THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SOCIAL WORKER SELF-CARE

d n a e c i t c a r P c i m e d n a aP

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SOCIAL WORKER SELF-CARE PURPOSE

Researchers at The Self-Care Lab investigated the impact of COVID-19 on social worker self-care practices. Pre-During2 ratings were collected via an electronic survey that measured five (5) key domains of professional self-care.

DOMAINS OF PROFESSIONAL SELF-CARE3 F E S S I ONA PRO UPPORT L S

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1 2 3

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F-CAR

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IV ES E S

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IONA L ESS O F LO PM E N T PR VE E

Concomitantly, there is a burgeoning self-care movement afoot. Several entities, such as the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have recommended self-care as a way to cope with pandemic-related stress. Despite these recommendations, little is known about how COVID-19 has affected self-care, in general, and among social workers, specifically.

WHAT WE DID 1

E

There is broad consensus that COVID-19 has affected social services, and the social workers charged with propagating those services. Rapid changes to service delivery models, evolving regulatory edicts, and distancing guidelines, among other necessary practice adaptations, have caused distress among social work practitioners.

RT

WHAT WE KNOW

New study from The Self-Care Lab @UKCOSW appears to confirm everyone’s suspicion: COVID-19 has negatively affected social worker self-care.

LIFE SUP PO

The purpose of this Research Note is to provide an overview of a study that examined the impact of COVID-19 on professional self-care practices among social workers.

IT N N G C O ARE AW

Study protocols were approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Pre-pandemic was defined as PRIOR to March 11, 2020, which is when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially designated COVID-19 a pandemic.

Dorociak et al., 2017

WHAT WE FOUND A total of 3,920 social workers participated in the study.

The typical participant identified as Female (88.6%), White (88.2%), was approximately 42 years old and had been practicing social work for 14.4 years.

New study from The Self-Care Lab @UKCOSW suggest that COVID–19 has had a significant impact on social workers’ professional self-care.

TYPICAL PARTICIPANT Approx.

44

Female .6%

88

Years Old Practicing

White .2%

88

14

.4

Years

In terms of self-care, analyses revealed SIGNIFICANT decreases in self-care practices across all five domains.

COVID-19 SELF-CARE SCORES PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

4.85

3.82

5.26 4.78

DAILY BALANCE

5.02 4.71

COGNITIVE AWARENESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

4.24

LIFE SUPPORT

4.39 Pre-COVID

5.05 5.33

During COVID

Scores range from 1-7, with higher scores indicating more self-care; p < .001

WHAT IT MEANS Findings suggest that COVID-19 has negatively affected self-care practices among social work practitioners. Whilst not surprising given the pandemic’s devastating impact, these findings do provide insight into more adroitly supporting social work practitioners.

WHAT WE CAN DO 1. Actualize Value Associated with Self-Care Self-care is a requisite aspect of adept social work practice, particularly during COVID-19. Thus, practitioners, specifically, and the profession, more broadly, must foster value associated with self-care.

This includes adopting standards and/or policy statements explicitly related to self-care. Notably, self-care should be explicitly included in professional membership groups’ codes of ethics (e.g., National Association of Social Workers, etc.).

2. Offer Self-Care Education and Training Self-care is a professional practice that can be learned. As such, educational programs, member organizations, and employers should offer educational/training endeavors related to self-care.

When offered, social workers should be supported, or even incentivized, to participate in these endeavors. Offering continuing education credits and/or integrating these activities into “regular” work times are ways to achieve this aim. It is pertinent that these offerings be available virtual/remotely.

3. (RE) Conceptualize Self-care as Holistic and Systemic To provide the necessary grounding for improved self-care, it is pertinent that responses to improving self-care be systemic and holistic. Employers should conceptualize and implement broad-based wellness initiatives for social workers. In addition, associations/organizations should embark on wide-ranging advocacy for manageable caseloads, improvements in salaries/pay equity, public investment in resources, etc. In the current context, that includes access to protective equipment and regulatory relief by licensing boards.

If you have questions, comments, concerns, or celebrations about this project, please email Dr. Jay Miller at Justin.Miller1@uky.edu. If you need additional self-care resources for training/educating social workers about self-care, or if you would like to receive a copy of the full research brief once it becomes available, please text SELFCARELAB to 31996 or email SELFCARELAB@uky.edu.