What is the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers?
Faculty Advisor
Date
2020
Keywords
frontline social workers, COVID-19 pandemic, psychological impact, vicarious trauma
Abstract (summary)
At the start of the 2020 Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada, many social workers throughout Canada worked on the frontlines, providing essential services in hospitals, long-term care facilities, shelter systems, the social services sector, and the criminal justice system, as their places of employment were deemed essential services. This presented often confusing situations for social workers; who were faced with the challenges of simultaneously complying with crisis-level provincial and federal safety guidelines and mandates, directives from their regulatory bodies, and protocols from their employers, while keeping themselves and their families safe and healthy as they continued working with clients. The following paper discusses the precarious situations faced by frontline social workers, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on them, and we offer recommendations to support frontline social workers’ mental health during this and future pandemics.
Publication Information
Gateri, H., Richards, D., & Edwards, F. (2020). What is the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers? Journal of Concurrent Disorders, 3(1), 17–24.
DOI
Notes
Item Type
Article
Language
Rights
Attribution (CC BY)
