“I Don’t Want my Job to Take over my Life”: Psychological Self-Care Perspectives of Early-Career Social Workers in the Field of Migration in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of early career social workers in the field of migration regarding psychological self-care. Three focus groups were conducted with nine social workers who were registered with the Migration Study Commission of the Turkish Association of Social Workers. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA. The analysis is presented through four themes: the motivations for working in the field of migration, the experiences of working in this field, the strategies for psychological self-care, and the recommendations for psychological self-care. The findings show that the caseload of early career social workers is high, they face the language barrier, and there is no effective supervision system. Individual and institutional strategies are used to provide psychological self-care. It can be recommended to reduce the workload, improve the supervision system, implement mindfulness activities, and provide access to mental health services in promoting psychological self-care of early career social workers in the field of migration.

Keywords:

• Asylum seekers and migrants
•  early career social workers
•  psychological self-care

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank our dear colleague Buğra Tulğan for supporting the field work in this study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [M.D.P.G], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Merve Deniz Pak Güre

Merve Deniz Pak Güre, PhD She completed her undergraduate education in Başkent University, Department of Healthcare Management in 2015 and Social Work in 2016. She completed her master’s degree in Başkent University Social Work and Ankara University Interdisciplinary Family Counseling Departments in 2017. She finished her doctorate education at Hacettepe University, Department of Social Work in 2021. She has been working as a faculty member in Başkent University Social Work Department since 2016.

Zilan Uğurlu

Zilan Uğurlu, PhD She received her bachelor’s degrees in Mimar Sinan University Sociology Department (2006) and Ankara University Social Work Department (2013). She received her master’s degree from Istanbul University Forensic Sciences Department in 2009. In 2020, she completed her PhD in Clinical Social Work Department at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University. She has been working as a faculty member in Başkent University Social Work Department since 2021.

Murat Çay

Murat Çay, PhD He graduated from Adana Menderes University, Department of Social Work in 2011. He completed his master’s (2015) and doctorate degree (2020) in Selçuk University, Department of Social Work. He worked as a social worker in Antalya Police Department between 2011–2014. He has been working as a lecturer in the Department of Social Services and Consultancy at Akdeniz University.