2025/12/02 by Shannon Blajeski, Lindsay A. Bornheimer, Jessica A. Wojtalik +7 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Medicine · Social Sciences · #Mental Health and Patient Involvement #Schizophrenia research and treatment #Social Work Education and Practice
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/15332985.2025.2596115
openalex created_date 2025/12/02 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
The field of social work has a lengthy history of training social workers for community mental health settings, and an ethical commitment to advance human rights and social justice. However, individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum conditions continue to suffer from myriad social injustices, including poverty, social isolation, and lower-life expectancy. This paper outlines these injustices, and reviews historical social work contributions and current training for supporting this population. Finally, the authors outline actions to 1) adopt national practice guidelines that formally acknowledge injustices, including anti-oppressive practice guidelines that are inclusive of lived experience, and 2) revitalize social work’s contributions to models of care for schizophrenia-spectrum populations.