Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care for Social Work Students During Field Practicum
Sponsor: Manisa Celal Bayar University
Summary
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Intervention in reducing secondary traumatic stress among undergraduate social work students completing their field practicum. During field education, social work students may have direct professional contact with individuals affected by child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, poverty, loss, and other potentially traumatic experiences. Repeated indirect exposure to clients' traumatic experiences may place students at risk for secondary traumatic stress. A total of 80 fourth-year undergraduate social work students will participate in the study. Participants will be allocated to an intervention group (n=40) or a control group (n=40) according to the geographic location of their routine field practicum. Students completing their field practicum in Manisa Province will constitute the intervention group, whereas students completing their field practicum outside Manisa Province, including İzmir and other provinces, will constitute the control group. The intervention group will receive a two-hour Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care workshop before or at the beginning of field practicum, followed by three structured self-help and peer-sharing group sessions during the practicum period. The control group will continue the routine field practicum process and standard university internship orientation without receiving the study-specific intervention during the study period. Secondary traumatic stress will be assessed repeatedly in both groups throughout the approximately four-month practicum period. Psychological resilience will be assessed at baseline as a supportive participant characteristic. Intervention-related knowledge and skills will also be assessed in the intervention group. The primary hypothesis is that students participating in the Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Intervention will demonstrate a more favorable change in secondary traumatic stress over time compared with students in the control group.
Official title: Effectiveness of a Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Intervention in Undergraduate Social Work Students: A Protective Intervention Study Against Secondary Traumatic Stress
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
20 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
80
Start Date
2026-09-25
Completion Date
2027-01-30
Last Updated
2026-10-01
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Psychoeducational Workshop
Participants in the intervention arm will receive a 2-hour interactive psychoeducational workshop before or at the beginning of field practicum. The workshop covers trauma-informed practice, the nature and indirect effects of trauma, recognition of physiological and emotional stress responses, secondary traumatic stress, stress-management strategies, breathing and grounding exercises, cognitive flexibility, professional boundaries, and self-care strategies.
Self-Help and Peer-Sharing Group Sessions
Participants in the intervention arm will participate in three structured 60-minute small-group sessions conducted during the field practicum. The sessions provide a facilitated and psychologically safe environment in which participants can reflect on emotionally challenging field experiences, discuss the emotional impact of difficult cases, receive peer support, review self-care practices, and reinforce coping and emotional regulation strategies.
Locations (1)
Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Social Work Manisa, Türkiye
Manisa, Turkey (Türkiye)