The Professional Identity of Social Workers in Mental Health Services: A Scoping Review
Meaning The professional identity of social workers in mental health services refers to how social workers understand, define, and express their roles, values, skills, and responsibilities within mental health care settings. It encompasses ethical commitments, theoretical orientations, interdisciplinary positioning, and personal experiences that shape how social workers contribute to assessment, intervention, advocacy, and recovery-oriented care. In a scoping review context, this concept is examined by mapping existing literature to understand how professional identity is constructed, challenged, and transformed across different mental health systems and cultural contexts. Introduction Mental health services increasingly rely on multidisciplinary teams that include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers . Among these professionals, social workers play a unique role by integrating psychosocial perspectives, social justice principles, a...