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Measuring burnout among UK social workers: a Community Care study
- Author:
- McFADDEN Paula
- Publisher:
- Community Care
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 29
- Place of publication:
- Sutton
This report details the headline results of a survey of 1359 UK social workers on levels of burnout in the profession, focusing on emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment. This research was commissioned and funded by Community Care as part of our Stand Up For Social Work campaign. Almost three quarters of the sample scored in the high category of emotional exhaustion while a further 18 per cent scored moderate levels of emotional exhaustion. More than one in four scored in the high category of depersonalisation while 35 per cent scored in the moderate category. Depersonalisation describes a lack of feeling and an uncaring response to service recipients and is correlated with the emotional exhaustion subscale. With the majority of the sample scoring in the high category in relation to personal accomplishment with no one scoring in the low category, UK social workers in the sample are feeling competent and successful in their work despite high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. (Edited publisher abstract)
Men's mental health: a call to social workers
- Authors:
- SHAFER Kevin, WENDT Douglas
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 60(2), 2015, pp.105-112.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The status of men's mental health and its resulting effect on individuals, families, and communities are often overlooked by social workers. This article documents the prevalence of common mental health issues among men in the United States, the unique problems that men face, and help-seeking behaviours. They also discuss how social work is in an exceptional position to help men, and the systemic effects that social work practice with men can have. The authors assert that helping improve men's mental health is critical for social work, particularly given its values recognizing the dignity and worth of all individuals. Their goal is to raise awareness and spark an open dialogue about social work practice with men. (Edited publisher abstract)
Health and psychosocial service use among suicides without psychiatric illness
- Authors:
- LAW Yik Wa, WONG Paul W.C., YIP Paul S.F.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 60(1), 2015, pp.65-74.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Although mental illness is a major suicide risk factor, some cases of suicide list no symptoms of mental disorder at the time of death. Studying suicides without psychiatric illness has important implications for social work because this group's service needs seem to have been overlooked. The authors of this article conducted a psychological autopsy study of 150 people who committed suicide and 150 age- and gender-matched living controls. Suicides without psychiatric illness showed similar detectable psychopathology as the suicide and living control groups with nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders. Though suicides without psychiatric disorders showed fewer warning signs that could be noticed by their informants, they experienced more negative life events than living controls. The suicide cases without psychiatric illness also seemed to be less protected by enabling factors (such as social support and employment) than living controls with and without psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, they had lower use of services than the control and deceased-with-diagnosis groups. With fewer at-risk signs and poorer enabling resources, they were undetected or unengaged by the existing physical, psychiatric, and psychosocial services. This group should be of concern to social workers, who may develop community-based health education programmes and preventive services to meet this vulnerable population's psychosocial needs. (Edited publisher abstract)
How social work can contribute in the shift to personalised, recovery-oriented psycho-social disability support services
- Authors:
- BROPHY Lisa, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 45(S1), 2015, pp.i98-i116.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper presents the findings from an Australian study in which forty-one people, who self-identified as having a psycho-social disability as a result of mental health problems, spoke about their priorities for treatment, care and support within a personalised funding context. The research enabled an improved understanding of the choices about support that people with psycho-social disabilities would make if offered individualised funding packages. Participants prioritised specific supports to improve their health, financial situation, social connection, housing and personal relationships. A relationship with a support worker with a range of skills was identified as a key facilitator of these life goals, but people with psycho-social disabilities also valued opportunities to have discretionary funds to directly address the major problems they face, including stigma, discrimination and poverty. The paper argues that social workers can potentially fill a range of roles and are well placed to work in partnership with people with psycho-social disabilities. Particularly, they have skills in co-production of services, negotiation and advocacy that are required if individual funding is to be maximised for user control, social justice and personal recovery outcomes. (Publisher abstract)
HIV-related cognitive dysfunction: implications for aging and social work
- Authors:
- VANCE David E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 13(6), 2015, pp.553-570.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Half of adults with HIV experience HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). HIV infects microglial and macrophages in the brain, resulting in a neurotoxic environment that inhibits the function of neurons, thus impairing cognition. Social workers require an understanding of how HIV-related cognitive dysfunction develops within the larger context of mental illness, substance use, and socioeconomic status. This article briefly reviews the clinical diagnosis of HAND and some interrelated neurobiological and psychosocial factors. Research implications for improving cognition are important as one considers: (1) The impact of the ageing process on cognition and (2) the growing number of older adults with HIV. (Edited publisher abstract)
Support for and from aging mothers whose adult daughters are seriously mentally ill
- Authors:
- DUNKLE Ruth E., INGERSOLL-DAYTON Berit, CHADIHA Letha A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 58(6), 2015, pp.90-612.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article discusses, from the grandmother’s perspective, the ways in which support is exchanged in families coping with serious mental illness. A strengths perspective was utilised to identify ways in which family members help each other. Employing a qualitative approach, this study focuses on interviews obtained from a sample of 22 ageing mothers, aged 52–90, who are in contact with their daughters who have a mental illness. Grandmothers provided several kinds of support to their mentally ill adult daughters and to their grandchildren, who also supported the ageing mother in numerous ways. As social workers seek to assist individuals with mental illness, it is important to assess the existing strengths of their intergenerational family context. (Edited publisher abstract)
The meaningful elements in recovering from major depression as a basis of developing social work in mental health services
- Authors:
- ROMAKKANIEMI Marjo, KILPELAINEN Arja
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 13(5), 2015, pp.439-458.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The aim in this article is to discover means to develop social work in mental health services by analysing reflections on encounters between professionals and people recovering from major depression. This is analysed through lived experiences of two service users. The approach lies on expertise by experiences, and as data were blog-texts which are seen as a novel arena to reflect recovering processes. Four themes emerged from data supporting recovery: the confident working relationship, time and hiatus for finding one’s own authenticity, successful timing of interventions, and a holistic view of life. This article emphasises the importance of taking into account the expertise of clients. Through these subjective experiences of clients, it is possible for social workers as an expert of social determinants of health, to develop services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Interpersonal violence and its impact on persons living with HIV: a social work response
- Authors:
- MILLER Patricia A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services, 14(3), 2015, pp.308-318.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The burden of interpersonal violence (IPV) among those living with HIV is significant. At the Southern Alberta Clinic in Calgary, Alberta, there has been ongoing attention given to the interplay of IPV and HIV. The author's data reveal the potential risks, specifically physical harm, emotional suffering, and, in turn, lack of follow-through on HIV medical care. They also know that health care social workers are key clinical team members in service delivery around prevention, intervention, and education, in relation to IPV and its impact on HIV patients. Social workers’ knowledge and understanding of the impacts of IPV in the lives of persons living with HIV provides them with a significant role in addressing this social phenomenon, its impact, and its relationship with the comorbid health issue of HIV. Social workers are also trained to delineate how the personal histories of IPV are interconnected and linked to structural oppression in social and cultural processes. (Edited publisher abstract)
Suicide attempts and social worker contact: secondary analysis of a general population study
- Authors:
- SLATER Thomas, SCOURFIELD Jonathan, GREENLAND Katy
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), 2015, pp.378-394.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
There is a general dearth of social work studies in relation to suicide and very little is known about the characteristics of social work service users who are also suicidal. This paper is based on secondary analysis of the survey 'Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study in England 2007'. Results showed that (i) social work contact in the previous twelve months was significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempt; (ii) various risk and protective factors help to explain the relationship between suicide attempt and social work contact. Non-suicidal self-harm was found to be associated with suicide attempt, both with and without social work contact. Drug dependency was associated with social work contact, regardless of suicide attempt history. Other variables affected certain aspects of the relationship between social work contact and suicidality. These included age, religion, income, employment and background in local authority care. The implications for social work provision are discussed. (Publisher abstract)