TITLE:
Breaking Bad News: A Case Study of Social Workers Communicating Bereavement and Distressing News in the Aftermath of Hamas Attack in Israel
AUTHORS:
Inbar Levkovich, Sawsan Awwad-Tabry, Maya Weisman-Mosckovich, Zohar Elyoseph
KEYWORDS:
Social Workers, Delivering Bad News, War, Trauma, Mental Healthcare Professionals
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.15 No.6,
June
19,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Breaking bad news constitutes a fundamental aspect of the responsibilities of mental health and medical professionals. Simultaneously, there is a noticeable deficiency in the experience of therapeutic staff and social workers when it comes to conveying distressing information, particularly in cases involving the death or captivity of civilians. Aim: This study examines the impact of this role on professionals, focusing on shared traumatic experiences. Methods: This is a qualitative case study. Results: Exploring the case descriptions of mental health and medical professionals’ experiences revealed intertwined concerns regarding patient response uncertainty and professionals’ emotional management capabilities. Conclusions: The results further indicate heightened distress among professionals with strong attachments to clients, potentially intensifying their own mortality concerns. This article highlights the imperative necessity for specialized training within welfare and psychological departments to adequately equip professionals for this crucial role. The study concludes by emphasizing the critical importance of proper training and ongoing support in enhancing news delivery effectiveness and mitigating the risk of secondary trauma among professionals tasked with this responsibility.