To promote international social work education and prepare MSW graduates for international careers, several teaching models have been developed, including intensive teaching in international settings, hybrid teaching with study abroad components, and applied learning through service learning and international internships. Benefits of international social work education range from increased knowledge and skills in addressing global issues through policy and advocacy, to significant improvements in multi-cultural competence and awareness upon participation in structured cultural immersion programs. Current challenges for social workers in international development careers point to the need for an interdisciplinary approach to best address complex global social issues. This paper proposes an international interdisciplinary teaching model that aims to prepare social work students for international development practice. Based on a pilot study of the proposed model, students showed significant increases in the self-efficacy of interdisciplinary international knowledge and skills. Keywords: International social work, interdisciplinary education, self-efficacy, experiential learning, social work educationUsing scientific inquiry and knowledge of the person-in-environment approach, respect for human diversity, and a global point of view, social work professionals strive to achieve social and economic justice, prevent constraints on human rights, eliminate poverty, and promote quality of life for every individual (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2008). For a profession with such a wide focus of practice, there is an increased challenge of promoting globally-minded social work practitioners. International social work provides the framework for educating global social workers and prepares students for international social development as a dimension of social work practice.Over the past three decades, socioeconomic, political, and technological changes created a new range of social issues that require more diverse and innovative approaches, shifting intervention paradigms from a local to a global context of social work practice. New knowledge and skills are required, and existing professional realms have to go through a transformation process to remain relevant within the current context. With international social development issues requiring multidisciplinary approaches, an international interdisciplinary focus in social work education is one core element of this transformation process.The internationalization of social work education was accelerated by the political and economic changes at the end of the 1980s. After the fall of the Communist regimes in Zubaroglu & Popescu/PREPARING SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS 215 Eastern Europe (1989Europe ( -1991 there was a surge in the need for social work education and implicitly international social work curriculum development (Török & Korazim-Kőrösy, 2012). Immediate transfer of knowledge from countries with recent social work traditions (such as the United States) ...
IntroductionAzerbaijan ranks among the top 3 countries with the highest rates of suicide in the Muslim world. Yet, research indicates an underestimate of risk due to cultural stigma related to suicidal behavior that may influence reporting and given that many Muslim-majority countries, where populations exceed 100 million, do not report any data on suicide rates. Violence against women also occurs at alarming rates in Azerbaijan and is a significant risk factor for suicide.ObjectivesWe examine perspectives towards suicide and violence against women and barriers to care among key stakeholders.MethodsThirty qualitative interviews and 4 semi-structured focus groups were held with female survivors of suicide and mental health professionals working with individuals at risk of suicide to assess for perspectives on suicide and violence against women, factors influencing help-seeking, and the nature of existing resources.ResultsMost participants viewed suicide (83%) and violence against women (73%) as problems. Nevertheless, 33% reported negative stereotypes regarding suicide and 50% reported psychological treatment as unaccepted in Azerbaijan. Findings highlight that domestic violence is the strongly identified as risk factor for suicide among women in Azerbaijan. Stigma and related cultural values regarding gender norms are significant contributors to violence against women and suicide. Existing services are underrecognized and perceived of as unavailable or insufficient.ConclusionsEmploying a social determinants of health lens, multi-level programming is needed that spans micro (individual level supports), mezzo (family level supports), and macro (advocacy and outreach) levels to support a comprehensive strategy that beings with prevention and extends to address intervention, management, and capacity building to halt the increasing rates of suicide and deter violence against women.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
IntroductionDespite studies pointing to the important role of relational and community factors in influencing mental health during times of crises such as the current pandemic, little research has examined protective factors at the relational/community level that serve protective factors against mental health impairment in response to the current pandemic.ObjectivesThis study aims to address this gap and examines protective factors against adverse mental health consequences related to the pandemic at the relational and community levels among individuals residing in high-risk marginalized low-resourced settings in Guatemala at one and a half years post onset of the pandemicMethodsTelephone surveys were administered to 100 participants to assess sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial functioning, and protective factors (interpersonal support, psychoeducation, community resources, and adaptive coping) against psychological distress. (anxiety, depression, stress, burnout). Multiple linear regressions were used to examine predictors of mental health impairment.ResultsOur findings demonstrate that only psychoeducation serves a protective factor against psychological distress.Interpersonal support was found to predict increased levels of anxiety and depression and adaptive coping was found to predict increased levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout. No significant relationship between community resources and any type of mental health impairment was found.ConclusionsPublic mental health efforts should capitalize on the effectiveness of psychoeducation to promote strategies for managing symptoms of psychological distress as well as providing information regarding resources and services. In the context of complex emergencies that have an immediate effect on already scarce resources at a personal, community, and institutional levels, psychoeducation has the advantage of a low-cost intervention, easily transferable between communities, providing immediate support as well as sustainability over time.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
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