Understanding the Experiences of New Professional Social Workers with a History of Mental Health Concerns
Abstract
Today, for new social work professionals with a history of mental health concerns, the process of professional development and the demands of practice can present several challenges; however, little research exists on how previous mental health experience may impact professional development. This thesis explores the experience of professional identity development of new social work practitioners (N=4) with a history of mental health challenges using Jonathan Smith’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results include detailed descriptions of the experience of professional identity development and participant insights into areas where social work practice may be improved. Following the results is a discussion of the research implications, including a proposed framework for professional identity development for new social work practitioners with a history of mental health challenges.
Description
Keywords
Education--Social Sciences, Social Work
Citation
Hickey, J. L. (2016). Understanding the Experiences of New Professional Social Workers with a History of Mental Health Concerns (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28567