The impact of studying social work on student social wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand: Struggling with incongruent demands

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Social work education places many demands on students, including dealing with challenging content, demanding assessment requirements, and long unpaid placements. A growing literature reports that social work students are experiencing social and financial hardship with impacts on their health and wellbeing. METHOD: A mixed methods study incorporating a survey (n = 353) and 31 semi-structured interviews was conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019. Participants in the study were then current students or new graduates in their first 2 years of practice. FINDINGS: The findings reported in this article are drawn from analysis of the responses to the relevant open-ended questions in the survey and the qualitative interviews. Participants reported various challenging impacts of their engagement in a social work qualifying programme. These impacts were felt in their personal and family relationships, social and cultural participation, and physical and emotional wellbeing. Some students reported impacts on their opportunities to participate in social activism. IMPLICATIONS: These findings confirm, in a local context, those from Australia and elsewhere. It is recommended that professional bodies and social work education providers should urgently address how study in social work could have a less detrimental impact on students. It is vital that we avoid an overly responsiblising emphasis on self-care but rather acknowledge the impact of structural factors. The lack of congruence between social work stated values of social connection and participation and the student experience reported here suggests a dissonance that limits student inclusion and success.