The Role of Social Work in Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

Social workers frequently encounter those affected by suicide. However, the social work voice on suicide has been relatively absent from the literature. This scoping review aimed to map the contribution social work research has made to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Two hundred and forty-one papers on suicide authored by social workers were identified. Results demonstrate that explanatory research remains the primary mode of scientific inquiry in suicide research undertaken by social workers, with fewer descriptive and control articles. There remains a dearth of social work research dedicated to suicide in indigenous populations, postvention knowledge, and suicide and stigma. Future social work research should pursue a greater contribution to the primary prevention literature by evaluating programs and interventions. Working with those who are suicidal or the bereaved by suicide is important for informing social work practice in this area.

社会工作者常常遇到受自杀影响的人，但文献中却不大听得到社会工作者谈论自杀。本研究意在搞清楚社工研究对于自杀的预防、阻断以及亡羊补牢所做的贡献。我们找到了社会工作者所写的241篇文章。其中以探讨性研究为首要的研究方法，余下的少数为描述性及控制性研究。关于原住民的自杀、三级预防、自杀以及污名的研究则比较少见。未来的社会工作者应在评估项目以及干预方面对一级预防的研究做更大贡献。接触自杀者及其亲属能为该领域的社会工作提供重要信息。

KEYWORDS:

• Suicide
• Social Work
• Prevention
• Intervention
• Postvention
• Scoping Review

ORCiD

Julie Cerel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4534-5526

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a small grant from the Australian Association of Social Workers National Research Committee.