Social Work Development
Selection of the Research Topic
My research topic is the effects and impacts of mental health issues associated with Covid-19 amongst adults ages 30-40. The primary objective of the research topic is to analyze the mental health effects that COVID-19 has on adults. Since COVID-19 is a newly emerging disease, it is essential to analyze the mental health effects it causes to both the patients and their close relatives and friends. COVID-19 has resulted in a pandemic leading to lockdowns and curfews in many countries globally. As a result, many essential activities have been stopped, such as attending group therapies, working, and socializing (McKibbin & Fernando, 2020). Additionally, many people have lost their jobs, especially those in the hospitality and public transportation industry. Consequently, people are developing mental health disorders such as depression due to losing their source of income and the inability to socialize with friends. Moreover, individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 are developing mental health issues due to fear that they may die since the death toll is rising globally.
Furthermore, understanding the mental health effects caused by COVID-19 is essential in social work practice because it will enable clinicians to develop better ways of treating the patients. Also, Comprehending how covid-19 causes mental health disorders, social workers will be able to tailor treatment plans that will best address the needs of the clients. Furthermore, social workers will be able to develop programs to help prevent individuals from getting mental health disorders associated with COVID-19. The research topic will add to the social work practice knowledge base, enabling social workers to be better prepared for any future pandemic that may disrupt the world order. Notably, the research topic will increase the social work knowledge base and help social workers understand how COVID-19 is causing people’s mental health and developing appropriate interventions.
Seminal Writers who Helped in Developing Social Work Practice
Several authors helped shape social work into what it is today by researching and writing the information they got clearly and helping other social workers to design better treatment plans and social work programs. One of the seminal writers that contributed to the development of social work is Julie Birkenmaier. She collaborated with Marla Berg-Weger to write The Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Fieldwork (Birkenmaier and Berg-Weger, 2000). Julie Birkenmaier and the colleague contributed significantly to the social work field by writing a book that guided social work students while in field education. Equipping clinical students with skills that will enable them to perform field education effectively is essential as it allows them to learn how to practice social work easily. Additionally, Julie Birkenmaier’s book contributed to the development of social work by providing social work students with ways of improving their cultural competency skills. Cultural competence skills are essential to social workers as they deal with clients across different cultural backgrounds.
Another seminal writer that contributed to the development of social work is peter G. Northouse, who has written several books about leadership in human services agencies. Social work students have used Northouse’s books to learn leadership skills that have enabled them to become competent administrators, leading to better social work services, which improved the lives of many people. In his book Leadership: Theory and practice, Northouse emphasized the importance of keeping the employees safe in a human services agency as a healthy clinician has minor mistakes, which ensures clients are handled appropriately. Furthermore, Northouse has led to the development of social work as his leadership books are used by professors to instruct social work students in many universities. Consequently, the universities have produced social workers with adequate leadership skills, which will help them develop and manage new programs that will lead to positive social change.
Historical Context of the Research Topic
Even though COVID-19 does not have historical data, it has disrupted all countries’ social, political, and economic lives. Socially, COVID-19 has increased racism whereby some countries are oppressing the Chinese nationals by calling them names and blaming them for the pandemic (Devakumar et al., 2020). Additionally, some Chinese citizens are discriminating and kicking Africans out of their rental houses in China, claiming that they are leading to new cases of COVID-19. Racism and any other form of discrimination lead to depression and other mental health disorders, making it necessary to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on people’s mental health.
COVID-19 has also disrupted the world economy in several ways. COVID-19 disease has led to countries closing their borders to prevent its spread, leading to slow crippling of the world economy, causing unemployment due to lack of trade. For instance, the transportation industry is collapsing, as people are not allowed to travel. Consequently, many people have been sent home with no pay or house allowance only (McKibbin & Fernando, 2020). Unemployment and the inability to cater to one’s needs lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Even though Covid-19 has not led to political instability yet, political violence may occur due to various reasons. One reason COVID-19 may lead to political unrest is the significant difference in income and welfare among members of the community, leading to riots and chaos (Clingendael Spectator, 2020). Political instability may lead to violence resulting in people suffering from mental health issues such as PTSD, evaluating the effects of COVID-19 on mental health is essential.
References
Birkenmaier, J., and Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
Clingendael Spectator (2020). Eight Reasons why COVID-19 may Lead to Political Violence. https://spectator.clingendael.org/en/publication/eight-reasons-why-covid-19-may-lead-political-violence
Devakumar, D., Shannon, G., Bhopal, S. S., & Abubakar, I. (2020). Racism and discrimination in COVID-19 responses. The Lancet, 395(10231), 1194.
McKibbin, W. J., & Fernando, R. (2020). The global macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19: Seven scenarios.
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.