Depression in the profession: Social workers' experiences and perceptions

Abstract

This study reports the findings of interviews with fifty social workers who volunteered to describe their personal experiences of depression in the workplace. The findings confirm the literature on the stresses of social work and provide an account of the ways in which the social workers sought to reconcile their mental health needs with their role as professionals. The study suggests the potential for those working at all levels in social work agencies to support social workers who are experiencing depression. At a time of shortages in the profession in the UK, and of efforts to enable those with mental health problems to remain in or return to work, the experiences of those social workers interviewed illustrate the managerial, training and human resource imperatives to provide more supportive workplaces. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.