Post-disaster social work research: A scoping review of the evidence for practice
Abstract
The aim of this study was to understand the extent, range and nature of social work research activity after natural disasters and to identify the implications for future research and practice. A Scoping review methodology framework was used search of three databases: Web of Science, ProQuest and Informit was conducted to identify relevant studies between 2000 and 2018. Selection of studies was based on empirical research about social work and natural disasters and/or authored by social workers. Study selection found a total of 38 relevant articles. Charting the data was conducted and the following areas of focus were summarised: (1) interventions relating to psychosocial care, aid work and community work; (2) the effects of disasters on people and mediators of these effects; (3) social work education and challenges in disaster relief; and (4) measuring mental health outcomes of people who have experienced a disaster event. This scoping review has established that there is a range of social work literature focused on natural disasters that primarily examines social work interventions, the effects of disasters and social work education. Future social work research and practice needs to focus on the types and timing of interventions that promote positive recovery following natural disasters.
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Biographies
Louise Harms is chair and head of Social Work at The University of Melbourne. Her research and teaching interests are in trauma and resilience – in health and post-disaster contexts.
Jennifer Boddy is deputy head of School (Learning and Teaching) for the School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University, Australia. She is passionate about creating healthy, sustainable environments, free from violence, advancing feminist research, and understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on marginalised people.
Lyndal Hickey is a research fellow in the Department of Social Work at The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. She has practice experience in health and disability and her research has focused on family interventions to promote adaptation following a significant health event.
Kathryn Hay is an associate professor in the School of Social Work, Massey University, New Zealand. Her research interests include work-integrated learning; social worker engagement in disaster management; and the readiness to practise of newly qualified social workers. Kathryn teaches across field education, policy, and research methods courses and is the Director of Field Education.
Melinda Alexander is a freelance writer. She completed her PhD in the Department of Social Work, The University of Melbourne in 2015 and worked on this project as a research assistant.
Lynne Briggs is an associate professor at Griffith University. She has successfully led various research and evaluation projects in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. Her research includes national and international mixed method studies in mental health outcomes, exploring whether demoralization may provide a more relevant diagnosis than clinical depression, the impact of child sexual abuse on adult women survivors, refugee women, gender-based violence and interventions in disasters
Lesley Cooper has a long history in international social work practice, education and research. She recently was the foundation professor of social work at the University of Wollongong, NSW and is now an Honorary Professor.
Margaret Alston is professor of Social Work at the University of Newcastle and emeritus professor at Monash University. She has undertaken research on climate related disasters in a number of countries across South Asia and the Pacific.
Patricia Fronek is based at Griffith University and Law Futures Research Centre. She is the Director of the Bachelor of Social Work Program, Griffith University. Her areas of research include community development and work with communities (with a particular focus on strengths or asset-based approaches.
Amanda Howard is director of the BSW at the University of Sydney. Her research is focused on work with communities. For the last few years Amanda has been undertaking research focused on community led approaches to disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
Carole Adamson is a senior lecturer within the social work programme at The University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has a practice and research focus on mental health, stress, trauma and resilience, animals, and on disasters, and on the role of social work and social work education to stay current in these areas.
Tricia Hazeleger works with rural communities as a community development and project manager in North East Victoria. Tricia has been involved in action research and developing policy and practice guidelines with the Gender, Leadership and Social Sustainability Centre at Monash University, focusing on gender and disaster resilience.
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Article first published online: April 21, 2020
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