Petra Göbbels-Koch

Dr. Petra Göbbels-Koch is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work. Prior to joining the faculty in 2026, she held a range of research and social work practice positions working with children, youth, and families in England and Germany. Her professional and research interests focus on out-of-home care, as well as the well-being and mental health of young people.

• Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work) – Royal Holloway University of London, England, 2022
• Master of Arts in Psychosocial Counselling & Mediation – Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Mönchengladbach, Germany, 2015
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work – Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Mönchengladbach, Germany, 2012 
   

Dr. Petra Göbbels-Koch uses a variety of creative teaching methods to engage students and foster learning relationships. She has taught at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels in Germany, England and Canada. She was awarded Associate Fellowship for the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) in the United Kingdom in 2023.
Recent courses:

• SWRK 1250: ‘Human Behaviour, Family and Community Well-Being: Theory and Practice’
• SWRK 7430: ‘Evaluation Research in Social Work’
   

Dr. Göbbels-Koch’s research focuses on well-being and mental health in the field of child welfare services. She has conducted quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies, with particular attention to the experiences of young people in out-of-home care and during the transition from care to adulthood. Her research interests include:

• Child welfare
• Out-of-home care
• Transition from care to adulthood
• Children’s rights and participation
• Mental health and well-being
• Suicide prevention
• Mixed methods

For more information on Dr. Göbbels-Koch’s work, please visit her Research Gate page.

Dr. Göbbels-Koch's Research Gate page

Selected publications:

Peer-reviewed journal papers:
Göbbels-Koch, P. & Gupta, A. (2025): A socio-ecological exploration of suicidal ideation among people with care experience. British Journal of Social Work. bcaf231. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf231 

Göbbels-Koch, P., & Gupta, A. (2025). The meaning of care: how relationships can strengthen the wellbeing and participation of young people in residential care. European Journal of Social Work, 28(4), 875-887. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2460125   

Göbbels-Koch, P. (2024): The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide in the context of (leaving) care: An empirical exploration of suicidal ideation among care-experienced young adults. Children and Youth Services Review. 167. 107980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107980 

Göbbels-Koch, P. (2023): The range of suicidal ideation among people with care experience: Occurrences of suicidal thoughts in a cross-national sample from England and Germany. Children and Youth Services Review. 150. 107008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107008 

Book chapters:
Göbbels-Koch, P. (2023): Understanding the risk of suicide among care leavers: The potential contribution of theories. In: Keller, S., Oterholm, I., Paulsen, V., van Breda, A. (Ed.): Living on the edge: Innovative international research on leaving care (pp. 204-222). Policy Press.

Farragher, R., Göbbels-Koch, P., Horn, J. P., Smith, A. (2023): Care Foundations: Addressing the power imbalances in research with care leavers. In: Keller, S., Oterholm, I., Paulsen, V., van Breda, A. (Ed.): Living on the edge: Innovative international research on leaving care (pp. 148-166). Policy Press.

Editorial:
Clark, Z., Fritz, F., Göbbels-Koch, P., Gupta, A. & Wohlfahrt, A. (2025): Do they have a voice? Perspectives on participation and democratic values in child and youth welfare. European Journal of Social Work. Special Issue, 28(4).