Self-Care Practice in Social Work Education: A Systematic Review of Interventions

ABSTRACT

Social work is a demanding profession as practitioners routinely face difficult situations that affect their well-being. The National Association of Social Workers strongly supports self-care practice as an approved mechanism to offset these challenges, yet practitioners report not learning techniques necessary to perform self-care. In this study, a systematic review compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards was conducted to identify evidence-based interventions used to improve student self-care practice in social work education. In the four studies meeting inclusion criteria, mindfulness practice was the only empirically evaluated self-care strategy reported—and with mixed results. Mindfulness activities enable social workers to sustain their well-being and is critical to modeling and providing effective service delivery to clients. Areas for further research are indicated.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Austin Griffiths

Austin Griffiths is Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky University.

David Royse

David Royse is Professor at University of Kentucky.

April Murphy

April Murphy is Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky University.

Saundra Starks

Saundra Starks is Professor at Western Kentucky University.