Maintaining Control: The Importance of Self-Care to Effective and Enduring RRvR Mental Health Service Provision

Abstract

The demands of providing mental health services in RRvR locations make effective self-care practices paramount. In RRvR contexts, it can be much harder to separate personal and professional domains. Furthermore, events that disrupt psychological and social functioning, such as trauma and natural disasters, can impact on mental health service providers as well as the people to whom they are providing services. Mental health and other health professionals in RRvR places can also be promoted to positions for which they might not have adequate training and experience nor receive appropriate supervision and support. While there is a plethora of suggestions and resources related to stress, burnout, resilience, and so on, many of these approaches are not based on robust theoretical models. They may not apply across contexts and changing circumstances. A model of biopsychosocial control, however, is particularly relevant to the topic of self-care. Maintaining effective functioning as a RRvR mental health practitioner means being able to control important biological, psychological, and social variables in often challenging environments. Conflict between valued goals can be a significant source of stress, distress, and burnout. Understanding goals, how they function, and their hierarchical organization can be helpful in achieving clarity about that which is important to individuals with regard to the life they wish to live. In this chapter, we describe the process of control and its relevance to health. We also outline goal conflict and identify some of the ways in which this conflict can occur as well as the problems that can arise when it is not easily resolved. A case study of the way in which these ideas were used to build an innovative and effective self-care program highlights their usefulness for RRvR mental health practitioners. Approaching self-care from the perspective of personal control could lead to a more resilient mental health workforce who are able to provide effective services on an ongoing basis, while maintaining a sense of balance, contentment, and satisfaction in both their professional and personal lives.