Work Intervention Research Articles

Please help me, I am drowning! The cry of parents of adolescents with a substance use disorder.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise among adolescents worldwide, including in South Africa, causing a significant challenge to parents. Regardless of the difficulties associated with SUDs in adolescents and their impact on parents, current studies on substance addiction have focused on diverse fraternities, excluding social work services for parents of adolescents with SUDs. To develop an in-depth understanding of social work services provided to parents of adolescents with SUDs. The study was conducted in two districts, Capricorn and Waterberg, in Limpopo province, South Africa. A qualitative research method using exploratory and descriptive designs was employed. The scheduled interview guides facilitated semi-structured interviews with 11 social workers and 8 parents. For data analysis, Tesch's eight steps were used. Six themes emerged from the study: (1) social work interventions for parents, (2) family and community-related obstacles, (3) organisation-related obstacles, (4) substance use intervention strategies received by parents, (5) parents' coping mechanisms in dealing with adolescents with SUDs and (6) factors hindering access to social services. The findings show that the government, particularly the Department of Social Development as the custodian of social services, is obliged to develop and design standard guidelines for services to parents of adolescents with SUDs and to provide uniform services to social workers. The study benefits the social work profession, particularly in the field of substance abuse because it generates effective parameters for services for parents of adolescents with SUDs.

PSYCHO-SOCIAL CHALLENGES FACED BY SENIOR CITIZENS –CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

The geriatric population of India keeps increasing because of medical advancements in ageing. The senior citizens face lot of psycho-social challenges which includes rejection by their own children, various forms of abuses, loneliness, being uncared of their illnesses and left unloved. The list goes on. The researcher selected a specific Old age home in Madurai, to study the psycho-social challenges faced by the Senior Citizens inspite of providing them food, clothing and shelter along with medical needs they require. The researcher adopted Explanatory Case Study design put forth by Robert K Yin (2003) and did the case study among two cases. The case study analysis was done by the researcher and the case study is presented using Brian Budgell (2008) methodology for the case study presentation. Interview was the technique used by the researcher to collect data. It was found that the cases were having interpersonal relationship problem, adjustmental problem, health issues like hyper tension and diabetes, Social isolation, forgetfulness and decrease in hearing ability. The researcher suggests through the case study analysis, to help senior citizens feel better by providing proper caregivers, enhancing family support and by adopting certain social work interventions to reduce their stress.

Trauma as the ‘Belief That the World is a Dangerous Place’: The Obfuscation of Systemic Violence in Social Work’s Discourses of Trauma

Abstract The concept of psychological trauma has been taken up widely in popular culture and in diverse academic fields including social work. In this work of poststructuralist discourse analysis, we used methods of close reading to examine a random sample of thirty social work articles on trauma (published 2010–2020). Our aim was not to refute the salience of the concept nor to establish its true meaning and correct usage, but to critically examine its discursive functions; what does ‘trauma’ do in social work? In our analysis, the progressive aims of the discourses of trauma—to counter pathologisation and confer legitimacy to harms that have been marginalised—are unrealised. ‘Trauma’ is deployed in multiple, often contradictory ways and the slippages between intent and function work to construct the trauma-laden as non-normative, damaged subjects, and legitimate objects, thus, of social work scrutiny and intervention. Social work’s discourses of trauma undermine their own efforts to centre a structural analysis. If ‘to perceive the world as a safe place’ is a signifier of normative, non-traumatised functioning, then what does ‘trauma’ do when applied to the racialised, gendered, colonised and marginalised, for whom the world is not a place of safety but of material and psychical violence?

Intervention Works Conducted to Ensure the Stability of a Slope: A Sustainability Study

Challenges related to sustainability arise in all areas of human activity, but with a significant impact on the environment considering that the construction industry is held accountable for nearly one-third of the world’s final energy consumption. The aim of this paper is to assess through the use of the Bob–Dencsak specific model a sustainable slope design taking into account environmental, economic, and safety variables. Thus, analysis was performed on four intervention works, two versions of reinforced concrete retaining walls and two versions of reinforced soil with a biaxial geogrid, which ensure the stability of a slope that serves as a base for an access road to an ecological landfill located in Alba County, Romania. The study’s analysis points out that reinforced soil retaining walls are far more sustainable, providing the best sustainability indices, which is also supported by the impact of geogrids compared to reinforced concrete, thus resulting in the finding that reinforced concrete is less sustainable, achieving increases of up to 23% for embodied energy and 66% of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for future research on the sustainability assessment of slopes, with the intention of reducing environmental damage, while keeping costs to a minimum.

“We’re Not Miracle Workers”: An Examination of the Relationship Between Community Violence Intervention Workers and Their Participants

Community violence intervention (CVI) programs are civilian-led, locally oriented efforts that center around street intervention work, which involves proactive community engagement of individuals at high risk of violent victimization or perpetration. CVI professionals are peer support workers who use their experiential wisdom to mediate violent conflict and prevent victimization through engaging high-risk individuals in social services. The study comprehensively examines the relationship between CVI workers, their clients, and challenges associated with their outreach and engagement via qualitative interviews conducted among 35 CVI workers and their supervisors in Chicago. Thematic analyses identified the challenges experienced by the workforce as “work as mission,” “tethered healing,” “tethered harm,” and “falling back.” The results also lend support to firearm violence reduction potential of this professional field.

Analysis of the subjective experience of suffering in the psychodynamic work clinic

This study aims to investigate and deeply understand the subjective experience of suffering within the psychodynamic context of work, focusing particularly on the psychological and emotional aspects involved. Through qualitative analysis, this research delves into how individuals interpret and experience suffering in the workplace, considering the psychodynamic variables that influence their perceptions and reactions. This provides valuable insights into the internal dynamics of work-related suffering, as well as how these factors impact the psychological well-being of employees. Furthermore, the study explores how these findings can be applied in work intervention practices. By understanding the nuances of the subjective experience of suffering, practitioners can develop more effective and empathetic strategies to support employees facing psychological challenges in the workplace. This opens possibilities for interventions that are more tailored and responsive to the unique needs of individuals

Social Work Intervention and Practice in Different Settings

Social Work Intervention and Practice in Different Settings

Gratitude in the Time of the Coronavirus: AThematic Analysis of the Three Good Things in Young Adults

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the daily lives ofcollege students, resulting in elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and isolation.Research suggests positive psychology interventions aimed at practicing gratitude,offer potential benefits in reducing these common mental health problems. However,there is a limited understanding of how or why these interventions work nor whatfunction gratitude plays in the lives of young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.As such, the purpose of the paper was to explore the sources and targets ofgratitude of college students during the COVID-10 lockdown in Ireland. This studyaimed analyse the content of the ‘Three Good Things’ intervention asreported by young adults during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Ireland. A total of 109college students participated in a 7-day online ‘Three Good Things’intervention, where they were prompted to reflect on and document three positiveexperiences each day. Participants were asked to elaborate on how these experiencesmade them feel and to highlight their role in facilitating these positiveexperiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the 2,200 submitted responses.The findings revealed three overarching themes relating to participants’expressions of gratitude during the COVID-19 lockdown: (1) cultivating positivesocial interactions, (2) prioritizing meaningful self-care, and (3) fostering hopefor a more normal life post-pandemic. By delving into the lived experiences ofcollege students, this study sheds light on the elements central to theirexpressions of gratitude during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings underscore theimportance of social connections, self-care practices, and hopeful prospects assources of gratitude among students.

Ethical dilemma arises from optimizing interventions for epidemics in heterogeneous populations.

Interventions to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, while succeeding in their goal, have economic and social costs associated with them. These limit the duration and intensity of the interventions. We study a class of interventions which reduce the reproduction number and find the optimal strength of the intervention which minimizes the final epidemic size for an immunity inducing infection. The intervention works by eliminating the overshoot part of an epidemic, and avoids a second wave of infections. We extend the framework by considering a heterogeneous population and find that the optimal intervention can pose an ethical dilemma for decision and policymakers. This ethical dilemma is shown to be analogous to the trolley problem. We apply this optimization strategy to real-world contact data and case fatality rates from three pandemics to underline the importance of this ethical dilemma in real-world scenarios.

Scaling-Out Digitally Enabled Integrated Care in Europe Through Good Practices Transfer: The JADECARE Study.

The absence of a coordinated approach to health and social care compromises the ability of health systems to provide universal, equitable, high-quality, and financially sustainable care. Transferring evidence-based practices focused on digitally-enabled integrated care to new contexts can overcome this challenge if implementation is satisfactory. This paper presents the scaling-out methodology that JADECARE has designed to spread effective innovative practices across Europe. The scaling-out methodology pretends to guide the Next Adopters in the transfer and adoption of practices, whereas increasing their implementation capacity and providing an evaluation framework to assess impact and success. JADECARE scaling-out effort is based on guiding principles found in the literature such as the balance between fidelity to the original practice and the degree of adaptation required to fit the new context, the need for capacity building in implementation to bridge the gap between research and routine practice and the focus on explaining why, for whom and in what circumstances an intervention works. The JADECARE scaling-out methodology is theory-driven and pragmatic and aims to facilitate the transfer of complex interventions across different contexts.

How to Make Narrative Interventions Work

How to Make Narrative Interventions Work

What Mental Health and Wellbeing Interventions Work for Which Children and Young People in Care? Systematic Review of Potential Outcome Inequities

AbstractChildren and young people with care-experience (e.g. foster, kinship and residential care) report poorer mental health and wellbeing than the general population. Despite an emerging evidence-base for intervention, it is not clear if current approaches create, exacerbate or mitigate outcome inequities between different types of participants. We conducted a systematic review of international interventions targeting mental health, subjective wellbeing and suicide-related outcomes amongst care-experienced children and young people aged up to 25 years old. The review included a narrative synthesis of intervention inequities, exploring if they were more or less effective for different participant groups. Eight interventions, with 14 study reports, presented relevant data. Overall, there was no clear evidence that intervention participation could lead to inequitable impacts, being more or less effective for different groups. However, there was some tentative indication that individuals with lower exposure to maltreatment, fewer care placements, and increased baseline mental health problems, might be more responsive to intervention than other participants. There was limited evidence for wellbeing and no data availability for suicide. Future intervention evaluation should focus on assessing if there is potential to create, sustain or exacerbate inequities, and how approaches may be designed to mitigate this risk.

Existential Social Work in Coping with Death and Grief

AbstractThis article delves into the use of existential social work in coping with death and grief. After defining death and grief, the article explores individuals' attitudes towards death and the theoretical perspectives related to death and grief. The article further examines the fundamental concept of existentialism within the context of coping with death and grief. The article then considers the theoretical basis of an existentialist approach to social work evaluation and intervention. It highlights the importance of an existentialist approach in the process of coping with death and grief, as it encourages individuals to confront the reality of death and find meaning in life. Ultimately, the article contributes to the field of social work by providing insights into the theoretical foundations of existential social work in the context of death and grief. In order to enhance understanding, this article includes a case example, contributing to a deeper understanding of the practical application of existential social work in dealing with death and grief.

From compassion to action: school social workers at the forefront of emergency response

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the role of school social workers in emergencies within educational settings. Using a semi-systematic methodology, it identifies relevant research to provide a comprehensive overview of literature covering school social work and emergency interventions. Through an analysis of 22 articles representing diverse global perspectives, this study sheds light on the intricate interplay within these domains. Its significance lies in revealing current knowledge while pointing to unexplored avenues for practitioners and researchers. By examining the experiences and strategies of school social workers, this study uncovers the dynamic approaches employed during emergencies, providing essential insights for effective emergency management. Social capital is widely employed when seeking to understand resilience and vulnerability in times of natural hazards and man-made disasters and crises. In this paper, a social capital perspective, broken down into bonding, bridging, and linking levels, is applied to the results. This enables an analysis that argues for the importance of adopting a systemic approach. The results show that social workers in schools play a vital role in all phases of disaster and crisis management. While the majority of research focuses on the response after an event has occurred, the findings from the reviewed articles also indicate the importance of involvement in the preparation and planning phases. These findings underscore the importance of social workers having an understanding of education, psychology, and community well-being. More research and education about the readiness and preparedness of school social workers in the Nordics is required.

The Value of Social Work to Health, Health Systems, and Interprofessional Teams: A Scoping Review

Abstract Social workers are an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system, yet specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes is sparse. This scoping review describes and evaluates the state of the evidence on how social work interventions impact health and economic outcomes since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) were searched using the convention [“social work” OR “social services”] AND “health” AND [“cost” OR “utilization” OR “readmission”] for studies published between 2010 and 2022. Unique records were evaluated on inclusion criteria (U.S.-based, reported social work, and cost or health outcomes) using a five-phase scoping review process. Methodological quality was assessed using two validated metrics. Of 1,655 unique records retrieved, 40 (2.4%) met inclusion criteria. Full-text review yielded 15 studies. Most (75%) studies described transitional care interventions for older patients and high utilizers of health services, with the majority (75%) led by social workers. While health and cost outcomes were generally positive, overall methodological quality of the sample was low. Social work intervention can improve health and cost outcomes. More robust economic analyses that inform policy, practice, and health service delivery are needed.

Attachment avoidance predicts limited and selective sharing of personal events in close relationships

AbstractCommunicating personal experiences is crucial for fostering close relationships, but people can be reluctant to self‐disclose. The current research assessed the extent to which relationship‐specific (RS) and global attachment avoidance limit self‐disclosure of personal events in close relationships. Critically, we also identified the types of personal events that people will selectively share in relationships characterized by higher attachment avoidance. Participants (N = 609 in the aggregated sample) reported whether they shared up to four positive and four negative events that happened to them recently with up to eight close network‐members. We found that a one scale‐point increase in RS or global attachment avoidance (7‐point scales) predicted a 68% decrease or a 28% decrease in the odds of sharing, respectively. Nevertheless, people in more avoidant relationships did share personal events selectively: they uniquely prioritized sharing positive events, events that conveyed personal competence, and events that avoided vulnerability. Our findings shed light on the underlying factors contributing to the low likelihood of sharing personal experiences in more avoidant relationships and offer insights for future intervention work.

Improvements in Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Among Adults With Anxiety or Depressive Symptoms Participating in a Relational Agent-Delivered Digital Mental Health Intervention.

The study aimed to assess changes between baseline and end of treatment in work-related absenteeism, presenteeism, productivity, and nonwork-related activity impairment and estimate cost savings associated with observed improvements. Data from 91 employed adult participants who enrolled in a single-arm, exploratory study of a relational agent-delivered digital mental health intervention and completed Work Productivity and Activity Impairment assessments were analyzed; overall work productivity improvement was multiplied by the overall and education-adjusted US median annual salary to arrive at potential cost savings estimates. Adjusted models indicated more than 20% improvements in presenteeism, work productivity impairment, and activity impairment, yielding cost-savings estimates between $14,000 and more than $18,000 annually. Relational agent-delivered digital mental health interventions may be associated with improvements in work productivity and activity impairment, which could result in a sizable cost savings.

The moral behaviour of single young women immigrants to Mandatory Palestine: Between nationalism, gender, and professionalism in social work

Summary Migration has always constituted a meeting point of opportunity, risk, and vulnerability. Concerns surrounding the sex trafficking of women have caused moral panic since the mid-1800s and led to social workers’ preventive initiatives and interventions in Europe and the United States. This article explores a historical moment in which Henrietta Szold, who headed the Social Welfare Department in Mandatory Palestine in 1934, decided to send social workers to the Jaffa and Haifa ports to welcome young, single immigrant women from Germany in the light of rumours of the moral dangers they faced upon entering the country. This feminist historical study of social work employed qualitative analysis of archival texts to investigate the professional decision-making processes involved in sending a social worker to the Jaffa port and the results of the decisions that were made. Findings The findings trace the course of events that took place in 1934 using three categories: the rumours, their investigation, and the results and implications of the investigations. The findings point to intersections of nationalism, gender, and professionalism in social work. Applications This article contributes to the evolving knowledge on moral panic in social work and reveals the historical practice used in social work policy and interventions in facing moral panic regarding young women immigrants.

Effects of a mindfulness-based groupwork program on adolescents in a children’s home

ABSTRACT Mindfulness means being in the present, intentionally and without any judgment. Mindfulness helps people cope with challenging experiences such as trauma. Children’s Homes in Türkiye are institutions that provide social care to young people with past traumatic experiences. This study aims at evaluating the effects of a mindfulness-based (MB) groupwork program with a group of residents in a Children’s Home. An experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. An eight-session MB training program was implemented with 21 female adolescents. There were 29 female adolescents in the control group. The MB groupwork program significantly increased the mindfulness levels of the group. However, its effect on the other variables could not be determined at a significant level. There were positive correlations between mindfulness, life satisfaction and subjective happiness, and a negative correlation with perceived stress. The results of this study showed that MB interventions increase mindfulness levels of adolescents in a Children’s Home setting in Türkiye. Secondly, as mindfulness increased, life satisfaction and subjective happiness also increased while perceived stress decreased. MB interventions are recommended to be used in social work interventions with different groups since it can contribute to subjective well-being.

Resilience in vulnerable university groups: An analysis of social work intervention strategies from the perspective of social inclusion

Introduction. Resilience refers to the ability of individuals, groups or communities to adapt and recover in the face of adverse or stressful situations, such as violence, poverty, natural disasters or disease. Aim. The present research aims to analyse the impact of social work intervention in strengthening resilience in vulnerable groups served by the Faculty of Humanistic and Social Sciences of the Technical University of Manabí during the 2023-A academic period, to identify the pedagogical intervention of social work in vulnerable groups, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention strategies implemented by social work professionals. Methodology and research methods. The quantitative paradigm was applied. The design corresponds to a non-experimental study. The population was 259 students of Social Work. The sample consisted of 70 students belonging to vulnerable groups. A questionnaire with 15 items was applied. Multiple regression analysis and ANOVA analysis were carried out. Results. Among the results, the pedagogical intervention strategies applied by the social work professionals were effective. There is a positive impact on strengthening resilience in vulnerable groups, as well as on socio-economic and cultural factors. Social work pedagogical intervention strategies as well as socio-economic and cultural factors are important in strengthening resilience in vulnerable groups. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this study is that building resilience through inclusion stands out as a pedagogical component in social work and as a pillar that strengthens social work. Practical significance. It is important to take socio-economic and cultural factors into account when designing and implementing these pedagogical strategies, as they can influence their effectiveness. It is also important to continue research on the factors that influence the development of resilience in vulnerable groups in order to design and implement more effective and sustainable educational intervention strategies.