1068 Sleep Education and Awareness Among Social Workers: A Nationwide Study

Abstract Introduction Social workers are frontline behavioral health clinicians and comprise the majority of the mental health workforce. As poor mental health often co-occurs with inadequate sleep and sleep disorders, social workers can play a pivotal role in promoting sleep health among their patients as well as provide referral and treatment options if a sleep disorder is suspected. However, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) does not mandate sleep education in the social work curricula. There is little knowledge about how much training social workers have received about sleep. This study aims to investigate the state of sleep health education and sleep health awareness among social workers. Methods Recruitment emails were sent to licensed social workers across the US, through national social work organizations and faculty listservs. Eligibility criteria included being a licensed social worker in the US and ability to read and write in English. Respondents were queried about the extent of their sleep health training and clinical practice in this domain using QuestionPro software. Results A total of 363 social workers, predominantly female (72.4%) and non-Hispanic white (76.2%) participated. Most (62.0%) reported not receiving any sleep education during their formal social work training. Among those reporting sleep education during their graduate studies, the average duration was 3.3 hours (SD=2.8). Many social workers (67.9%) reported receiving formal sleep education post-licensure (mean=7.0 hours; SD=6.5). Few participants (2.8%) reported confidence in recognizing insomnia disorder, and only half (50.2%) were aware that CBT-I is an evidence-based treatment for insomnia. Despite this, a majority (80.0%) reported discussing sleep with their patients during treatment. Most social workers (84.0%) reported interest in learning more about sleep health. Conclusion The majority of social workers did not receive sleep education during their formal graduate studies, with many seeking to address this deficit following professional licensure. Only a small fraction of social workers report confidence in recognizing sleep disorders, which can impact proper referral and treatment of sleep disorders. Considering the relationship between sleep and mental health, promoting sleep health education and awareness in educational programs for behavioral health clinicians can have important implications for overall health promotion. Support (if any)