Indian Journal of Health Social Work
(UGC CARE List Journal)
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume 7 | Issue 2 | July-December, 2025
Editorial
SOCIAL WORKERS AS FRONT-LINE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The role of social workers in the wider health
care system is critical, as they are frontline
professionals who bridge the gap between
health care services and the social
determinants of health. They are not confined
to traditional welfare assistance; they are also
integrated into hospitals, community health
centres, mental health facilities, and schools,
offering holistic care to vulnerable
populations. According to Berkman and
Harootyan (2003), social workers in the health
care setting are best placed to provide
psychosocial care to patients who are often
not adequately supported by clinical staff.
The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2008)
has long recognised that social and economic
factors (poverty, housing, education, and
discrimination) have a major influence on
health outcomes. Social workers have been
trained to identify and address these
determinants through advocacy, case
management, and community-based services.
In that sense, they do not act as support
personnel; they are part of multidisciplinary
health teams. Research by Gehlert and
Browne (2012) affirms that when social
workers are incorporated into the primary
health care environment, hospital readmission
rates decrease and patient adherence to
treatment plans increases.
- 28 January 2026
Review Article
NUTRITIONAL INEQUITIES AND CHALLENGES TO IMPROVE TRIBAL HEALTH IN INDIA: A REVIEW OF SECONDARY SOURCES
Tribes are the indigenous population
historically residing in distinct geographical
locations from ancient times and are referred
to as Scheduled Tribes (STs) or Adivasi in
India. According to Census 2011 (ORGI, 2011),
they comprise 8.6 % of India’s total
population, which was 8.2% in the 2001
Census. There are 705 registered distinct
tribal groups in India that display uniqueness
in socio-cultural and ethnic-lingual arenas, living in different regions in the country (Negi
& Singh, 2018). The Report of the expert
committee on Tribal Health (MoHFW & MoTA,
GOI, 2018) asserts that the overall nutritional
status among the tribals in India is
unsatisfactory. The existing gap between them
and their counterpart has remained
unchanged or amplified. The NFHS-3 found
that 65% of tribal women (15-49 years of age)
and 77% of ST children were anaemic
compared to 64% of all other categories.
- 28 January 2026
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: A SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE
The concept of health is mostly given out as
the lack of disease. This is the limited
perspective that does not reflect the realities
that are complex in determining the well-being
of people (Engel, 1977). People are not
healthy beings but instead, their health itself
is highly affected by their social, economic,
environmental and cultural status (Cacioppo
and Hawkley, 2003). Poverty, education, family
support, gender relations, employment and service access are considered the factors that
define who can be healthy and who can be
prone to illness (Vlassoff, 2007; Mechanic and
Tanner, 2007). It is important to realise these
interacting influences in order to come up
with a more holistic perspective on health.
The traditional biomedical model is very
general with diagnosis, treatment, and cure
with little regard to the larger social context
of illness (Engel, 2012). Although medical
interventions play a critical role, they cannot
only solve the underlying causes of most
i l l nesses (Hawe, 2015). Another and
supplementary approach is social work which
considers health as a product of social
relationships, structural conditions and
experiences in life. This school of thought
f ocuses on prevention, psychosocial
assistance, empowerment, and social justice
as well as medical treatment (Green and
McDermott, 2010).
- 28 January 2026
ORIGINAL Articles
DIFFERENCES IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UTILISATION ACROSS CASTE AND GENDER: A STATISTICAL STUDY FROM CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY
Mental health disparities are significant
concern in many countries, including India.
There are various factors that contribute to
disparities in mental health services
utilisation, including socio-economic status,
caste, gender, and cultural beliefs. These disparities can lead to inadequate access to
mental health services and can result in
negative outcomes for individuals and
communities.
Caste is a significant factor that has been
shown to play a role in mental health
disparities in India. The caste system, which
is deeply ingrained in Indian society, has
resulted in significant social and economic
disparities between castes, leading to unequal
access to education, employment, and
healthcare, including mental health services.
Individuals from lower castes are less likely
to seek mental health services and are more
likely to receive inadequate care when they
do seek help. There are various reasons for
this, including lack of awareness and
education about mental health, stigma
associated with mental illness, cultural and
religious beliefs, and financial constraints.
Mental health policies can also prioritise a
preventive approach. To the extent that
discrimination and violence contribute to
depression and anxiety in India, reducing
them would improve overall mental health.
This is especially relevant in low-resource
settings such as India, where access to mental
healthcare is extremely limited.
- 28 January 2026
RESPONSE TO BURNOUT AND CARING FOR SELF BY THE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLORS IN DELHI: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Burnout is very common among counsellors.
Listening to the problems of others throughout
the day, and dealing with really difficult cases
often makes counsellors prone to burnout.
Counsellors face challenging conditions in
order to meet the demanding needs of work.
Burnout results in fatigue, pessimism, and
emotional weakness. The person facing
burnout cannot manage the expectations of
self and others. They feel helpless in
shouldering the new responsibilities and their
routine work. In any situation, on any day or
time, the counselors extend help to the needy
and troubled clients. It is natural to be under
stress when you are performing the role of
caring for distressed people. Listening to the traumas experienced by the clients also puts
the counsellors under tension. Helping a client
suffering from life disturbances can also
cause disturbances in the counselor’s life. This
situation is not new to a person whose
profession is caring for people in need.
The prerequisite for a professional counsellor
is to realize the importance of self-care. All
t he professional counsellors are well
acquainted with the significance of self-care.
The counselors know the principle of help
yourself first, but many times this is not
practiced by the counselors. It is a known fact
that if we invest all our energy in dealing with
the client and nothing comes back into restock
the energy of the counsellor, then the
counsellor will suffer from physical and
mental fatigue. Hence, it is essential for the
counsellors to care for self. Wellness of both
the client and counsellor is indispensable.
- 28 January 2026
PALLIATIVE CARE IN INDIA: THE ROAD AHEAD
As the prevalence of Non-Communicable
Diseases (NCDs) rises worldwide and more
patients need long-term care for chronic
diseases, palliative care is becoming more
and more important (Murray & Lopez,
1997).The World Health Organization defines
palliative care as ‘an approach that improves
the quality of life of patients and their families
facing the problems associated with life
threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering. Palliative care services
are crucial for providing patients and their
families with comprehensive treatment where
the prevalence of chronic illnesses is
significant. The diagnosis should be
accompanied by the field of palliative care. It
i s designed to provide physical, social,
mental, and spiritual comfort and respite to
people who have been diagnosed with any
kind of debilitating illness or life-limiting
condition. Palliative care is not just for dying
or lessening the process of dying; it can also
be given at the time of diagnosis. Palliative
care is also not about end-of-life care, despite
the common misconception that it is solely
provided during these times.
- 28 January 2026
EMOTION REGULATION AND INSOMNIA AMONG CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH ALCOHOL USE DISORDER
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) represents the
advanced stage of alcohol addiction, marked
by tolerance, where increasing amounts of
alcohol are needed to achieve the same effect (Edwards & Gross, 1986). The World Health
Organization reported that harmful alcohol
use was responsible for 3 million deaths (5.3%
of all deaths) and 132.6 million disability
adjusted life years (DALYs, 5.1%) in 2016
(Glantz et al., 2020; Lui et al., 2023). In India,
the National Health Survey (2016) estimated
17% (10.6 million) of the population were
alcohol dependent (Gautham et al., 2020),
with Chhattisgarh reporting the highest
prevalence at 35.6% (Ambekar et al., 2019).
Globally, AUD continues to be a major public
health concern, with relapse rates ranging
between 40% and 60% even after treatment
(Moos & Moos, 2006). The recurrent nature
of relapse not only affects persons with AUD
but also places significant psychological,
emotional, and physical strain on their
caregivers (Kalra & Tung, 2024).
A caregiver, or “carer,” is someone who
provides support to a person whose
functioning is limited by illness, disability, or
age. Caregiving responsibilities may include
assisting with daily activities, managing
medical needs, providing emotional support,
and ensuring overall well-being (Ortelli,
2021). In the context of AUD, caregivers often
report emotional exhaustion, irritability, and
helplessness, reflecting difficulties in
managing their own emotions (Sharma et al.,
2021).
- 28 January 2026
USE OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION ON INDIVIDUALS WITH OPIOID ADDICTION
Throughout the world, Opioid addiction
continues to represent a significant health
crisis, with less than 15% of such individuals
seek formals treatments (Mutumba et al,
2021), which is often discontinued, leading to
relapses. One of the main reasons for relapse is that of ‘craving’ in individuals with opioid
use. Craving, which is the subjective
experience of an urge or desire to use a
substance (Kozlowski et al, 1987), has been
associated with activation of brain networks,
l eading to its conceptualization as a
motivational and emotional state of an
individual. The relevance of craving in clinical
field is emphasized by its inclusion as one of
the main diagnostic criteria for ‘Dependence
Syndrome’ for Substance Use Disorder (SUD),
in International Classification of Diseases-10
(ICD-10), among other factors. It has been
well documented that, it’s often the
mismanagement of the desire (craving) that
leads to the individuals to continue with intake
of the psycho-active substance especially in
case of opioid addiction. As such, opioid and
i ts derivates were known to cause
physiological and psychological dependency,
in the individual quite rapidly, in comparison
to the forms of psychoactive substance
(Sadoock et al, 2015). Thus, it’s the
unmanaged craving behavior, which plays a
vital role in the maintenance of the substance
intake, there-by increasing the substance
use period and consequentially leading to
more neuro-chemical disturbances in the
individual. This leads to the increase in
burden, not only on the healthcare systems
but also on the society. Thus, for effective
management in case of opioid addiction,
minimizing and managing craving behavior
becomes essential.
- 28 January 2026
Brief COmmunication
LOCUS OF CONTROL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES AMONG ARMY PERSONNEL
Besides national security, Indian Army
personnel are involved in other pivotal duties
such as border security, internal security and
disaster management (Verma et al., 2013).
Across the world, army personnel face
arduous and complicated responsibilities,
which creates a disposition to develop into
various psychiatric issues such as depression,
anxiety disorder, substance use and suicide
(Argyropoulos et al., 2005). In a study conducted at Hyderabad on 520 Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, it
was reported that most of the security
personnel suffer from generalised anxiety and
major depressive disorders (Rao et al., 2008).
Additionally, occupational stress is also
reported among Indian Army personnel
(Pradhan et al., 2020). Moreover, it was
observed that locus of control is associated
with post-traumatic stress disorder (Solomon,
Mikulincer, & Avitzur, 1988).
- 28 January 2026
LIFESTYLE DISEASES AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Non-communicable diseases are termed life
l ong diseases collectively affected by
environmental, physiological and behavioural
factors. NCD treatment needs prolonged
medication and today individuals from both
high socio-economic backgrounds and
marginal sections are affected by it. It includes
a variety of diseases, including
cardiovascular diseases (such as heart
disease and stroke), diabetes, certain
inherited genetic disorders, various types of
cancer, reproductive health issues, poor
nutrition, obesity, and more. Social
determinants of health (SDOH) play a crucial role in shaping individual and population
health outcomes. These determinants are the
conditions in which people are born, grow,
live, work, and age, and they are influenced
by the distribution of resources, power, and
money at various levels—global, national, and
local. Diseases which were heard after the
60s and 70s among individuals are visible
today in early 20s and 30s of a person.
- 28 January 2026
Case reports
ART THERAPY IN PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS FOR PERSONS WITH NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A CASE SERIES FROM THE TERTIARY CARE CENTRE
Neuropsychiatric disorders can create
disequilibrium in motor functioning, mood,
activities of daily living, and overall quality of
life of the survivors of neurological disorders
(Cucca et al., 2018). Pathophysiology can be
infectious, autoimmune, metabolic, or genetic
(Isaac & Larson, 2014), apart from
neurodegenerative disorders (Willis et al.,
2013).
Several
conditions
have
neuropsychiatric manifestations that require
early identification and management and a
unique bio-psycho-social approach to
recognition and multidisciplinary management
(Butler & Zeman, 2005). The use of art in
assessment and therapy has been found to
have several benefits from a neuro-biological
perspective. People who have participated in
art have better self-regulation, relaxation, and
improved associated cognitive functioning
such as memory, spatial, and visual
processing. (Kapitan, 2014). Art therapy
activities primarily involve motor, sensory,
emotional, visual, and cognitive aspects that
connect neurophysiological processes and
brain structures. (Lusebrink, 2004).
- 28 January 2026
INSTRUCTION FOR AUTHORS
The Indian Journal of Health Social Work (IJHSW) is
the culmination of the collective effort of social work
professionals and academicians across the country to create a
platform for exploration, discussion, research, and action on
the social determinants and correlates of health care.
The Indian Journal of Health Social Work is a biannual journal
published in January and July of each year. The IJHSW is an
official publication of the All India Association of Medical Social
Work Professionals (AIAMSWP) and is indexed in the UGC
CARE list. The journal accepts original research work, review
articles, case reports, informative materials, & brief
communications related to social work practice in health care.
- 28 January 2026
ISSN: 2582-1393 (online)
UGC Care List Journal