Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of a 3h workshop on social workers’ knowledge and utilization of standards of care for suicide risk-assessment. Methods: A nonexperimental, one-group, pre- and post-assessment assessed change in knowledge of standards of care for suicide with 41 social workers. Focus groups and surveys, 6-months postworkshop, described providers’ perceived effectiveness and

Purpose: This study aims to reveal the mediating effect of social workers in improving residents’ well-being index. Methods: A total of 643 questionnaires were collected and the mediating effect was verified by SPSS PROCESS macro. Results: Community activities have a significant impact on residents’ sense of happiness. Social workers play a mediating role in some activities, but their overall explanatory

While prevention programs improve parenting and reduce maltreatment risks, engaging parents, particularly from marginalized populations, remains challenging. This scoping review systematically examines the implementation of social network strategy as an engagement approach and evaluates its impact on engagement. A systematic search of relevant databases identified 18 eligible studies conducted between

Purpose: To assess how social rehabilitation (SR) services in Zlín Region, Czechia, strengthen the autonomy and self-sufficiency of disabled persons by monitoring nine areas: exercising rights, safety, work and self-actualization, social relations, eating, coping with everyday tasks and self-care, communication, autonomy, and health care. Methods: Mixed-methods (Embedded) design was used with two data

Purpose: “Social Workers in Schools” (SWIS) is a school-based intervention aiming to reduce the need for children to receive child protection services in England. This article reports the findings of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate SWIS. Method: The study was a two-arm pragmatic cluster RCT with an embedded process and economic evaluation. The intervention physically located

Purpose Excessive self-criticism, along with negative self-evaluation and perceived unfavorable judgments from others, often leads to emotional distress. The Levels of Self-Criticism (LOSC) scale identifies two distinct forms of self-criticism: comparative self-criticism and internalized self-criticism, yet with varying psychometric stability across different populations. Method This study developed

Purpose This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Thank You, Sorry, Love (TSL) program in improving family functioning and mental health among runaway and homeless youths (RHYs). Methods A quasi-experimental design was used with 24 RHYs (12 in the TSL group and 12 in the Treatment as Usual [TAU]). Both groups received 3 months of follow-up case management; the TSL group participated in a 10-week

Purpose: This study examined the measurement invariance of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) across racial and gender groups among public child welfare workers. Method: Survey data from 2,004 participants were analyzed using a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to examine the measurement invariance of a 17-item scale assessing intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms

Research synthesis plays a vital role in advancing knowledge, informing policy and practice, and shaping future research in social work. However, the proliferation of poorly designed and methodologically weak reviews threatens to dilute the evidence base, undermine decision-making, and slow progress. This paper calls for stronger adherence to high standards in research synthesis, emphasizing the need

Purpose: We examined the effect of race and ethnicity on first-time passage of the ASWB Clinical exam using a person-in-environment conceptual framework. Method: We conducted descriptive and regression analyses using the 2018–2022 Clinical exam data ( N = 88,678), merged with zip code-level income data from the US Census Bureau and institutional characteristics data from the US Department of Education

Purpose: Socially assistive robots (SARs) have been associated with positive emotional support outcomes. This study further examines the types of support sought by older adults from SARs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 188 participants were recruited, with 101 individuals in the Pre-Pandemic cohort and 87 in the During-Pandemic cohort. Usage data from SARs was collected

Objective: This study investigated the extent to which subjective norms, attitudes, knowledge, and behavioral control explained social workers’ intention to employ exposure and response prevention (ERP) in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in the United States. Methods: Social workers ( N = 168) completed measures through Qualtrics. We hypothesized clinicians who endorsed greater behavioral control

Purpose: The study examined the psychometric properties of the Greek posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) among healthcare workers and general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Greek versions of the PTGI, the Brief COPE, and the Brief Resilience scale were administered to 2163 participants from the general population and 1837 healthcare workers. Results: The five-factor structure

Purpose: to examine the validation of the Spanish version of the Human Rights Engagement in Social Work (CDHTS-25) Scale, and to develop an abbreviated version (CDHTS-8) that may be useful in research situations in which social work practitioners have little time due to work and bureaucratic overload and to include in large surveys or longitudinal designs. Method: An online survey was used to collect

Purpose: This article reports on a scoping review that synthesized literature over the last 15 years on the use of simulations in social work education and training with the aim of identifying trends and important considerations for teaching and learning. Method: This scoping review covering a total of 44 articles examined the characteristics of publications, the purposes for the use of simulations

Purpose: Social workers play a crucial role in assessing risks for harm to self and others, including firearm access. Given the growing concern of firearm violence, standardized assessment tools addressing firearm risks could improve social workers’ assessments. Method: This rapid review identifies and evaluates available clinical assessment tools that include items related to firearms. Result: After

Objectives: This study reviews the extent and determinants of racial disparities in licensing exam outcomes in regulated professions to contextualize the disparities in social work. Methods: It reviews the empirical literature of ten regulated professions, discussing individual, institutional, and community-level determinants of exam outcomes. Results: All 10 reviewed professions report significant

Purpose: While social work case management faces ongoing challenges with practice inefficiency, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) presents an innovative solution. This systematic review examines how AI is applied in social work case management. Method: A comprehensive search was conducted across databases for studies published after 2000. Empirical studies on AI-assisted social work case

Purpose: The research aimed to explore the emotions and thoughts of earthquake victims, assess existential crises, and identify their coping resources. Methods: It involved seven sessions with separate groups of women, men, and adolescents, comprising 42 individuals aged 15–65. The Existential Anger, Psychological Well-being, and Life Purpose scales were used. Results: Results showed that life purpose

Objective: This study examines the effectiveness of character strength-based cognitive (SCBC) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in improving college freshmen's mental health and positive traits. Methods: Freshmen were randomly assigned to SCBC, CBT or a PC group. Interventions included a 90-min session and a 7-day self-guided task. Assessments occurred at five time points: Preintervention (T1)

Objectives: Drawing on the social science literature, this study aims to contextualize the racial disparities in social work licensing exam outcomes as educational inequality stemming from cumulative lifetime (dis)advantages. Method: It conducts descriptive analyses of the 2022 ASWB Clinical ( N = 25,088) and Masters ( N = 26,550) licensing examinees and tests three hypotheses to identify indicators

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 16-session multicomponent intervention to improve the cognitive abilities of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through the promotion of healthy lifestyle, cognitive skills, tai chi, and mindfulness exercises delivered by a social worker 6 months after the intervention. Method: This study was a 6-month follow-up of a pilot

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review and summarize the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral and Adlerian play therapy for children aged 3–12 years. Methods: In this context, experimental studies examining the efficacy of play therapies published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language in EBSCOhost, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science

Opening a private practice is a significant milestone for Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), offering the opportunity to provide personalized care while navigating the complexities of business ownership. This guide offers a beginning roadmap for LCSWs considering this transition, addressing key areas such as legal and regulatory requirements, business planning, and the physical or virtual setup

Purpose: This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on the health and financial outcomes of Medical–Financial Partnerships to inform policy and practice. Method: We followed the Methodological Expectations of Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews to conduct this review. We searched 10 electronic databases through September 2023 to locate randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental

This special issue highlights the necessity of rigorous methodologies, transparency, and innovation in social work research. Emphasizing causal inference, the contributions in this volume address replication challenges, design complexities, and data transparency. Key advancements and recommendations we put forth include study preregistration, data sharing, and novel methodologies such as advanced mixed

Purpose: Despite the already extensive scientific literature on dog-assisted interventions, there is still a need to compile further reviews. In this regard, it should be noted that some of the existing reviews no longer reflect the current state of knowledge. The review presented here takes into account the current state of the literature on this topic. Methods: The present systematic literature search

Purpose: This pilot study examined the preliminary effectiveness of the Empowered Young Parents Program (EYPP) for child welfare and/or legal system involved pregnant, expectant, or parenting youth (PPY) in promoting health outcomes. Method: A one-group pretest–posttest ( N = 25) design was used to evaluate changes in the participants. Results: At posttest participants reported lower perceived stress

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of a spirituality-focused group intervention on the alienation levels of young women and search out exposure to a spirituality-focused group intervention reduces alienation more than no treatment.MethodsAn 8-week spirituality-focused group work was conducted and selected via a randomized controlled sampling method.ResultsFor the sense of alienation

Background: Psychological flourishing has significant attention within positive psychology, emphasizing the need for reliable tools across diverse cultural contexts. Purpose: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Flourishing Scale (FS) among Algerian and Moroccan populations. Methods: A total of 758 university students from Algeria and Morocco, representing various

PurposeThis study examines the comparative efficacy of three AI large language models (LLMs)—ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot—in clinical social work.MethodBy presenting scenarios of varying complexities, the study assessed their performance using the Ateşman Readability Index and a Likert-type accuracy scale.ResultsResults showed that Gemini had the highest accuracy, while Microsoft Copilot

PurposeThis study aims to use solution-focused cognitive group intervention (SCGI), which combines cognitive behavioral therapy with solution-focused brief therapy, to improve the benefit finding of petitioners.MethodThis intervention includes six sessions and two follow-up tests (at three months and six months). Sixty-four petitioners (mean age = 44.31, standard deviation = 4.43) were randomly assigned

Purpose/AimThis study aims to translate and adapt the Personal and Perceived Public Stigma Beliefs Scale from the Eurobarometer into Urdu, subsequently modifying and evaluating its psychometric properties among Pakistani adolescents and young adults.Methods1328 college students aged 15–24 from Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan participated in this cross-sectional study, using the stigma beliefs scale to measure

The objective was to assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in preventing gang membership and gang-related crime among children and young adults under the age of 30. We performed a systematic review and synthesized interventions targeting universal, selective, and indicated populations published between January 2000 and April 2023. We included 42 (seven randomized, 12 nonrandomized