The gap between theory and practice in social work has been the subject of considerable debate over recent years. This study aims at exploring the reasons for the gap between theory and practice in Kuwait, and the most significant reason for this gap. A convenient sample of 342 participated from different institutions. The results showed that the major reasons for the gap were job challenges and requirements, followed by curriculum, job description, and self-development. Results also showed significant differences between gender, type of university, major of the participants, and the institutions in which the participants work.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, several strict measures have been recommended to prevent and control the spread of the virus worldwide. This study aims to examine the associations between precautionary health behaviors (eating vitamins, washing hands continuously, eating healthy food, putting on masks, wearing gloves, and maintaining a safe distance) and illness attitudes (worry about illness, concern about pain, hypochondriacal beliefs, thanatophobia, and treatment experience). An online questionnaire was distributed to 1,413 Kuwaiti participants using the convenience-sampling method via the WhatsApp application. The online survey collected data based on the Illness Attitude toward COVID-19 Scale (IATCS) and on demographics. The findings of the study show that there are significant associations between the illness attitudes of participants and the precautionary health behaviors they adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait. Illness attitudes toward COVID-19 significantly affect the health behaviors of individuals. The health behaviors become precautionary measures aimed at preventing infection from COVID-19.

Empathy is an important tool that clinical social workers use during their interventions with clients. This study aims to explore the knowledge base on empathy among clinical social workers in Kuwait. It investigates the relationship between empathy and three constructs and some demographic variables. The sample (N = 527) consisted of clinical social workers practicing in Kuwait. The findings revealed significant relationships (1) between empathy, compassionate contextual assessment, intrinsic help and emotional support, and gender; (2) between empathy, compassionate contextual assessment, and participants’ majors in college; and (3) between empathy, intrinsic help and emotional support, and participants’ income.

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Illness Attitude Toward COVID‐19 Scale (IATCS). The IATCS was tested on a sample of individuals who were living in Kuwait during the COVID‐19 pandemic (n = 1413). The reliability and validity of the scale were examined to assess the scale's internal consistency reliability, criterion validity, and factorial validity. The results of the study showed alpha values that were satisfactory for the overall scale and for five subscales. The findings support the criterion and factorial validity of the scale. The findings also support the use of the scale in surveys and for educational and trainings purposes.

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