The aim of this thesis is to explain the role of social work in child and adolescent psychiatry during times of crisis, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of such a crisis. The research questions focus on the individual experiences of social workers during and after the Corona crisis, the extent of the impact of the crisis on children and adolescents, as well as the needs for action that have become apparent due to the pandemic. In order to answer these research questions, guided expert interviews are conducted with social workers employed at Austrian child and adolescent psychiatric services. The results of the interviews reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the critical situation in psychiatric care and that it increased the demand for social work. The impact on children and adolescents is particularly evident in the area of social interaction and this continues to be an issue even after the end of the pandemic. The results show that the psychiatric care urgently needs to be expanded. One option, next to increasing staff in clinics, would be to extend services provided in the outpatient sector. A desirable approach would be for outpatient doctors to receive support by social workers who handle networking tasks.
Date of Award | Sept 2024 |
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Original language | German (Austria) |
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Supervisor | Martina Tißberger (Supervisor) |
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Kinder und Jugendliche in Krisenzeiten: Die Soziale Arbeit in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie am Beispiel der COVID-19-Pandemie
Zeillinger, D. (Author). Sept 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis