Social Work Students' Mental Health and Efficacy of Self-Care during COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: During the peak of COVID-19 pandemic mental health became a concern worldwide. The pandemic also impacted college students’ mental health as they had to navigate from traditional in-person to online learning. For example, students’ fear of academic year loss attributed to psychological distress (Hasan & Bao, 2020). With online and/or hybrid synchronous classes and the thought of individual isolation, students struggled with motivation, loneliness and anxiety. Social work students were directly affected because as social workers, the importance of face-to-face communication is imperative. Some of them had to participate in their field practicum solely online and others using a hybrid model. Field practicums offer these students opportunities to engage in direct social work practice experiences with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, which was considerably disrupted due to the pandemic. These students experienced not just stressors due to disruption in their academic life, but also health and other psychological stressors while adjusting to new norms. Purpose: This study investigated the impact of stressors on mental health of students enrolled in a professional social work program during the COVID-19 pandemic and how adopting self-care measures mitigated these stressors on their mental health. METHODS: Data were collected in 2021 from both graduate and undergraduate students (N=133) using an online survey. An independent variable, stressors (i.e., academic, health & psychosocial related stressors), was assessed using a 22-item instrument adapted from Gazzaz et al. (2018). The dependent variable, negative affect (e.g., feeling distressed, upset, scared, guilty, hostile, irritable, ashamed, nervous, jittery and afraid) and positive affect (e.g., interested, excited, strong, enthusiastic, proud, alert, inspired, determined, attentive and active) was assessed using twenty items from PANAS; Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988). Intervening variable self-care was assessed using a 27-item scale adapted from Bloomquist et al. (2015). Control variables were age, gender, and living arrangement. RESULTS: A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the direct relationship of stressors and self-care among students on mental health during COVID-19. The model for positive affect was statistically significant (F (2, 115) = 30.66, p < 0.001, = 0.348); and the model for negative affect was also statistically significant (F (2, 115) = 49.25, p < 0.001, = 0.461). Results indicated that stressors were significantly associated with the positive affect (β = -0.206, p < .001) and the negative affect (β=0.422, p < .001). Self-care was found to mediate positive affect (Stressor →Self-care→PANAS Positive: β=-0.157, p = .001); there was an additional 0.049 unit increase in positive affect due to self-care mediation. Similarly, self-care was found to mediate negative affect (Stressor →Selfcare→PANAS Negative: β=0.415, p = .001); there was an additional 0.007 unit decrease in negative affect due to self-care mediation. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the importance of self-care in mitigating the impact of stressors on social work students’ mental health during pandemic. Recommendations for social work practice, education, and research, for example, related to the importance of physical and emotional self-care for students during a global pandemic will be provided.