Exploring trainee psychologist's self-care practices at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Self-care is a crucial culture that mental health practitioners need to embrace to promote
their overall well-being. The application of self-care among trainee psychologists is
foundational in establishing sustainable wellness and professional development for health
professionals. Trainee psychologists are expected to deal with the global impact of the burden
of mental health, while they manoeuvre their own professional development. The training
process alone is marked with multifaceted cases that require prominent levels of alertness,
critical thinking and self-awareness. Such skills are often affected by, stress, burnout and an
imbalanced personal, and professional life. This may result in professional impairment. The
primary purpose of this study was to explore and describe experiences of trainee psychologists’
level of engagement in self-care practices, to promote their mental health care. In conducting
this study, a qualitative research approach was adopted. To gain a rich insight on the
participants’ experiences; a semi-structured interview guide was used to interview Seven
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal trainees who were enrolled in a master’s clinical psychology
programme. Data collected for this study were interpreted and analysed using the Health Belief
Model as a conceptual framework.
Findings from this study demonstrated that trainees, in the programme, experienced
challenges that included poor completion of the research component, poor supervision alliance,
detrimental power dynamics, difficulties in transitioning from coursework to internship, and
difficulties in balancing professional life and personal life. These challenges, negatively impact
the trainees’ mental health. However, adopted self-care strategies such as exercise, personal
therapy, socialising and spirituality, contributed positively to their mental health. Support was
the widely preferred coping skill adopted by trainees. The findings suggest that educating
trainees about self-care practices can be a vital part of helping trainees to establish a sustainable
mental wellness culture.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.