Despite an emphasis on a biopsychosocial understanding of human behavior and the relevance of biosocial research to social work practice, it is unclear whether social work is contributing to biosocial research and knowledge.

Systematic review procedures were employed to locate studies that included biological variables (e.g., genetic or physiological factors) related to behavior and were published in a social work journal between 2000 and 2015. Seventy-five social work journals were searched. Studies were screened and coded by two independent reviewers.

Eleven studies were eligible for this review; one was a behavior genetics study, two were molecular genetics studies, two were neurological studies, and six studies examined physiological factors such as skin conductance and salivary cortisol.

Findings suggest that social work as a discipline is not contributing new knowledge to advance the "bio" component of the biopsychosocial framework. Implications and recommendations are discussed.