This article shares findings from a study that explored factors contributing to the development of a social work professional identity, with a particular focus on social work students undertaking field education placements in mental health settings. Social work identity is not well recognised or articulated by experienced practitioners, nor does it appear to be adequately emphasised in social work education and training programmes. There is limited research on social work identity in mental health settings and even less pertaining to students’ efforts to construct a professional identity in such paradigmatically unfamiliar environments. This qualitative study explored how students understand, experience and articulate their developing professional identity in mental health settings. Participants were interviewed towards the completion of seventy-day (500-hour) field placements. Findings highlight that students struggled to relate to the concept of a ‘social work identity’ and were unable to articulate what it might be or involve. Students were more at ease describing specific roles they performed during their placement. However, analysis of their reflections on what they observed, what they did during placement, and reflective or integrative opportunities, provided rich descriptions of a range of the factors contributing to and influencing their developing social work identity.

中文翻译：

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影响心理健康安置中社会工作身份的因素

本文分享了一项研究的结果，该研究探讨了促进社会工作专业身份发展的因素，特别关注在心理健康环境中进行实地教育实习的社会工作学生。有经验的从业者没有很好地认识或阐明社会工作身份，在社会工作教育和培训计划中似乎也没有充分强调它。关于心理健康环境中社会工作身份的研究有限，更不用说学生在这种典型的陌生环境中构建专业身份的努力。这项定性研究探讨了学生如何理解、体验和表达他们在心理健康环境中发展的专业身份。参与者在完成 70 天（500 小时）的实地实习时接受了采访。调查结果强调，学生很难与“社会工作身份”的概念联系起来，并且无法阐明它可能是什么或涉及什么。学生更容易描述他们在安置期间所扮演的特定角色。然而，分析他们对所观察到的事情、他们在安置期间所做的事情以及反思或整合机会的反思，提供了对促成和影响他们发展社会工作身份的一系列因素的丰富描述。学生更容易描述他们在安置期间所扮演的特定角色。然而，分析他们对所观察到的事情、他们在安置期间所做的事情以及反思或整合机会的反思，提供了对促成和影响他们发展社会工作身份的一系列因素的丰富描述。学生更容易描述他们在安置期间所扮演的特定角色。然而，分析他们对所观察到的事情、他们在安置期间所做的事情以及反思或整合机会的反思，提供了对促成和影响他们发展社会工作身份的一系列因素的丰富描述。