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International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work
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International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 25753

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jim Campbell

E-Mail Website
Chief Guest Editor
School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Interests: mental health social work; mental health social work and the law; social work and political conflict
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Lisa Brophy

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
Department of Social Work & Social Policy, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Interests: mental health social work; psychiatry and the law; reducing coercive interventions and restrictive practise; social inclusion and recovery-oriented practice
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Gavin Davidson

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
Interests: mental health social work; social determinants of mental health; human rights; mental health law; mental capacity law
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are many forms of mental health services across the world and, within these services, mental health social workers carry out a range of functions. Conventional approaches to understand these roles tend to be informed by role domains that have evolved in Western models of delivery over the last hundred years. For example, in some jurisdictions, mental health social workers carry out prescribed legal duties in assessing risk and capacity. In other contexts, the role is more likely to be defined by types of therapeutic intervention or community-based approaches to assessing need. Increasingly, mental health social workers, as with other professions in this field, are expected to redress traditional imbalances of power with service users and their families. These conventional ways of describing the role are now being challenged by new paradigms, for example, in terms of engagement with new social movements and green politics, and the opportunities that social media and technological advances create for policy and practice. Another imperative is to move beyond Eurocentric approaches to mental health social work and to consider how professional ideologies and educational processes can be decolonialised in response to the consequences of the Black Lives Matter movement. We are also interested in contributions that can lead to our understanding and respect of the contribution of First Nations knowledge to social work, including First Nations perspectives. Contributions can be original research, policy analyses and critical commentaries.

Prof. Dr. Jim Campbell
Prof. Dr. Lisa Brophy
Prof. Dr. Gavin Davidson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mental health social work
  • mental health law
  • therapeutic interventions
  • recovery approaches
  • assessing and managing risk
  • anti-oppressive practice
  • service evaluation
  • community-based interventions

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 258 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial: International Perspectives on Mental Health and Mental Health Social Work
by Jim Campbell, Lisa Brophy and Gavin Davidson
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7387; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127387 - 16 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1704
Abstract
The following collection of articles reflects the diversity of research, policy and practice in mental health social work in a range of international contexts [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)

Research

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16 pages, 325 KiB  
Article
An Exploratory Survey of Mental Health Social Work in Europe
by Kevin Stone, Pearse McCusker, Gavin Davidson and Sarah Vicary
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10462; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910462 - 05 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2331
Abstract
This article reports on an exploratory study comparing mental health social work (MHSW) in Europe. There has been very limited previous research comparing approaches to MHSW in Europe and so the aim of the study was to develop a better understanding of the [...] Read more.
This article reports on an exploratory study comparing mental health social work (MHSW) in Europe. There has been very limited previous research comparing approaches to MHSW in Europe and so the aim of the study was to develop a better understanding of the similarities and differences between and, where relevant, within countries (referred to as jurisdictions). An online survey was distributed mainly through existing European networks and social media to seek information on the role, nature, extent and context of MHSW in a range of European jurisdictions. Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 158 responses from 10 jurisdictions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. From this analysis, four main themes were identified, relating to: role; law, policy and education; the distinctive contribution made by MHSW; and the key challenges for MHSW. The study demonstrates that MHSW, although it is described and provided in different ways and is confined by a range of factors, plays an important role in mental health services across jurisdictions. There are also interesting differences between contexts, especially in the balance of therapeutic, legal and specialist/generic approaches, some of which reflect the World Health Organisation’s vision and objectives for mental health. Lastly, the study illustrates a need and provides a valuable basis for further comparative and collaborative work to define MHSW and enhance the contributions it makes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
12 pages, 328 KiB  
Article
Engaging with Transformative Paradigms in Mental Health
by Louise Whitaker, Fiona L. Smith, Catherine Brasier, Melissa Petrakis and Lisa Brophy
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9504; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189504 - 09 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4223
Abstract
When graduates of Australian social work courses embark on a career in mental health, the systems they enter are complex, fragmented and evolving. Emerging practitioners will commonly be confronted by the loneliness, social exclusion, poverty and prejudice experienced by people living with mental [...] Read more.
When graduates of Australian social work courses embark on a career in mental health, the systems they enter are complex, fragmented and evolving. Emerging practitioners will commonly be confronted by the loneliness, social exclusion, poverty and prejudice experienced by people living with mental distress; however, social work practice may not be focused on these factors. Instead, in accordance with the dominant biomedical perspective, symptom and risk management may predominate. Frustration with the limitations evident in this approach has seen the United Nations call for the transformation of mental health service delivery. Recognising paradigmatic influences on mental health social work may lead to a more considered enactment of person centred, recovery and rights-based approaches. This paper compares and contrasts influences of neo-liberalism, critical theory, human rights and post-structuralism on mental health social work practice. In preparing social work practitioners to recognise the influence of, and work more creatively with, intersecting paradigms, social work educators strive to foster a transformative approach to mental health practice that straddles discourses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
17 pages, 471 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Community Protective Factors on Hong Kong Adolescents’ Stress Arising from Political Life Events and Their Mental Health
by Ching-Wen Chang, Siu-Ming To, Wallace Chi-Ho Chan and Alex Ching-Pong Fong
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9426; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189426 - 07 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3717
Abstract
Precarious political circumstances can take a mental toll on young people. Adopting a socio-ecological perspective, this study investigated the influence of stress arising from political life events, intrapersonal factors (i.e., meaning in life, resilience), interpersonal factors (i.e., social support, associational social capital), and [...] Read more.
Precarious political circumstances can take a mental toll on young people. Adopting a socio-ecological perspective, this study investigated the influence of stress arising from political life events, intrapersonal factors (i.e., meaning in life, resilience), interpersonal factors (i.e., social support, associational social capital), and community factors (i.e., perceived empowerment in the community, perceived opportunities for civic engagement) on the mental health of youth in Hong Kong. Furthermore, it examined the moderating effects of these factors on the relationship between stress arising from political life events and mental health. A cross-sectional quantitative survey with a stratified purposive sampling data collection method was conducted. A total of 1330 secondary school students were recruited for this study. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine both direct and moderation effects. The results indicate that high stress arising from political life events, low meaningfulness in life, low resilience, low social support, low youth empowerment in the community, and high civic engagement in the community were related to high mental distress. None of the presumed moderators moderated the relationship between stress due to political life events and mental distress. Assessing and addressing stress due to political life events would be potentially important in mental health programs for Hong Kong adolescents in precarious political situations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
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14 pages, 415 KiB  
Article
COVID-19 Fear, Resilience, Social Support, Anxiety, and Suicide among College Students in Spain
by Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez, Francisco Caravaca-Sánchez and Juan Sebastián Fernández-Prados
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8156; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158156 - 01 Aug 2021
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6233
Abstract
Worldwide, previous studies have expressed concerns regarding the broad psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students as they are considered an especially vulnerable group. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of, risk of, and protective factors associated with fear of [...] Read more.
Worldwide, previous studies have expressed concerns regarding the broad psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students as they are considered an especially vulnerable group. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of, risk of, and protective factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among college students in Europe. We have sought to address gaps in the literature by conducting a cross-sectional survey among 517 college students (79.1% women and 20.9% men) from a public university in the southeast of Spain. Participants were asked to complete the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S) questionnaire and answer questions related to resilience, social support, anxiety, and suicide risk levels using validated scales. The results of the analysis of the variables associated with fear of COVID-19 suggest that, in addition to gender, the factor of anxiety shows a robust positive association and effect with COVID-19 fear (p < 0.001). According to our results, university institutions must adopt support mechanisms to alleviate psychological impacts on students during this pandemic, treating it similarly to other disasters. Implications for social work to reduce COVID-19 fear are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
11 pages, 532 KiB  
Article
An Ecological Model for High-Risk Professional Decision-Making in Mental Health: International Perspectives
by Cheryl Regehr, Guy Enosh and Emily Bosk
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147671 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2312
Abstract
Mental health professionals are frequently presented with situations in which they must assess the risk that a client will cause harm to themselves or others. Troublingly, however, predictions of risk are remarkably inaccurate even when made by those who are highly skilled and [...] Read more.
Mental health professionals are frequently presented with situations in which they must assess the risk that a client will cause harm to themselves or others. Troublingly, however, predictions of risk are remarkably inaccurate even when made by those who are highly skilled and highly trained. Consequently, many jurisdictions have moved to impose standardized decision-making tools aimed at improving outcomes. Using a decision-making ecology framework, this conceptual paper presents research on professional decision-making in situations of risk, using qualitative, survey, and experimental designs conducted in three countries. Results reveal that while risk assessment tools focus on client factors that contribute to the risk of harm to self or others, the nature of professional decision-making is far more complex. That is, the manner in which professionals interpret and describe features of the client and their situation, is influenced by the worker’s own personal and professional experiences, and the organizational and societal context in which they are located. Although part of the rationale of standardized approaches is to reduce complexity, our collective work demonstrates that the power of personal and social processes to shape decision-making often overwhelm the intention to simplify and standardize. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
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Review

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16 pages, 519 KiB  
Review
Family Recovery Interventions with Families of Mental Health Service Users: A Systematic Review of the Literature
by Michael John Norton and Kerry Cuskelly
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7858; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157858 - 25 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3608
Abstract
Introduction: Recovery has become a catalyst for much organisational and cultural change within mental health services. Recovery involves the service user living the best life of their choice despite the presence of mental health challenges. In contrast, recovery of families remains under-developed with [...] Read more.
Introduction: Recovery has become a catalyst for much organisational and cultural change within mental health services. Recovery involves the service user living the best life of their choice despite the presence of mental health challenges. In contrast, recovery of families remains under-developed with minimal attention given to the unique support families may require in their own recovery journeys. This paper aims to place focus on the topic through a systematic review of the literature into family recovery interventions in mental health; Method and Analysis: A PRISMA compliant systematic review was initiated. It included how the reviewers retrieved and selected studies for the systematic review. It outlined the inclusion/exclusion criteria and how these were further developed through the PICO framework. It also outlined how the reviewers assessed issues of bias and quality, as well as the process of data synthesis; Results: Three studies were included in this review. Each focusing on family recovery interventions across the lifespan: Kidstime to family toolkits to family psychoeducation. The benefits and challenges of each intervention to the family were synthesised along with a list of four family recovery enablers that are vital for the implementation of such family recovery interventions; Discussion/Implications for Practice: The results highlight the paucity of quality literature available for family recovery interventions. All three studies scored poorly in terms of quality, with one particular study (Nagi and Davies 2015) lacking quotations from participants to back up their claims. From this study, a number of actions need to be implemented, specifically around the enablers needed to allow for family recovery interventions to be fully implemented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue International Perspectives on Mental Health Social Work)
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