BJSW Advance Access published online on July 20, 2008
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn101
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A Systematic Review of Structural Equation Modelling in Social Work Research
Baorong Guo is in the social work faculty at the University of Missouri–St Louis and she is a faculty associate at the Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St Louis. Her current research focuses on inclusion of the poor in asset-building, human service non-profits and socio-economic development. Her recent research projects include the effects of household assets on material hardships, funding streams for human service non-profits and evaluation research on asset-based policies in the USA and China. Brian Perron studies services for persons with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders, with an emphasis on comorbidities. Dr Perron has a range of teaching interests, with his primary interests relating to his practice experience in community mental health. His training in services research was supported by fellowships from the National Institute of Mental Health (T32) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (F31). Other areas of research/scholarly interest: treatment processes, service access and utilization, evidence-based practices. Professor Gillespie is a national expert in the area of disaster preparedness and mitigation, specifically the integration of social work and social services with emergency management. Professor Gillespie teaches social measurement and structural equation modelling at the doctoral level and organizational dynamics and disaster preparedness at the master's level. Professor Gillespie is a member of the FOCUS St Louis Regional Disaster Preparedness Task Force—a cross-section of 30 citizen leaders representing a range of perspective and skills charged with assessing the region's readiness for a major disaster
Correspondence to Baorong Guo, Ph.D., University of Missouri-St Louis, School of Social Work, 590 Lucas Hall, One University Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63121, USA. Email: guob{at}umsl.edu
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Abstract |
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Structural equation modelling (SEM) is serving an increasingly important role in developing knowledge for the social work profession. Numerous advances have made the software more user-friendly, enabling users to conduct analyses without fully understanding the underlying assumptions or the implications from their analytic decisions. Unlike other fields, there have not been any published reviews in social work research that systematically describe and critique the use of SEM. This study systematically reviewed how SEM is used in social work research and the extent to which it reflects best practices. Thirty-two articles from top-ranked social work journals published from 2001 to 2007 were examined. Of the different types of SEM, the most commonly used was confirmatory factor analysis. Strengths of the research reviewed included examining models and measures not previously tested empirically and generating new insights into old topics through the use of SEM. Weaknesses included significant model modifications without theoretical justification or substantive interpretations. Suggestions are offered for improving applications of SEM in social work research. Specifically, we encourage social work researchers to test competing models, to make model modifications only when theoretically justified, to detail the process of making modifications and to use estimation procedures appropriate to the data.
Keywords: Structural equation modelling, systematic review, social work research