Social Work Intervention Research Articles

Digital Intervention for Advancing Social Work and Welfare Education

The Editors are delighted to introduce this Special Issue of Social Sciences, which focuses on the application of technology and digital interventions in social work and community welfare teaching [...]

A Preliminary Study of College Social Work Intervention from the Perspective of Human and Environment—Practice Exploration Based on Stress Relief

A Preliminary Study of College Social Work Intervention from the Perspective of Human and Environment—Practice Exploration Based on Stress Relief

Navigating Suicidal Crisis in a Traditional Setting of Kyrgyzstan

The Case Study of Azat (name is changed) represents a joint effort of data gathering from the Researcher, the Social Pedagogue and other community members from one of the remote local schools in Kyrgyzstan. By using phenomenological research methods including non-structured interviews (n=3), observations and field trips, the researcher strived to understand and describe the essence of the phenomenon of suicide in a conservative country, like Kyrgyzstan. The study highlights the challenging circumstances faced by Azat, a 14-year-old residing in a village in Kyrgyzstan. Azat's family grapples with financial instability, parent’s labor migration, and sibling abuse, all of which have led to distressing experiences for him, including two suicide attempts. The analysis emphasizes the significance of understanding ecological systems and societal constructs in social work practice. It underscores the vital role of social workers in advocating for marginalized individuals like Azat, with suggested interventions including psychological support, collaboration with school professionals, and ongoing family visits to monitor progress and provide assistance. This case exemplifies the critical need for holistic, empathetic, and culturally sensitive social work interventions in addressing complex psychosocial challenges within vulnerable families.

Conflict resolution in indigenous communities: A social work perspective

Indigenous communities possess rich traditions of conflict resolution rooted in their cultural values, collective decision-making, and community involvement. However, the imposition of Western legal frameworks and colonial histories has often disrupted these practices, leading to increased tensions and unresolved conflicts. This study explored conflict resolution within Indigenous communities, emphasizing the role of social work in facilitating culturally appropriate processes. The study employed a qualitative approach, incorporating interviews with Indigenous leaders, social workers, and community members, alongside a review of relevant literature on traditional practices and social work interventions. Social workers play a crucial role as facilitators, helping to navigate tensions and bridging gaps between traditional practices and contemporary needs. Challenges include a lack of cultural competency and the need for ongoing community engagement. The integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into conflict resolution practices enhance outcomes and foster healing. Social workers prioritize cultural humility and active listening, ensuring that Indigenous voices lead the resolution process. By supporting the reclamation of traditional conflict resolution methods and advocating for culturally sensitive practices, social workers empowered Indigenous communities, promote resilience, and facilitate more effective conflict resolution. This perspective underscores the necessity of collaboration, respect, and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in all social work interventions.

Challenges That Limit Educational Opportunities for Girls in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria: Need for Social Work Intervention

Challenges That Limit Educational Opportunities for Girls in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria: Need for Social Work Intervention

SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH A CHILD WITH DIABETES: A CASE STUDY

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that affects individuals' physical health as well as their psychosocial well-being. Diabetes can occur at any age, including childhood. As with many chronic diseases, combating the effects of diabetes in children requires collaboration among many disciplines. Social work is one such discipline. Although the history of social work in the medical field, especially in chronic diseases, is old, studies of diabetes are limited. However, with the increase in diabetes cases globally and in Türkiye in recent years, the need for social work practice evidence on this subject is increasing. In this context, an example of social work intervention for a fictional case of a child with diabetes is analyzed in this article. The intervention was conducted according to the stages of the planned change model for social work. The ecological model, empowerment approach, and cognitive-behavioral approach were used together in the evaluation and intervention processes. Although various roles were adopted in the case, it can be said that resource connection, empowering, and educational roles came to the fore more. In addition, communication skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork, collaboration and coordination, and multitasking skills were effectively used in this case. In terms of application levels, studies were conducted with child with diabetes and his family at the micro level and interventions were conducted at the mezzo level in the school system.

Navigating Economic Inequities: Neighborhood Relative Income and Depressive Symptoms in Later Life

Depressive symptoms are influenced not only by absolute income but also by relative income, particularly among older adults. The present article, guided by relative deprivation theory and the relative position hypothesis, examines the relationship between neighborhood relative income and depressive symptoms in older adults. This study utilized a merged dataset from the American Community Survey data and the RAND Health and Retirement Study data (N = 3071; age 65+). Neighborhood relative income was measured by calculating the difference between the natural logarithm of an individual’s household income and the natural logarithm of the median household income in their Census tract and then dividing this difference by the natural logarithm of the median household income in the same tract. Negative binomial regression revealed a significant link between lower relative economic positions and more counts of depressive symptoms, even after controlling for individual and neighborhood covariates. These findings underscore the urgent need for social work interventions and policies that address the mental health impacts of economic inequities in older populations.

Intervention and Impact of Social Casework in a Public Medical Setting in Bangladesh

This study designed to examine the impact of social case work interventions on patient satisfaction, psychosocial well-being, and treatment adherence in a public medical setting in Bangladesh. Public hospitals, which are often the primary health care providers for economically disadvantaged populations, face challenges in offering holistic patient care due to limited resources and high patient volumes. The objectives of this study were to assess the influence of social case work on patient satisfaction and coping mechanisms, as well as to identify barriers and opportunities for integrating social case work into Bangladeshi health care. A total of 30 patients from diverse regions of Bangladesh has selected through purposive sampling for the case study and experiments. Quantitative data has collected using pre- and post-intervention experiments, to evaluate satisfaction levels across health care services, diagnostic understanding, treatment adherence, and follow-up attendance. Additionally, qualitative insights have gathered through in-depth interviews and were analyzed thematically to capture patient experiences with social case work. Findings indicate that social casework significantly improved patient satisfaction, with notable increases in adherence to treatment and follow-up attendance. Satisfaction with health care services rose from a primarily "Less Satisfied" rating to a predominantly "Very Satisfied" rating post-intervention. Patients reported greater emotional support, improved coping skills, and enhanced family communication, all of which contributed to their overall well-being. This study recommends policy changes to formally incorporate social case work in public hospitals, including ethe establishment of social work departments and the licensing of social workers for health care settings. These changes could foster a more patient-centered approach in Bangladeshi healthcare, addressing both medical and psychosocial needs.

The Role and Effectiveness of School Social Workers in Addressing Bullying in China

The Chinese government has been working hard since 2006 to professionalize and legitimize social work, especially in schools. The occurrence of school bullying and the insufficient reaction from educational institutions and guardians are factors that lead to the inefficient implementation of social work interventions. Comparing with the United States, Chinese social workers face a number of difficulties, such as poor pay, little prospects for professional advancement, and social undervaluation.Through a detailed analysis of intervention strategies and outcomes, the article highlights the contributions of social workers in creating safer school environments. It also identifies the barriers hindering their effectiveness and offers recommendations for enhancing their roles within schools. Future research is suggested to focus on gathering first-hand data from diverse geographical regions across China, with an emphasis on longitudinal and comparative studies to better understand the impact of social work in varying educational and cultural contexts.

Research on Social Work Intervention Services for Coping with Community Integration Difficulties of Involuntary Immigrants

Research on Social Work Intervention Services for Coping with Community Integration Difficulties of Involuntary Immigrants

The transition of assessing health technologies to social interventions in Sweden.

Since the 1970s the Swedish government has been promoting social work based on research into methods which work in practice for practitioners and patients. In 2015, the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment (SBU), a government agency instigated in 1987, was commissioned to expand its remit, to review empirical research on social work interventions and to disseminate the results to stakeholders. SBU was then renamed The Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU). This article describes the fusion of health technology assessment (HTA) and Social Intervention Assessment (SIA), including advantages and challenges.

The Fashioning of the Homo Economicus (Economic Citizen): Reflections on Migration and Integration

ABSTRACT This paper critically explores what is meant by integration and the expectations that come with it, and how the ‘right’ kind of economic citizen (homo economicus – defined as the subject of neoliberalism) gets produced through social work practice with immigrants. Specifically, this paper engages in critical reflection on a participant's narrative that is derived from a larger study by probing the expansion of immigrant selection in Canada, the policy of multiculturalism as Canada's most recognized policy as it pertains to integration, and how they coalesce and shape settlement work with immigrants. This paper concludes with a discussion on how to begin to address concerns that surround social work practice with immigrants by way of (a) critical interrogation of neoliberal discourse especially how the interlocking architecture of individualism and capitalism have developed to shape how social workers are positioned and newcomers are constructed (i.e. made into a neoliberal subject); (b) how this could promote the discourse of integration through practice that is embued in discourses of pathology; and (c) how to incorporate social work interventions that are policy related and situated at a macro-systems level.

Study on Social Work Intervention in Social Integration of Migrant Children

Study on Social Work Intervention in Social Integration of Migrant Children

Social work practice and outcomes in rehabilitation: a scoping review.

Social work is a long-established profession in health care and rehabilitation. Reviewing the evidence on effects of social work interventions shows inconsistencies, with several studies indicating positive, negative, or no significant effect at all. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to provide an international overview of the research on social work practice in rehabilitation. Two research questions about the activities performed by social workers in rehabilitation settings and the reported outcomes to evaluate social work interventions were guiding the analysis. A scoping review was conducted in order to identify these activities and reported outcomes. The literature search was carried out in two databases (PubMed, SocINDEX). Additionally, the authors searched manually for literature in rehabilitation science and social work journals. Inclusion criteria encompassed the involvement of social workers and a description of their activities. The context in which social work's practice had to take place was a rehabilitation setting. A total of 2,681 records could be identified by searching the databases, journals, proceedings and reference lists. 66 sources met the predefined inclusion criteria. A majority of the identified activities that social workers perform are case related. Topics that may occur in these case encounters are the social environment of the patient, financial/social security, work-related issues and others. Of particular note are activities such as assessment, counseling and education. When applying the ICF framework, the outcomes are distributed across almost all components with an emphasis on Participation. This review demonstrates that social work has a vital role in the interprofessional rehabilitation team on an international level. However, there is still a need for more research about the effectiveness of social work interventions. We identified internationally common social work core activities/issues and derived a proposal for specific outcomes for future evaluation research.

Stress and quality of life among caregivers of children with intellectual disability: an exploration from Rajasthan, India

Objectives Caregivers caring for children with Intellectual Disability (ID) experience serious challenges to their well-being including depression, anxiety, stress and health-related quality of life. Assessment of the factors contribute to alleviate stress can effectively support or help the caregivers to combat these issues. This mixed-method, exploratory study examined the possible factors that contribute to alleviate stress and degrade quality of life. Methods Quantitative data was collected from 50 caregivers of children with ID enrolled in civil society organization, India through survey; 10 participants also completed a qualitative interview through physical interaction. Beach Centre Family Quality of Life and Parental Stress scale is used to evaluate the caregiver’s quality of life and stress level. Results Qualitative data shows that caregiving challenges was most cited, financial constraints, self-guilt, lack of social support and stigma are major factors that contribute to alleviating stress level which is similar to quantitative results. Quantitative data also indicate a significant relationship between stress and quality of life; low stress levels can result in high quality of life. Conclusions These findings highlight critical areas for social work intervention, suggesting that social workers can develop effective strategies to address these stressors and enhance caregivers’ psychosocial well-being.

Analysis and social work intervention of adolescent premature dating from a social-ecological perspective

By applying social ecological theory and social work concepts and methods to analyze the phenomenon of adolescent early dating, it is found that the causes of adolescent early dating involve changes in physiological and psychological structures, the influence of family atmosphere, school education, peer group effects, and the impact of social environment and traditional culture on three levels. Social work can intervene in the social ecological system of adolescents through professional methods such as case counseling, group work, and community work, carrying out practical work in their individual, family, school, and community aspects, and contributing to the resolution of adolescent early dating issues.

Assessing the effects of family conflicts on children’s development in Huye district of Rwanda and the need for social work interventions

The study aimed to investigate the effects of family conflicts on children's development and the implications for the social work profession. The qualitative study guided by the conflict theory was conducted in the Huye district of Rwanda and adopted the narrative analysis of 16 interviews with families experiencing conflicts, Inshuti Z’Umuryango (IZU, Friends of Family), and local leaders who were selected on a purposive sampling basis considering that the representatives of others have more information. The study found that many children are affected by family conflicts in this district due to issues between the parents. The study also demonstrated that the main cause of family conflicts is the lack of effective communication between spouses. But there are other identified causes of family conflicts such as poverty, aggressive behaviors, infidelity, bad advice from peers, and bad leadership. Thus, the problems between partners negatively impact the children being the weaker part of the family and they drop out of school and girls may be impregnated. Social Workers in collaboration with Government Leaders are recommended to do their best to initiate more innovative programs that can be helpful for these families struggling with conflicts.

Link Between Social Relationships and Vulnerability Among Community‐Dwelling Older Adults Living Alone in Taiwan

ABSTRACTThe study investigated the effect of social relationships on vulnerability among community‐dwelling older adults living alone in Taiwan. Data were extracted from the de‐identified service records of 2116 older adults living alone. Logistic regression models were used to identify the connection between social relationships and vulnerability. The results demonstrated that close social relationships help reduce vulnerability for older adults living alone. Moreover, the data indicated a statistically significant relationship between frailty and vulnerability and a statistically significant relationship between public assistance and vulnerability. An increase in the degree of frailty increases the risk of exposure to threats for older adults living alone. However, public assistance benefits older adults living alone. Existing policy and social work interventions aim to strengthen social safety nets for older adults living alone and establish social networks for older adults living alone through an institutional approach to prevent exposure to threats. Moreover, policymakers should focus not only on risk factors (e.g., frailty) but also on protective factors (e.g., social relationships and public assistance).

Women With Breast Cancer in Malaysia: Social Work Perspectives on the Challenges and Social Support

It has been reported that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women in Malaysia. A diagnosis of breast cancer will usually bring upon a set of issues and challenges affecting the well-being of these women. The aim of this article is to provide a literature review regarding the biopsychosocial issues, challenges, social support and adaptation process experienced by women with breast cancer, with an application to the Malaysian setting focusing on the Malaysian sociocultural backgrounds. The discussion of this article focuses on the importance of social support in adaptation process such as from immediate family members, support group and the medical team following the challenges faced by the patients such as ones stemming from their cultural background, their biological issues and their refusal to seek treatments. The overall review of the literature is aligned with the social work values in addressing human wellbeing, including the recognition of the psychosocial and sociocultural backgrounds as powerful components of health in practice and policies. Finally, this article will provide insights for the helping profession in the country such as medical social workers in providing social work assessments and interventions suitable for Asian women with breast cancer.

Особенности социальной работы с осужденными, отбывающими наказание в учреждениях пенитенциарной системы России

This paper outlines the distinctive features of social work with convicts, viewed from the perspective of the indi-viduals’ serving sentences within the penitentiary system of Russia. The results of the author’s research are presented, illuminating the practices that shape the lives of convicts in correctional facilities and their impact on social reintegration post-release. It is empasized that isolation from society is accompanied by adverse effects – most notably, it leads to a weakening of social ties and, in some instances, even a complete rupture of these bonds, which contributes to the loss of valuable life skills necessary for functioning in society. The article pre-sents the results of a series of in-depth unstructured interviews with 34 convicts – representatives of various socio-demographic groups – conducted between October 2019 and May 2023 by the author of the work. The analysis emphasizes the need for targeted social work interventions that address the unique challenges faced by convicts as they navigate their incarceration and prepare for reintegration into society. By understanding the lived experiences of convicts, social workers can better tailor their support services to enhance social adapta-tion and facilitate a smoother transition upon release.