Which design is being utilized if a social worker measures symptomatology scores at admission and at discharge?

The design being utilized when a social worker measures symptomatology scores at admission and at discharge is characterized as a one-group pre-test/post-test design. This design focuses on examining a single group of participants before and after an intervention or treatment to assess changes over time in their symptoms.

In this scenario, the social worker collects symptom scores at two different time points: initially at admission (the pre-test) and subsequently at discharge (the post-test). This setup allows for a direct comparison of symptoms before and after the social work intervention, highlighting any changes that may have occurred due to the therapeutic process.

Other designs listed serve different purposes. A two-group random design would involve comparison between two different groups, which is not applicable here since there is only one group being measured. A cross-sectional study design assesses multiple subjects at a single point in time instead of over two distinct periods. Lastly, a longitudinal study design typically involves repeated observations of the same variables over an extended period, which could include multiple assessments rather than just pre-and post-measurements. Thus, the focus on just two time points in this scenario clearly aligns with the one-group pre-test/post-test design.