social work

2. PSYCHOSOCIALAPPROACH IN
SOCIALCASE WORK

3. PSYCHOSOCIALAPPROACH
 The psychosocial approach looks at individuals
in the context of the combined influence that
psychological factors and the surrounding social
environment have on their physical and mental
wellness and their ability to function.
 This approach is used in a broad range of
helping professions in health and social care
settings.
 People may not be fully aware of the relationship
between their mental and emotional wellbeing
and the environment.

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Psychosocial approach first
commonly used by psychologist
Erik Erikson in his description of the
stages of psychosocial development.
In 1941 Gordon Hamilton renamed
the 1917 concept of “social diagnosis’’
as “psychosocial study”.
Psychosocial study was further
developed by Hollis in 1946 with
emphasis in treatment model.

5. Assessment/ Diagnosis
 Psychosocial approach believes that
diagnosis is essential because it gives a
realistic basis for differentiation on the basis
of collected data.
 Case worker access nature of client’s trouble
and its contributing factors, that is identify
the area where changes are needed in his
behaviour.

6. Treatment objective
 The ultimate objective of using the
psychosocial approach is to alleviate the
client’s distress and to decrease
malfunctioning in the person- situation
system
 To achieve this objective the case worker’s
job is to enhance the adaptive capacity and
social functioning of the client.

7. Treatment process
 In the treatment process case worker uses the
techniques of environmental modification.
 He helps the client to locate the place or agency
for help.
 He mediates between the client and resources.
 Direct treatment is also provided for the
ventilation of clients.
 Ego , support, interpretation and counseling are
the techniques are the techniques used to
establish rapport with the client.

8. Psychosocial Techniques
 PROBLEMS:
 GOALS:
Which can be intra-
psychic, interpersonal
or environmental , the
‘cause’ of a problem
the way? Is seen as
important.
Which are to understand
and change the person,
the situation or both:
that is direct and
indirect intervention

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 The client’s role:
 The worker’s role:
Which is some what
passive, a patient role
almost.
Which is to study,
diagnose and treat the
‘person-in-situation’
whole.

10. FRAME WORK FOR UNDERSTANDING
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
 The theoretical base for psychosocial work is
Freudian personality theory, with an
emphasis on the ego’s capacity for
adaptation and problem solving.
 Basic to the psychosocial approach is
knowledge of psychosexual development.
 According to the psycho analytic view, the
personality consists of three systems:

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 1. Id
 2. Ego
 3. Super ego
 Which interact dynamically both with each other an with
the environment, that is, the individuals living situation
 Ego strengths are not a fixed condition but an ever
changing capacity to cope with frustration, control impulse
make mature relationships and use defense mechanisms
approximately.
 In general, an individual’s age, capacity to work through
early traumas and the intensity of pressure all affect the
ego functioning.

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 Many of the situation deal with in social work
can involve challenges to how a person sees
her/him self and or involve loss, of identity,
freedom, and so on. In these situations
individuals might not desire self-awareness or
couldn’t cope with it. Assessing ego strength
assists in understanding how motivated or
reluctant the person is likely to be, how much
change they can tolerate and what kind of
relationships is likely to develop.

13. THE PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH AS A
METHOD OF UNDERSTANDING
 A psychosocial approach takes in to account that
people have both inner world and outer realities
but the way we perceive the world sometimes
differs from the way others see it.
 This is the often described as the ‘person in
situation’ or the person in their environment’
(the psychosocial).
 The psychosocial approach helps to develop a
healthy questioning of the obvious, an open
mind, imagination and knowledge of personality
functioning, human behavior and emotional
suffering are fundamental.

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 The psychosocial approach is less a system of
therapy and more an approach to
understanding.