This document discusses the importance of studying research in social work. It notes that social work has elements of both an art and a science. As a science, social workers must choose interventions that are supported by evidence and know that their interventions are effective. The document then summarizes a study on holding therapy for aggressive children, noting it found significant decreases in aggression and delinquency. It also discusses evidenced-based practice in social work and the steps involved, as well as some pitfalls and benefits of taking an evidence-based approach.

1. Why Do I Have to Study
Research?
Sharon L. Young, Ph.D, L.C.S.W.
youngs@wcsu.edu

2. Is social work an art or
science?
Is social work an art or science?
◦ What makes it an art?
What do you bring to your practice?
How to do you engage clients?
◦ What makes it science?
How do you chose your intervention?
How do you know your intervention works?

3. Treatment?

4. How do we know?
What is the best way to treat
depression?
◦ how do you justify your approach to your
client?
What is the best intervention to
prevent teen pregnancy?
◦ Same geographically?
◦ Same demographically?

5. Holding Therapy
Myeroff, R. G. M. J. G. (May 01, 2000). Comparative
effectiveness of holding therapy with aggressive
children. Sage Family Studies Abstracts, 22, 2.)
This study was undertaken to assess the effects of
holding therapy on children who have a history of
aggressive and delinquent behaviors.
The study design was a prospective, pre-post, quasi-
experimental controlled study.
The subjects were recruited through the Attachment
Center at Evergreen, Colorado.
All children had a history of aggressive and delinquent
behaviors.
Findings resulted in significant decrease in the outcome
variables (aggression and delinquency) for the
treatment group within this study.

6. Demonstration of Holding
Therapy
Demonstration of Neil Feinberg, social worker doing Holding Therapy :

7. Let’s take a closer look at the
Study

8. Holding Therapy
Pignotti and Mercer (2007): Holding Therapy and
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Are Not
Supported and Acceptable Social Work
Interventions: A Systematic Research Synthesis
Revisited
“Holding therapy, is shown to be
potentially physically harmful to children.
Detailed evidence is offered to show that
holding therapy and dyadic
developmental psychotherapy are not
appropriately categorized as supported
and acceptable interventions.”

9. What are our ways of
knowing?
Practice wisdom
Experience
How else do we know…
◦ Interventions to choose
◦ Which interventions work with what
population?
◦ what we are doing is effective?

10. What is evidenced based
practice?
EBP is: “the conscientious,
explicit, and judicious use of the
best available scientific evidence
in making decisions about the
care of individual patients” -
Sackett and colleagues

11. Steps to Evidenced Based
Practice
1. Transform practice problems and
challenges searchable questions.
2. Using key works and data basis to track
down the best evidence
3. Evaluate the quality of the evidence
4. Discuss the evidence with clients, taking into
account client preferences and setting
constraints
5. Implement (use) the evidence in practice
6. Monitor and evaluate the intervention's
effectiveness with the particular client with
whom one is working.
Source: Gambrell/Gibbs

12. Pitfalls of EBP
Time constraints
Lack of access to research
Lack of time and resources
Supervisors prefer practice wisdom
Lack of agency support of EBP
Resistance to EBP process

13. Benefits of EBP
Without evidence: practice susceptible
to fads
malpractice litigation
Accepted by managed care/third party
payers.
Allows client to review the evidence
and decide with the practitioner the
best treatment for him/her.