Optimizing psychiatric social work interventions: Formulating guidelines for mental health settings

Psychiatric social workers typically play an important role in the treatment and management of psychosocial issues at different levels, such as individual, family, and community levels. However, despite the field having a long history, there are significantly fewer standardized guidelines for interventions in mental health settings.

This study aims to develop guidelines for psychiatric social work interventions in mental health settings. Psychiatric social workers with a degree of M.Phil. in Psychiatric Social Work, 2 years of working experience, and working in mental health settings were selected for this study. Using purposive sampling, 15 psychiatric social workers were selected for this study and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The data were analyzed using the qualitative method of content analysis.

There is a high level of satisfaction rate among psychiatric social workers about their work and profession, however, they face challenges because of non-clarity of roles and responsibilities, lack of theories, and difficulties in implementing theories into practice. More training, discussion, supervision, and exposure to different cases help improve the interventions' quality.

Although psychiatric social work interventions are effective in addressing the treatment gap by providing curative, preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative services, there is no uniformity in the interventions, which in turn, explains the need for standardized guidelines for intervention. The study explains the guidelines for psychiatric social work interventions at the community, group, family, and individual levels.