EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN SAUDI ARABIA’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
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Abstract
Social workers are integral in healthcare yet their roles and experiences are understudied in Saudi Arabia. This qualitative study explored perspectives of 6 hospital social workers through individual semi-structured interviews on workplace experiences, roles, challenges, and recommendations. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed key themes around diffuse responsibilities, inadequate staffing, limited understanding of social work roles by other providers, fragmented coordination, mental health impacts, and need for expanded training. Social workers felt overburdened but remained dedicated. Recommendations include role clarification, staff expansion, mental health supports, anti-stigma education, and advanced clinical training to optimize social work contributions.
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References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.