Publication Cover
Social Work Education
The International Journal
Volume 43, 2024 - Issue 3
363
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

The mental health needs of social work students: findings from an Irish survey

ORCID Icon, , , &
Pages 604-620 | Received 31 Mar 2021, Accepted 26 Sep 2022, Published online: 06 Oct 2022

References

  • Anda, R. F., Butchart, A., Felitti, V. J., & Brown, D. W. (2010). Building a Framework for Global Surveillance of the Public Health Implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39(1), 93–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.03.015
  • Baird, S.L. (2016). Conceptualizing anxiety among social work students: Implications for social work education. Social Work Education, 35(6), 719–732. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2016.1184639
  • Ben-Zur, H., & Michael, K. (2007). Burnout, social support, and coping at work among social workers, psychologists, and nurses – The role of challenge/control appraisal. Social Work in Health Care, 45(4), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.1300/J010v45n04_04
  • Black, P.N., Jeffreys, D., & Kennedy Hartley, E. (1993). Personal history of psychosocial Trauma in the early life of social work and business students. Journal of Social Work Education, 29(2), 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.1993.10778812
  • Blanco, C., Okuda, M., Wright, C., Hasin, D. S., Grant, B. F., Liu, S., & Olfson, M. (2008). Mental Health of College Students and Their Non–College-Attending Peers. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(12), 1429. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.65.12.1429
  • Branson, D.C., Radu, M.B., & Loving, J.D. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences scores: When social work students and trauma mix. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 24(1), 339–360. https://doi.org/10.18084/1084-7219.24.1.339
  • Browne, V. (2017). Under the radar: The mental health of Australian university students. JANZSSA-Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association, 25(2), 2617. https://doi.org/10.30688/janzssa.2017.16
  • Bunting, L., McCartan, C., Davidson, G., Grant, A., Mulholland, C., Schubotz, D., McBride, O., Murphy, J., Nolan, E., & Shevlin, M. (2022). Experiences of childhood adversity across generations – Continuity or change? A study from the Northern Ireland youth wellbeing survey. Child Abuse & Neglect, 127, 105568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105568
  • Campbell, J., Duffy, J., Tosone, C., & Falls, D. (2021). ‘Just get on with it’: A qualitative of study of social workers’ experiences during the political conflict in Northern Ireland. British Journal of Social Work, 51(4), 1314–1331. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab039
  • Campbell, J., Duffy, J., Traynor, C., Coulter, S., Reilly, I., & Pinkerton, J. (2013). Social work education and political conflict: Preparing students to address the needs of victims and survivors of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. European Journal of Social Work, 16(4), 506–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2012.732929
  • Charles, J.L.K., Holley, L.C., & Kondrat, D.C. (2017). Addressing our own biases: Social work educators’ experiences with students with mental illnesses. Social Work Education, 36(4), 414–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1297393
  • Clarke, A., Kirwan, G., & Byrne, J. (2012). Getting started: Post-qualification perspectives of newly qualified social workers. Irish Social Worker, Spring 2012. 24–28.
  • Collins, S. (2006). Mental health difficulties and the support needs of social work students: Dilemmas, tensions and contradictions. Social Work Education, 25(5), 446–460. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470600738809
  • Collins, S., Coffey, M., & Morris, L. (2010). Social work students: Stress, support and well-being. British Journal of Social Work, 40(3), 963–982.
  • Constantine, M. G., Chen, E. C., & Ceesay, P. (1997). Intake concerns of racial and ethnic minority students at a university counselling center. Implications for developmental programming and outreach. Journal of Multicultural Counselling and Development, 25(3), 210–218.
  • Davis-Berman, J., & Pestello, H.F. (2002). Psychiatric medication. Social Work in Mental Health, 1(2), 31–42.
  • Dube, S. R., Williamson, D. F., Thompson, T., Felitti, V. J., & Anda, R. F. (2004). Assessing the reliability of retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences among adult HMO members attending a primary care clinic. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(7), 729–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.08.009
  • Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
  • Gair, S., & Baglow, L. (2018). ‘We barely survived’: Social work students’ mental health vulnerabilities and implications for educators, universities and the workforce. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 30(1), 32–44. https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol30iss1id470
  • Geirdal, A. Ø., Nerdrum, P., & Bonsaksen, T. (2019). The transition from university to work: What happens to mental health? A longitudinal study. BMC Psychology, 7(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-019-0340-x
  • GlenMaye, L.F., & Bolin, B. (2007). Students with psychiatric disabilities: An exploratory study of program practices. Journal of Social Work Education, 43(1), 117–131.
  • Goldberg, M., Hadas-Lidor, N., & Karnieli-Miller, O. (2015). From patient to therapatient: Social work students coping with mental illness. Qualitative Health Research, 25(7), 887–898.
  • Grant, L., & Kinman, G. (2012). Enhancing wellbeing in social work students: Building resilience in the next generation. Social Work Education, 31(5), 605–621. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2011.590931
  • Grant, A., Rix, A., Winter, P., Mattick, K., & Jones, D. (2015). Support for Medical Students with Mental Health Problems: A Conceptual Model. Academic Psychiatry, 39(1), 16–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0154-3
  • Hill, M., Farrelly, N., Clarke, C., & Cannon, M. (2020). Student mental health and well-being: Overview and future directions. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 27, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2020.110
  • Horton, E.G., Diaz, N., & Green, D. (2009). Mental health characteristics of social work students: Implications for social work education. Social Work in Mental Health, 7(5), 458–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332980802467696
  • Kadison, R., & Digeronimo, T.F. (2004). College of the overwhelmed: The campus mental health crisis and what to do about it. Jossey-Bass.
  • Lemieux, C.M., Plummer, C. A., Richardson, R., Simon, C. E., & Ai, A. L. (2010). Mental health, substance use, and adaptive coping among social work students in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(3), 391–410. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2010.200900004
  • Macaskill, A. (2013). The mental health of university students in the United Kingdom. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 41(4), 426–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2012.743110
  • Mahon, C., Fitzgerald, A., O’Reilly, A., & Dooley, B. (2022). Profiling third-level student mental health: Findings from My World Survey 2. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2021.85
  • Manthorpe, J., & Stanley, N. (1999). Dilemmas in professional education: Responding effectively to students with mental health problems. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 13(4), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561829909010381
  • McAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., McLennan, V., & Stewart, V. (2012). Keeping the door open: Exploring experiences of, and responses to, university students who disclose mental illness. Journal of Social Inclusion, 3(1), 117. https://doi.org/10.36251/josi.46
  • McCartan, C., Byrne, J., Campbell, J., Coogan, D., Davidson, G., Hayes, D., Kirwan, G., MacDonald, M., McCaughren, S., McFadden, P., McGregor, C., Montgomery, L., Pentaraki, M., Roddy, S., Roulston, A., Shore, C., & Wilson, E. (2022). Social work students on the island of Ireland: A cross-sectional survey. Social Work Education, 41(2), 228–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1832060
  • McFadden, P., Neill, R. D., Moriarty, J., Gillen, P., Mallett, J., Manthorpe, J., & Ross, J. (2021). A Cross-Sectional Examination of the Mental Wellbeing, Coping and Quality of Working Life in Health and Social Care Workers in the UK at Two Time Points of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Epidemiologia, 2(3), 227–242. https://doi.org/10.3390/epidemiologia2030017
  • McFadden, P., Manthorpe, G., & Mallett, J. (2018). Commonalities and differences in social work with learning disability and child protection: Findings from a UK ‘Burnout’ national survey. British Journal of Social Work, 48(5), 1199–1219. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx070
  • McLafferty, M., Lapsley, C.R., Ennis, E., Armour, C., Murphy, S., Bunting, B.P., Bjourson, A.J., Murray, E.K., O’Neill, S.M., & Sasayama, D. (2017). Mental health, behavioural problems and treatment seeking among students commencing university in Northern Ireland. PLoS One, 12(12), e0188785. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188785
  • Millán-Franco, M., Orgambídez Ramos, A., Domínguez de la Rosa, L., & Martínez-Martínez, S.L. (2021). La Competencia emocional como predictora de la felicidad en trabajadores sociales/Emotional competence as a predictor of happiness in social workers. Interdisciplinaria Revista de psicología Y Ciencias Afines, 38(2), 259–274. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2021.38.2.17
  • Newcomb, M., Burton, J., & Edwards, N. (2017). Childhood adversity and self-care education for undergraduate social work and human services students. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 37(4), 337–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1345821
  • Newell, J. M. (2020). An ecological systems framework for professional resilience in social work practice. Social Work, 65(1), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swz044
  • Newell, J.M., & MacNeil, G.A. (2010). Professional burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Best Practices in Mental Health, 6(2), 57–68.
  • Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. (2021). UK National Wellbeing Measures: Northern Ireland Data. [Online] Retrieved March 23, 2022, from www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/uk-national-wellbeing-measures-northern-ireland-data/health.
  • O’Neill, S., McLafferty, M., Ennis, E., Lapsley, C., Bjourson, T., Armour, C., Murphy, S., Bunting, B., & Murray, E. (2018). Socio-demographic, mental health and childhood adversity risk factors for self-harm and suicidal behaviour in college students in Northern Ireland. Journal of Affective Disorders, 239, 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.06.006
  • Poole, J., Jivraj, T., Arslanian, A., Bellows, K., Chiasson, S., Hakimy, H., Pasini, J., & Reid, J. (2012). Sanism, ‘mental health’, and social work/education: A review and call to action. Intersectionalities: A Global Journal of Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity, and Practice, 1(1), 20–36.
  • Reid, J., & Poole, J. (2013). Mad students in the social work classroom? Notes from the beginnings of an inquiry. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 24(3), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2013.835185
  • Sagar-Ouriaghli, I., Brown, J. S., Tailor, V., & Godfrey, E. (2020). Engaging male students with mental health support: A qualitative focus group study. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09269-1
  • Schaub, J. (2015). Issues for Men's Progression on English Social Work Honours and Postgraduate Degree Courses. Social Work Education, 34(3), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.997698
  • Sheldon, E., Simmonds-Buckley, M., Bone, C., Mascarenhas, T., Chan, N., Wincott, M., Gleeson, H., Sow, K., Hind, D., & Barkham, M. (2021). Prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems in university undergraduate students: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 287, 282–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.054
  • Spencer, M. S. (2018). Microaggressions and social work education. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 27(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2017.1417948
  • Stanley, S., & Bhuvaneswari, G.M. (2016). Stress, anxiety, resilience and coping in social work students (A study from India). Social Work Education, 35(1), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1118451
  • Storrie, K., Ahern, K., & Tuckett, A. (2010). A systematic review: Students with mental health problems-A growing problem. Iinternational Journal of Nursing Practice, 16(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01813.x
  • Thomas, J. T. (2016). Adverse childhood experiences among MSW students. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 36(3), 235–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2016.1182609
  • Ting, L. (2011). Depressive symptoms in a sample of social work students reasons preventing students from using mental health services: An exploratory study. Journal of Social Work Education, 47(2), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2011.200900092
  • Todd, S., Asakura, K., Morris, B., Eagle, B., & Park, G. (2019). Responding to student mental health concerns in social work education: Reflective questions for social work educators. Social Work Education, 38(6), 779–796. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2018.1563591
  • Unrau, Y. A., Sherwood, D. A., & Postema, C. L. (2020). Financial and educational hardships experienced by BSW and MSW students during their Programs of Study. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(3), 456–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1656687
  • Urdang, E. (2010). Awareness of self—A critical tool. Social Work Education, 29(5), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470903164950
  • Weerman, A., & Abma, T. (2019). Social work students learning to use their experiential knowledge of recovery. An existential and emancipatory perspective. Social Work Education, 38(4), 453–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2018.1538335
  • Ying, Y.-W. (2008). Variation in personal competence and mental health between entering and graduating MSW students: The contribution of mindfulness. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 27(4), 405–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426430802347347
  • Ying, Y.-W. (2009). Contribution of self-compassion to competence and mental health in social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 45(2), 309–323. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2009.200700072

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.