Planning and Implementing the Protocol for Psychosocial Interventions by Social Workers in Iranian Healthcare Centers against COVID-19.

The present study aims to plan the protocol for providing psychosocial support by social workers in Iranian healthcare centers and reaching consensus in terms of implementing and offering comprehensive service to individuals dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study consists of four phases. The first phase, the literature review involved studying valid databases, while the second and third phases consisted of collecting data through the Focus Group Discussions with 23 specialists and experts in the field of social work and mental health. Having been designed, the protocol was then applied and assessed for two months in all the state health centers around Iran (633 hospitals). In the present study, Interventions used by the social workers were divided into 9 types: psychosocial assessment, counseling, training, working with the family, intervention in the crisis, intra- and extra-organizational support-seeking, referral and safe discharge. Interventions used by social workers were also divided based on the health center (psychosocial support for the target groups and bereavement intervention for the survivors) and the services offered in convalescent care facilities. This protocol leading social workers into the fields of bereavement interventions, inter-organizational interventions, working with families and working with the medical staff.

Investigating people's anxieties and concerns about COVID-19

Background: In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID- 19's outbreak as an international public health emergency. In March 2020, WHO evaluation showed that COVID-19 could be considered a pandemic disease. Nowadays, the spread of COVID-19 threatens all aspects of human living conditions. In this regard, the objectives of this research are to investigate the anxieties and concerns of the Iranian people regarding the spread of COVID-19 in the initial months of its outbreak. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a qualitative methodology employing the conventional content analysis method. Data of anxieties and concerns of the general population were collected through social workers working at university/ medical schools throughout the country, affiliated healthcare centers, hotline 190, and social networks. The data collection process was saturated with 2920 theoretical data from February 27, 2020, to April 3, 2020. Results: Anxieties and concerns of community members were categorized into 8 areas: 1- Confusion in communication with the surrounding environment, 2- Concerns about vulnerable groups being affected, 3- The necessity of informational support, 4- Economic turmoil, 5- Shortage of preventive and treatment facilities, 6 -weakness of social capital, 7- Stressful and destructive atmosphere, 8- Approaches for crisis management situation. Conclusion: Based on the research findings, focusing and attention on people's concerns in a transparent manner, and designing novel psychosocial support systems based on people's real needs to control the disease spread result in the enhancement of social capital between community members to get through this crisis quickly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)