The Strengthening Mechanism of the Relationship between Social Work and Public Health under COVID-19 in China

Abstract

Social work and public health have always shared a common mission and vision in promoting human health. However, existing research tends to view social work and public health as two separate fields at both practice and policy levels, and these studies have largely neglected the consideration of how to integrate public health and social work. In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, the link between the two has been strengthened and health social work has been given more importance. The question addressed in this article is through what mechanisms or practices the social work profession can strengthen its professional status and engage in interprofessional collaboration. Based on key informant interviews and case studies (one community and two cabin Hospitals), this study points out that three legitimacy mechanisms are needed: operationalizing policy, extending value, and completing justification. Furthermore, the future and possible limitations in relation to the development of health social work in China are discussed and specific recommendations are provided. Health social work needs to conduct practices and summarize its experiences and methods, to create a more friendly political environment by translating its results into policies that are conducive to the development of health social work through a political agenda. It needs to improve upon its practical abilities and methodologies, as well as professional education relating to professional values and ethics, in addition to identifying the deeper social needs of residents and discovering new, undeveloped areas of service. Moreover, because long-term change is difficult to justify due to China’s policy agendas, the question of whether the professional status of health social work in the post-epidemic context can be improved is something that needs to be further explored in future studies.

Job demands, resources, and task performance in Chinese social workers: Roles of burnout and work engagement

“…Encouraging these types of positive work environments could help reduce burnout, increase engagement, and improve task performance amongst employees (35). Given social workers play a vital role in improving health care services and reducing inequities for their clients, promoting work environments of social workers would have profound effects for promoting health service delivery and public health outcomes for the vulnerable Chinese clients' social workers serve (5,6,16). 82) recent study found individuals with higher emotional intelligence, tend to have lower rates of burnout because of their ability to better regulate inner emotions.…”

“…First, the study illuminates the prevalence of high JD amongst Chinese social workers. Given high JD pose a significant risk of burnout, which has significant impacts on public health outcomes and health service delivery for their clients ( 5 , 6 , 16 ), Chinese social work agencies should initiate policies such as work-life balance policy to alleviate high workloads and provide support to make emotional workloads more manageable ( 69 – 71 ). These policies will not only reduce social worker burnout, but they also have the potential to increase public health outcomes and health service delivery of the clients.…”

“…Resource constraints severely limit the degree to which these agencies can improve the work conditions of their employees. Increasing governmental policies that provide supportive funds for small or rural social work agencies may have the potential to improve the labor force amongst social worker and to promote heath service delivery and public health outcomes for various vulnerable clients ( 5 , 6 , 16 ).…”

“…In 2010, there were an estimated 0.2 million social workers, but by 2020 there were an estimated 1.5 million workers within the field (1,3,4). This rapid but massive influx of social workers highlights the quick expansion of the social work field, and of the increasing impact social workers have had on public health, given social work agencies began serving largely disadvantaged communities with poor healthcare access and services (5,6). However, it is important to note social work has faces several challenges in development.…”

“…Thus, clients may have become at-risk for experiencing harm, malpractice, or a lack of resources/support that is available. Given these rising harms to both social workers and clients, this paper seeks to investigate factors of burnout and work engagement that effect social workers to limit this growing healthcare crisis ( 6 , 16 ).…”