HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: A SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE abstract

Health is also becoming more accepted as a multidimensional concept that is not only influenced by biological aspects and medical treatment but also by social, economic and environments in which individuals reside. The paper discusses the social work concept of health as it puts into consideration the role of social determinants, health inequalities and social justice in interpreting health outcomes. In the paper, the author discusses the importance of social work within health care environments with an emphasis on the interventions at the individual, group, and community levels. It talks about the main approaches of social work, which involve casework, group work and community organisation, and touches on ethics, directing the practice of health professionals. Resource constraints, role confusion, emotional requirements, and systems barriers, which health social workers face, are also critically discussed. The paper suggests that social work is crucial in the context of reducing health inequalities and building health systems; hence, it takes a holistic and humanistic approach. Social work approach combines psychosocial support with advocacy and community involvement, thus covering the short-term and long-term health requirements and structural issues. The conclusion of the paper restates the argument about the necessity of having inclusive and equitable health systems that acknowledge social work as a constituent of health care. The policies of health that should be strengthened focus on the social work practice in order to have the comprehensive and sustainable health and well-being of all.