Enhancing self-knowledge,coping skills and stress resistance

In order to build resilience, it is vital for social workers to gain insight into the aspects of the job that they find stressful, their personal stress reactions and the resources they have to help them manage stress.An overview of research that has examined stressors and strains in social work was provided in Chapter 1.This chapter focuses on some of the key internal and external stressors that have the potential to threaten the wellbeing of social workers. Several frameworks of workplace stress that are relevant to social work contexts are considered. Particular focus is placed on the transactional approach, which emphasizes the importance of individual appraisal and the effective use of personal and professional resources to not only help manage stress but build emotional resilience.