Exploring stress, coping, and health outcomes among social workers
Abstract
The continued prevalence and severity of stress among social workers, despite previous efforts to address the phenomenon, implies that current prevention and intervention strategies are ineffective. This may be partly due to a needed shift in research from the quantification of stress, to understanding the role that individual cognitive, and emotional mechanisms play in work-related stress and coping behaviours. The specific objectives of this qualitative study were: (1) to understand social workers’ perceptions of work-related stressors, and (2) to explore social workers’ emotional and behavioural coping responses to work-related stress. Based on semi-structured interviews (n = 7), three key themes emerged: (1) challenges of the work environment, (2) impact of work-related stress, and (3) responses to work-related stress. Cognitive appraisals played a role not only how practitioners experience stress, but also the behavioural responses that follow. Furthermore, participants’ perceptions of social norms regarding emotional control and coping appeared to have multiple paths of influence. While there were individual differences in the specific environments, commonalities were also found regarding both experiencing stress and resultant coping efforts. Findings indicate the need for tailored interventions that specifically target social workers’ appraisals and behavioural mechanisms, in addition to the environmental factors that trigger these responses.
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Current prevention and intervention strategies for social worker stress and burnout are ineffective.
“The literature reflects that the fact the prevalence and severity of negative effects among social workers persists suggests that current ‘prevention and intervention strategies are ineffective’ (Beer et al., 2021, p317).”
From A randomised trial of Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-Care with social workers (2023) · cites this paper as Beer et al., 2021
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A randomised trial of Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-Care with social workers
Maddock, A., McGuigan, K., & McCusker, P. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-023-04410-w · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Social worker health and well-being has been a focus for research with the impact of working conditions and work-related stress and burnout of particular interest (Beer et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialTesting Mindfulness Mechanisms of Action on the Stress and Burnout of Social Workers
Maddock, A. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02353-2 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Social work focussed MBPs, which are refined and adapted to meet the needs of already busy and stressed social workers are needed (Beer et al., 2020; Maddock, 2023).”
- Authors
- Beer, O. W. J., Phillips, R., & Quinn, C. R.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Beer, Oliver W. J.
- Venue
- European Journal of Social Work
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2020-04-23
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 317-330
- ISSN
- 1369-1457 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2664
- OpenAlex
- W3017488027
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 5.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Social Work (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Social Work Education and Practice
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
- Keywords
- occupational stress, social workers, coping behaviour, cognitive appraisal, emotional control, social norms, work environment, stress interventions, health outcomes
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