What is it about?
For a long time now, social workers have been aware of just how widespread loneliness is in our communities - even labeling it as a 'Grand Challenge' for the profession. But, it has not been clear how social work researchers have responded to this challenge. In this paper we systematically reviewed social work literature on loneliness from 2016 to 2021 to explore what kinds of research have been undertaken, how loneliness is identified, the types of interventions being examined, and the role of social workers in this literature.
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Why is it important?
The results of our review can provide new insights for social work practice, relevant policy and future social work research efforts. They also provide some pointers on how we might improve social work education and skills development.
Perspectives
This review highlights that social workers are deeply engaged with research and action on loneliness, but their expertise needs to be more visible, with a stronger pathway between research and practice.
Adjunct Professor Johanna C. Badcock
University of Western Australia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mapping Social Work’s Response to the ‘Grand Challenge’ of Loneliness: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Literature, The British Journal of Social Work, January 2024, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad272.
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