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

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

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