Macdonald ◽  
Anne Charnock ◽  
Jane Scutt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Mad Studies

This article draws on contemporary and classical psycho–political theorists to conceptualise ‘mental illness’ as a social construct. The research employs a Mad Studies and anti-psychiatry perspective to reframe ‘mental illness’ from an individualised pathological defect to a socially constructed reality (Foucault, 1967; Menzies et al., 2013). The study applies a qualitative biographical methodology to analyse the subjectivities of people with severe mental health problems, their family members and mental health practitioners. In this study, once individuals were conceptualised as pathologically ‘ill’ they were then medicated and often institutionalised as a form of ‘treatment’. The findings present a theoretical analysis of participants’ subjectivities to examine historic and contemporary psychiatric practices. The article will conclude by discussing how Mad Studies can offer social work practice an alternative theoretical standpoint to conceptualise ‘mental illness’ as a social rather than a pathological phenomenon.Keywords: mad studies; anti-psychiatry movement; ‘mental illness’; biographical methodology; institutionalisation; medicalisation; family

Mental Health Status of Incarcerated Women in India: A Perspective from a Social Worker

2021 ◽  
pp. 097152152110579
Author(s):  
Navdeep Kaur ◽  
Sanjoy Roy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Women Inmates ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Incarcerated Women ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Incarcerated Population

Women constitute a growing segment of the incarcerated population across the world, presenting unique issues for social workers in correctional settings. In this article, based on a study conducted in Mandoli Jail, New Delhi, India, we address the need to broaden the scope and quality of social work provided for women inmates, specifically highlighting the potential role of social workers in promoting their mental health. Our study revealed that the mean age of women inmates was 39.43 years, indicating that most of the women were in their reproductive age and therefore prone to specific health issues. On an average, they were overweight, with only 42.22% women inmates being active, while remaining were inactive (15.56%), moderately inactive (22.22%) or moderately active (20.00%). Of greater concern were the mental health findings: 87.8% experienced distress (45.57% moderately elevated, 54.43% strongly elevated), 73.3% depression (34.85% moderately elevated, 65.15% strongly elevated), 77.78% anxiety (41.43% moderately elevated, 58.57% strongly elevated) and 82.22% somatisation (43.24% moderately elevated, 56.76% strongly elevated). Our study, consequently, identified the mental health of women inmates as a strategic priority for social workers. In this article, we explore the mutuality of various social work practice principles at different levels of intervention and the roles that social workers, as human rights-based professionals, may engage in to improve the mental health of incarcerated women.

scholarly journals Forensic Social Work: Practice and Vision

1986 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 340-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Brennan ◽  
Amy E. Gedrich ◽  
Susan E. Jacoby ◽  
Michael J. Tardy ◽  
Katherine B. Tyson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Mental Health Systems ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Forensic Social Work

Forensic social work can bridge the gap between the criminal justice and mental health systems and serve clients who “fall between the cracks.” The authors describe theoretical and clinical issues, utilizing case examples and the literature to develop a conceptual paradigm for the role of social workers in this area.

Sexual Revictimization: Implications for Social Work Practice

2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Macy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Violent Victimization ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sexually Violent

Substantial research demonstrates the existence of the sexual revictimization phenomenon; however, the problem of sexual revictimization is largely unattended and unexamined in the social work literature. Because of the pervasiveness of sexually violent victimization, social workers are frequently working with victim-survivors among their clients in child welfare, domestic violence, and sexual assault as well as physical health, mental health, and substance abuse settings. Social workers lacking a thorough knowledge about sexual revictimization and the strategies to prevent its occurrence may be missing important intervention opportunities. This paper helps to increase social workers’ awareness of the revictimization phenomenon and builds on the literature and research to provide recommendations for social work practice and research for revictimization prevention.

Reflectivity in social work practice with clients with mental-health illness

2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam-shing Yip
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Travail Social ◽  
Trabajo Social ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Different Levels

English The author's nine years' experience in developing social work students' practical reflectivity in working with clients with mental illness is described in this article. By means of various teaching strategies, students' different levels of reflectivity were developed. Promise and challenges to social work education are also discussed. French Dans cet article, l'auteur décrit son expérience de neuf ans en tant que formateur d'étudiants en travail social dans le développement de leur réflexivité dans le travail auprès de clients souffrant de maladie mentale. Divers niveaux de réflexivité des étudiants ont été développés à l'aide d'une variété de stratégies d'enseignement. Des promesses et des défis pour la formation des travailleurs sociaux sont également élaborés. Spanish El autor describe sus nueve años de experiencia enseñando a los estudiantes de trabajo social a usar la reflexión práctica en el trabajo con clientes con enfermedades mentales. Usando varias estrategias de enseñanza, los estudiantes desarrollaron sus capacidades reflexivas. Se examinan las promesas y las dificultades de la educación para el trabajo social.

scholarly journals Dyslexia Primer for Social Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-44
Author(s):  
Michelle D. Garner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Low Iq ◽  
Current Science

Dyslexia is a lifelong epigenetic neurobiological difference (neurodiversity) in brain formation and processing. Though highly prevalent, most people, including social workers, know little about dyslexia. Whereas dyslexia predicts common cognitive strengths and weaknesses, it is most often associated only with weaknesses, due to misinformation or a simple lack of information. As a result, pervasive myths (e.g., laziness, low IQ) drive beliefs, attitudes, and policies that contribute to disproportionally poorer educational, financial, justice system, and mental health outcomes for individuals with dyslexia – a cycle of externally and internally applied stigmas with significant practical effects. This analysis applies a person-in-environment conceptual framework to explain this cycle, as a step toward disrupting it. The analysis uses translational research methods, drawing from current science, to provide positive framing to dispel common stigmatizing myths and to foster strengths-based social work practice and advocacy by and for individuals with dyslexia.

scholarly journals Social work and families in child welfare in Malawi

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Memory Jayne Tembo ◽  
Siv Oltedal
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Professional Discretion ◽  
The Family

This article discusses professional discretion in relation to placing a child outside the family, as understood by Malawian social workers. The article is a product of an exploratory study covering different aspects of social work practice with children and families in Malawi. It is based on focus group discussions with practicing social workers that were conducted using a vignette. This article describes how social workers handle child protection cases, in which a child has to be placed outside the home or family. The article points out different solutions and the reasoning behind certain decisions on placing children outside their home. The study explores issues of patriarchy, intervention methods into families and the cooperation between social workers, community members and other professionals when helping families. The study found that a number of different factors affect the decision of placing a child outside the home. Social workers in this study put an emphasis on the importance of helping children within the immediate- and extended family to help cope with the lack of financial resources that would provide alternative options.

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