The importance of emotional resilience for staff and students in the “helping” professions

Abstract

This research briefing provides an overview of research that has examined the benefits of emotional resilience for the wellbeing and employability of ‘helping professionals’ such as social workers, nurses and midwives. It is relevant to people who educate helping professionals, as well as the students that they teach. The briefing introduces the competencies that have been associated with emotional resilience (such as emotional literacy, reflective ability, appropriate empathy and social competence) and considers how they have the potential to help people cope with the emotional demands inherent in helping professions. Some evidence-based strategies are highlighted that can help academics develop a curriculum to foster emotional resilience in students training for the helping professions.