“ALTHOUGH SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, IT IS STILL NOT DOING WHAT IT SHOULD BE DOING...”: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CAREER PERSPECTIVES OF HUNGARIAN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE LIGHT OF BURNOUT, RESILIENCE, AND MENTAL HEALTH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17627/ALKPSZICH.2023.2.7Keywords:
school psychology, school psychologist identity, demands and resources, burnout, resilience, copingAbstract
Background and Aims: The role of school psychologists, which is crucial for mental health in schools, demands complex theoretical and practical preparation from professionals. Despite school psychologists having worked in our country for decades, their mental health, career profile, available resources, and challenges, which can be linked to coping strategies, have rarely been the focus of scientific interest. The purpose of this qualitative investigation is to explore the problems faced by school psychologists, the activities they perform in their work, their motivations, available resources, and the challenges they encounter in their everyday lives.
Methods: Employing the methods of grounded theory (Mitev, 2012; Sallay and Martos, 2018), we conducted semi-structured online interviews with eleven professionals who are currently working as school psychologists or have worked in the past, using a heterogeneous sampling approach with the snowball method (average age: 30.8 years, SD = 25–64 years). Thematic analysis was applied to the interviews.
Results: The analysis of the interviews provided a comprehensive view of the complexity of professional career socialization, the requirements and resources experienced in the school psychologist profession, as well as the factors that contribute to coping and those that may lead to burnout (such as loneliness). The perceived social support, the freedom, and the joy of establishing pastoral relationships with children emerged as significant factors. The interviews also shed light on their perspectives on the education system, work attitudes, and skills.
Discussion: The insights gained from the expert interviews draw attention to the diversity of resources and requirements that influence the school psychologist profession, the importance of building professional identity, and the mental health aspects of the helping profession. Furthermore, these findings can serve as a basis for further investigations and the development of prevention/intervention programs for professionals.
