Social workers and acquired brain injury: A systematic review of the current evidence-base

Journal article


Akudo Amadiegwu, Mark Holloway, Mark Linden, Andrew Bateman, Claire Cooper, Alyson Norman, Andy Mantell, Caroline Bald and Michael Clark 2023. Social workers and acquired brain injury: A systematic review of the current evidence-base. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292128
AuthorsAkudo Amadiegwu, Mark Holloway, Mark Linden, Andrew Bateman, Claire Cooper, Alyson Norman, Andy Mantell, Caroline Bald and Michael Clark
Abstract

Social work plays an important role in the assessment and treatment of people with acquired brain injury. Acquired brain injury is a complex and highly prevalent condition which can impact on cognitive, emotional and social domains. As acquired brain injury is a hidden disability it can be misdiagnosed or classified as another condition entirely. We sought to systematically explore the evidence base to examine how social workers have been prepared to work with their clients with brain injury.

Employing six electronic databases (Social Policy & Practice, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus) we reviewed 1071 papers. After applying eligibility criteria 17 papers were included in this review. We utilised standardised data extraction and quality appraisal tools to assess all included papers.

Following appraisal, 9 papers were judged as possessing high methodological quality whilst 8 were judged as medium. Employing narrative synthesis, we identified four themes which captured the key findings of these papers. Themes were named as (i) advocacy and social work (ii) training and multidisciplinary team working (iii) inclusion of social networks and (iv) societal barriers.

In order to meet their statutory responsibilities to practice safely, social workers must receive training in how to identify ABI and develop understanding of its consequences and subsequent need for provision. Social workers are also in a unique position to advocate for their clients and should make every effort to ensure their needs are met.

KeywordsSocial work; Acquired brain injury
Year2023
JournalPLoS ONE
PublisherPLoS
ISSN1932-6203
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292128
Official URLhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292128
FunderNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Publication dates
Print10 Nov 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted13 Sep 2023
Deposited14 Dec 2023
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Additional information

Funding: This project is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant Reference Number NIHR202980). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders did not play any role in the design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish or preparation of this manuscript.

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