While extensive research has established a link between food insecurity and adverse health and well-being outcomes, less attention has been given to factors that may moderate this relationship. This study examines whether a strong sense of community belonging can buffer the impact of food insecurity on mood and anxiety disorders, poor self-rated mental and general health, and low life satisfaction. Data were drawn from the 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey conducted by Statistics Canada (N = 94,790). Findings from logistic regression models indicate that individuals experiencing food insecurity are more likely to report adverse health and well-being outcomes. A strong sense of community belonging moderates this relationship, reducing the harmful impacts of food insecurity across all measured outcomes. Gender-stratified analyses reveal that this protective effect is particularly pronounced for mental health outcomes-including mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and self-rated mental health-among women. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening community connections as a protective factor, especially in supporting women's mental health in food-insecure settings. For social work practice, these results highlight the need to promote community engagement and implement gender-sensitive interventions to address the unique vulnerabilities associated with food insecurity.

This study examines 21st century social workers' working conditions through the lens of neoliberalism, a political and economic ideology that has profoundly shaped the delivery of social services in the United States. This study explores the working conditions, professional discretion, and resistance to neoliberal managerialism of direct line workers. A statewide survey was sent out to all licensed social workers in Minnesota, and 2,329 direct line social workers responded. Results show that social workers most feel the managerialist pressures of productivity and efficiency and standardization of practice, and to a lesser extent the pressures of incentives and sanctions as well as monitoring of their work. Full-time social workers are working an average of four unpaid hours per week. Professional discretion was also limited, especially related to macro, political, economic, and social areas of practice. While social workers are mostly resisting through talking among themselves and managers, almost half have organized in some way to address practice issues. Public employees were much more likely to be unionized than private-sector employees, but those not in unions showed great interest in joining. Further suggested research includes assessing the effects of managerialism on clients and how social work supervisors and executive directors experience and navigate managerialism.

There is a growing proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in most spheres and sectors of contemporary society including social work. This article reports a survey of South Asian social workers' views on AI and social work including application domains, usefulness, risks and challenges, training needs, and future of the profession. The majority of respondents have suggested that social workers need training on machine learning, reinforcement learning, and natural language processing. A high proportion proposed that AI will redefine the profession's future through multisource data synthesis on client lifeworld contexts, analysis of macro- and organizational-level data for intervention, multiple domains of practical use, and AI-powered decision support systems to recommend interventions. They recommended having digital ethics committees and diverse stakeholder groups to review AI protocols and suggest modifications in case of algorithmic bias. They also highlighted the need for training sessions on the use of AI to ensure its responsible use in social work practice.

This study investigates the mental health impacts of war in Libya, with a focus on the prevalence and severity of PTSD symptoms. It aims to understand how PTSD manifests across different sociodemographic groups, examining symptoms such as re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. The research sampled 652 individuals aged 18 to 65 from various Libyan cities, using electronic questionnaires over 18 months. Results indicate significant differences in PTSD symptoms by gender, with women reporting more avoidance symptoms than men. Additionally, individuals in major conflict zones exhibited more severe re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms compared with those in less affected areas. The study also found that highly educated individuals showed higher levels of hyperarousal, which suggests a complex relationship between education level and stress responses. The findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive social work interventions in mental health tailored to the diverse needs of different demographic groups. Such interventions should leverage local resources and traditional family institutions to enhance resilience and recovery. The study emphasizes the importance of targeted social work interventions in postconflict scenarios to facilitate long-term societal integration and peace building in regions dealing with the psychological aftermath of conflict.

There is an increasing number of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals who engage in mental health services seeking providers with shared identities. While this has proven beneficial for relationship building, it has challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, BIPOC therapists treating clients with shared identities faced increased vulnerability to both direct and secondary trauma. To avoid any implications of injury to the therapeutic process, BIPOC therapists must maintain a low risk of harm and overidentification, and enhance their self-care practices. This article examines the significance of intersectional, racial trauma and shared experiences in the therapeutic relationship. A case study will illustrate how trauma-informed supervision can foster an environment of understanding and empowerment, helping clinicians navigate their own experiences while providing adequate care to their clients. This article aims to highlight the importance of trauma-informed care in providing culturally affirming supervision concerning race-related stress and racial trauma, with strategies to enhance therapeutic effectiveness during the pandemic and beyond.

Medical social workers in mainland China encounter numerous structural challenges that could adversely affect their professional quality of life (ProQOL). This study seeks to investigate the correlation between ProQOL classification, resilience, and perceived health. A total of 319 medical social workers participated by completing questionnaires designed to assess their levels of ProQOL, resilience, and perceived health. The analysis of ProQOL clusters based on perceived health and resilience revealed that the career satisfied group exhibited higher perceived health scores (M = 4.05, SD = 0.99) and resilience scores (M = 6.43, SD = 1.33) compared with the trauma thriving group and the compassion fatigue group. These findings underscore potential risk factors for physical health, resilience, and the three dimensions of ProQOL among various demographic variables.

This study examines the relationship between workplace bullying and the well-being of social workers, with particular attention given to the mediating role of meaning at work. Using the conservation of resources theory, the research distinguishes between two primary sources of bullying in the workplace: managers and colleagues. Data were obtained from a sample of 296 social workers in Israel through a structured online questionnaire. The findings reveal a significant negative association between bullying (by both managers and colleagues) and the sense of meaning at work, which, in turn, was positively associated with the well-being of social workers. However, a direct negative association between workplace bullying and the well-being of social workers was found only in relation to bullying by colleagues, highlighting the unique harm caused by peer dynamics. These results emphasize the critical importance of fostering organizational environments that protect meaning at work, while also developing policies, interventions, and support systems to address workplace bullying and safeguard social workers' professional and personal well-being.