Exploring social workers’ experiences of providing mental healthcare services in hospital-based setting; the case of medical social workers in Mpumalanga Province.
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The discourse of mental illness is construed as an inaudible epidemic throughout with \nprevalence in most countries of the world; it affects millions of people directly and indirectly. \nDue to the rising burden of these issues, social workers were added as mental health \npractitioners, amongst other professionals as enshrined in section 17 of the South African \nMental Health Act of 2002. It visibly stipulates that the mental health practitioner should have \nadequate training. However, evidence suggests that social work training in mental health is \ninadequate in South Africa. The perceived self-efficacy and ecological theory were used to \nunderpin the study, exploring social workers' experience in providing mental healthcare \nservices in hospital-based settings. \nThe study utilised a qualitative research approach and exploratory design. In-depth \ninterviews were elicited from respondents using a purposive sample of 20 social workers with \nexperience providing community mental health care services for over five years in hospital \nsettings in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The findings indicate that a vast number of \nparticipants were of the feeling that training at the undergraduate level is inconsequential, \ninadequate and not in-depth for the mental health settings. This is said to make the social \nworkers feel incompetent in the field. Secondly, participants experience is worsened by the \ndearth of social and professional support from the department, reporting to the medical \nmanager instead of a social work supervisor is indicated to be a challenge for the majority. \nLastly, social workers reported that in multi-disciplinary teams they are either overworked or \nmarginalised and this result in a negative overall experience. The recommendations of this \nstudy are for tertiary institutions re-evaluate the social work training curriculum because mental \nhealth is sacrosanct and fundamental to be incorporated into the mainstream of undergraduate \ntraining for students specialising in social work. It is also important that the Department of \nHealth recognises social workers, provide social and professional support through in-service \ntraining that can be managed by social work supervisors. Also, it is crucial that professionals \nin the social work profession should be recognised as essential members of the multidisciplinary \nteams. It is concluded that social workers have negative experiences in providing \neffective mental healthcare services in hospital-based care settings.
Author: Makhosazane Felicia. Mashabane
Language: English
Subfield: Public Administration
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3015088835