“Um, yeah, kind of hōhā…”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis into the mental wellbeing of young social work students studying during lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

There has been a growing body of literature highlighting the challenges experienced by social work students during their tertiary education journeys. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic along with its by-product of public health measures has not only created new challenges for social work students, but it has further exacerbated some of the existing challenges. This study set out to explore how the COVID-19 lockdowns impacted the mental wellbeing of social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand, how they coped during this time of uncertainty, and whether they found the supports made available to them by their universities helpful. The lived experiences of five social work students who went through COVID-19 lockdowns were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The data gathered were then subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings of this study are presented in five inter-related themes, with participants reporting that they experienced a sense of disconnect from their cohorts and lecturers, feeling dis-satisfied with the quality of learning as well as feelings of helplessness. Participants recognised that the supports from their universities were well intended, but they fell short. There was also a consensus that having social connections during lockdown appeared to be the best coping strategy. Further research and recommendations are made through this study for universities to better support their social work students to maintain their mental wellbeing during any future lockdowns.