For many social work students, caring for others comes naturally, while caring for themselves can feel like an indulgence they cannot afford. A new study from China suggests that this mindset can be changed, and that structured self-care teaching in university courses can help trainee social workers build habits that protect their mental health long after they graduate.
The research, carried out by academics at Shanghai University and Nankai University, followed 116 first-year Master of Social Work students who took part in an eight-session, classroom-based self-care programme. Researchers then interviewed fifteen participants after the course ended, aiming to understand how the students moved from simply learning about self-care to actually using it in daily life.
The findings, published in the British Journal of Social Work, describe a four-stage journey. Students first had to recognise self-care as a legitimate and professionally relevant idea, rather than something selfish or self-indulgent. Many said that once they had a name and a framework for what they were doing, activities they had previously dismissed as wasting time suddenly felt purposeful.
From there, students moved into a stage of active skill building, practising techniques such as positive self-talk, mindfulness and creative expression within the safety of the classroom. Peer support played an important role here, with students describing how sharing pressure with classmates made the strategies feel normal rather than embarrassing.
The third stage saw students personalising their approach, choosing the techniques that suited them best rather than following a one size fits all script. Some found comfort in gardening or drawing, others in exercise or photography, while a few admitted that watching short videos worked just as well as anything taught in class.
By the final stage, self-care had become part of how students understood their emerging professional identity. Several linked it directly to the quality of care they could offer future clients, arguing that practitioners who cannot manage their own stress are less able to support people going through genuine crises.
The researchers note that cultural attitudes in China, where collective duty is often prized above individual need, initially made some students hesitant to prioritise their own wellbeing. Establishing self-care as a legitimate professional skill, rather than a personal luxury, appeared to be an essential first step before any real change could take hold.
Not every barrier disappeared. Busy academic schedules, noisy classrooms and a reluctance to burden friends with personal struggles all limited how consistently students could practise what they had learned. Some also said the course itself felt too short to embed lasting habits.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence, largely developed in Western countries, that self-care education belongs in professional training rather than being left to chance. As mental health awareness continues to grow among students and young professionals worldwide, the findings offer a useful reminder that looking after yourself and looking after others are not competing priorities but closely connected skills.
