The role of empathy in case management: a pilot study
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Little research has been done on the benefit of empathy for social workers in the actual practice of their profession. This prompted an exploration of the interplay between empathic ability and the skills practitioners draw on for case management. Two cohorts of social work students, in their final semester, reflected on an authentic social work scenario and suggested a plan for intervention before completing a scale measuring empathy. The results revealed that different dimensions of empathy, to a varying degree, underpin the process through which students come to a decision on how to intervene. The findings provide empirical support for the assumption that empathy plays an essential role in the practice of social work. They also suggest the need for further investigation, particularly given the potential use of increased knowledge on what determines the skills needed to take on the oftentimes complex and demanding reality of social work.
Source: Social Work Education
Authors: Elisabeth Engelberg, Arthur Limbach-Reich
Institution: University of Luxembourg
Language: English
Subfield: Public Administration
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: Université du Luxembourg
OpenAlex ID: W1899780243