ABSTRACT
BSW students appear to be under increasing levels of stress. In response to concerns about students’ well-being, we developed a three-credit-hour self-care elective. This article explores students’ participation in the primary assignment of the course, a modified version of mindfulness-based stress reduction. We also present empirical findings of an exploratory study examining students’ mindfulness and their subjective experiences with the assignment. Results support the usefulness of mindfulness-based stress reduction assignments in supporting BSW students’ well-being. This kind of assignment may also contribute to the development of the first social work competency, “demonstrate ethical and professional behavior,” (Council on Social Work Education, 2015, p. 7) through an increase in self-reflective and self-regulation skills.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Dorothy S. Greene
Dorothy S. Greene is Assistant Professor, Mary Mullins is Associate Professor, Donna Cherry is Associate Professor, and Paul Baggett is Associate Professor at East Tennessee State University.