Social work and personality disorders

Mental health social workers may find themselves dealing with individuals who have personality disorders. Since there are a wide variety of personality disorders, students who are seeking a master's in social work, or MSW degree, may benefit from browsing through the resources below. These websites provide a wide range of information on what personality disorders are and how social workers can help individuals who suffer from them.

Types of personality disorders

Since there are many different types of personality disorders, mental health social workers could benefit from increasing their knowledge of each one, as they all have their own symptoms and recovery methods. The resources below provide basic information on a few common personality disorders, which may be useful for MSW degree seekers.

General information on personality disorders: This website by the Mayo Clinic outlines basic information on personality disorders. Social workers who are interested in specializing in this topic may find that this is a good place to start when gaining knowledge on personality disorders.

Borderline personality disorder: Individuals who suffer from borderline personality disorder tend to have long-term patterns of erratic behavior. This website by the U.S. National Library of Medicine discusses the symptoms of this type of personality disorder, as well as how it can be cured.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OPCD): People who have OPCD tend to run their lives around rules, orderliness and control. Typically, their symptoms resemble those of people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but while people with OCD have unwanted thoughts, individuals with OPCD believe their thoughts are appropriate. Using this resource, social work degree seekers can gain more information on OPCD so that they can assist individuals who suffer from it.

Antisocial personality disorder: Individuals who have this type of personality disorder often express manipulative, violating or exploitative behavior, as explained by this website from the Mayo Clinic. As these individuals are likely to become criminals, it is important for social workers and other healthcare professionals to be aware of the signs and symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.

Narcissistic personality disorder: In general, people who have narcissistic personality disorder have an extreme preoccupation with themselves and need constant admiration from others. This personality disorder can cause relationship problems or drug use, which makes it crucial for social workers to learn how to recognize the illness and control it.

Schizoid personality disorder: People who have this type of personality disorder tend to be aloof and indifferent to others. Some professionals believe the condition is related to schizophrenia, as individuals who develop it tend to have some of the same risk factors. Social work degree seekers can find a great deal of information about schizoid personality disorder on this website by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

How MSW degree holders can help

No matter what type of environment MSW degree seekers choose to work in, they may come across patients who suffer from various types of personality disorders. In these situations, there are many things social workers can do to help. Ultimately, they can expect to work with a wide range of other healthcare professionals to assist patients in managing their emotions and having rich and successful lives. The resources provided below will give students a better idea of what their specific tasks will be when working with people who have personality disorders.

Social workers and borderline personality disorder: This website by Social Work Today describes social workers' role in assisting individuals who have borderline personality disorder, as well as the challenges professionals may need to overcome in order to do so. Specifically, the article focuses on dialectical behavioral therapy.

Personality disorders and hospice care: Social worker professionals who specialize in hospice care may need to work with patients who have personality disorders, as outlined by this article in Social Work Today. Because these individuals often have different needs than others who suffer from the same illnesses, individuals who are interested in hospice care might want to read this article to get a better understanding of the challenges they may face

Social work and its relationship with personality disorders: This article from Australian Social Work acts as an example of what role social workers play in preventing and controlling personality disorders, especially when it comes to research, debate and analysis. For this reason, the website may be of particular interest to those hoping to land a job in social work policy once they earn an MSW degree.

Personality disorders in private practice: Social workers who opt to run a private practice may find themselves working with clients who suffer from various types of personality disorders. This resource by the National Association of Social Workers outlines one social worker's experience helping people with these illnesses. 

POSTED BY: ec_admin - January 20th, 2012 at 03:52pm ( 0 )