Public Willingness to Utilize Psychiatric Social Work Services

This paper reports the results of a survey of New Orleans residents concerning knowledge about and willingness to utilize the services of psychiatric social workers. The research was inspired by the complaints of some psychiatric social workers that the public neither understands nor utilizes their services. Analysis of the survey findings indicates that this assessment is only partially correct. The public does possess a general knowledge of psychiatric social work and does grant the occupation relatively high prestige. Twenty-five percent of the sample could imagine themselves ulilizing the clinician's services. However, only one variable explored in this research is directly linked to use propensity: family contact with psychiatric social workers. The implications of this finding for increasing public use of clinical services are discussed.