Work of social workers at Center za socialno delo Ljubljana with adolescents with suicidal thoughts

V svojem diplomskem delu bom raziskovala delo socialnih delavk in delavcev na Centru za socialno delo Ljubljana z mladostniki, ki imajo samomorilne misli. Samomorilnost in samomori so v Sloveniji problematičen pojav, zato je pomembno, da imajo ljudje, ki se srečujejo s samomorilnostjo, potrebno znanje za ukrepanje. Tudi v stroki socialnih služb se zaposleni srečujejo z mladostniki, ki imajo samomorilne misli, zatorej je ključno, da imajo socialne delavke in delavci spretnosti in veščine, ki jih bodo lahko uporabili v procesu pomoči. V prvem delu diplomskega dela bom pregledala in preučila literaturo. Opisala bom dejavnike tveganja, ki lahko vodijo do samomorilnih misli ali celo do samomora, ter opozorilne znake samomorilnih oseb. Prav tako se bom dotaknila preventive in se nato osredotočila na delo socialnih delavk in delavcev z mladostniki, ki imajo samomorilne misli. Na koncu bom omenila še vpliv epidemije zaradi covida-19 na mladostnike. V drugem delu bom predstavila svojo kvalitativno raziskavo, v kateri sem raziskovala pogostost srečevanja socialnih delavk in delavcev z mladostniki, ki imajo samomorilne misli. Preučila bom tudi metode socialnih delavk in delavcev v procesu pomoči in poizvedela, od kod izvira njihovo znanje o tej temi ter na kratko prikazala vpliv epidemije zaradi covida-19 na mladostnike. Nazadnje bom predstavila ugotovitve svoje raziskave ter podala nekaj lastnih predlogov za nadaljnje izboljšave na tem področju.In my diploma I will research the work of social workers with adolescents who have suicidal thoughts at Center za socialno delo Ljubljana. Suicidality and suicides are a problematic phenomenon in Slovenia, therefore, it is important that people who come across individuals facing suicidality are well equipped with the knowledge necessary to take action. Those employed in the profession of social work also encounter adolescents with suicidal thoughts – that is why it is crucial that the social workers have the knowledge and skills which they will be able to use in the helping process. In the first part of the thesis, I will review and study the literature. I will describe risk factors that can lead to suicidal thoughts or even suicide, and the warning signs of suicidal individuals. Additionally, I will touch upon the subject of prevention and later focus on the work of social workers with adolescents with suicidal thoughts. I will also mention the effects of Covid-19 epidemic on adolescents. In the second part of the thesis, I will present my qualitative research in which I researched the frequency of meetings of social workers with adolescents who have suicidal thoughts and with other vulnerable groups of adolescents. I will also analyze the methods of social workers in the process of helping adolescents with suicidal thoughts and enquire the sources of knowledge about suicidality among social workers and mention the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescents. Finally, I will present the findings of my research and make a few of my own suggestions for further improvement in this area