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Self-care in social work: An imperative or beyond reach?

Rose, Sarah; McCusker, Pearse; Mitchell, Mary; Roesch-Marsh, Autumn; Jian, Miao; Petrova, Lora

Authors

Pearse McCusker

Mary Mitchell

Autumn Roesch-Marsh

Miao Jian

Lora Petrova



Abstract

In recent years, the self-care of social workers has become a focus for research and practice in recognition of the demands of the social work role. As part of a research project to explore ways to embed self-care into a social work degree programme at a Scottish university, a narrative literature review was undertaken to examine existing research on self-care for social work students and practitioners. This article reports on the findings from this review, including the multiplicity of ways in which self-care is defined and conceptualized, how it is practised by social work students and practitioners, and the evidence base for identified approaches to self-care. Broader conceptualizations of self-care are explored, which encompass philosophical constructions of the ‘self’ and the impact of social and cultural norms on self-identity. It is argued that a cultural shift is required in the conceptualization and practice of self-care in social work to include collective and political approaches alongside individual strategies thereby promoting the social justice and anti-oppressive aims of the social work profession. Connections between self-care and ethical practice are highlighted, and further reinforce the need for self-care to be an imperative in social work.

Citation

Rose, S., McCusker, P., Mitchell, M., Roesch-Marsh, A., Jian, M., & Petrova, L. (online). Self-care in social work: An imperative or beyond reach?. British Journal of Social Work, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae204

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 5, 2024
Online Publication Date Jan 15, 2025
Deposit Date Jan 27, 2025
Publicly Available Date Jan 27, 2025
Journal The British Journal of Social Work
Print ISSN 0045-3102
Electronic ISSN 1468-263X
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae204
Keywords ethical practice, self-care, self-identity, social justice, social work education, social work practice
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4042928

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