Exploring stress, coping, and health outcomes among social workers

Beer, O; Phillips, Rebecca; Quinn, Camille R.

doi:10.1080/13691457.2020.1751591

Cited by 32 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The findings presented in this article corroborate previous studies, which show that social workers in ‘normal’ times engage in coping strategies that include emotional disengagement and seeking out support from their colleagues (Beer et al, 2021; Rose & Palattiyil, 2020; Zaki & Williams, 2013). Emotional distancing also dovetails with Gross's strategy of attentional deployment (Gross, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Let's talk about our feelings: Emotional labour of community practice in times of pandemic

et al. 2022

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From the earliest days of the Covid‐19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected marginalised communities around the world, community practice had assumed a critical role on the front lines of the social services' response to the pandemic. While scholars have devoted growing attention to community practice in normal and crisis times, little is known about the emotions of community practitioners and how they deal with them in order to do their job well. Drawing on Hochschild's concept of ‘emotional labour,’ this study examines how community social workers confronted the emotions they felt during the Covid‐19 pandemic so as to meet the requirements of their job. We address this question by drawing on in‐depth interviews with 30 community social workers in the public social services in Israel. Our research shows that community social workers experienced a wide range of interrelated negative emotions, including helplessness, frustration, disappointment, and anger. In response, workers developed four distinct coping mechanisms: emotional distancing; sharing of emotions; self‐soothing; and politization. Building on Foucault's notion of ‘technologies of the self,’ our analysis reveals that Covid‐19 produced what we call ‘pandemic subjectivity’ among human service professionals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Let's talk about our feelings: Emotional labour of community practice in times of pandemic

et al. 2022

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“…Although prior studies revealed various negative health effects from rumination 26 ) , physical symptoms were seldom mentioned 17 ) , especially not in the social work context; thus, the current research filled a research gap. This result is also crucial in that it shows that a common coping response of social workers, namely daily rumination 28 ) , may be a driver of the health crisis in this profession.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…That is, if social stressors were experienced during day, then it led to rumination the same evening. A recent qualitative study by Beer et al 28 ) revealed that social workers apply rumination as a maladaptive coping mechanism in response to uncontrollable job stressors. This stands in line with studies finding rumination to arise after having faced a stressor at work 26 , 41 ) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering that successful recovery is vital for stress relief 41 ) and given the high presence of stress in social work practice 28 ) , it is surprising that short-term intra-individual recovery mechanisms of social workers have not gained more empirical focus. The present study strengthened the foundation, on which future researchers can be built to identify more potential disrupters of recovery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such after-work rumination is considered a maladaptive coping response, because emotional and physiological reactions associated with the stressor are prolonged and reactivated, impairing the employee's successful recovery process and eliciting negative health effects 26,17) . This notion is supported by the qualitative research of Beer et al 28) that social workers facing stressors out of their control (e.g., social stressors with supervisors or co-workers) are likely to adapt rumination as a negative coping response. The health consequences of such rumination is extensive, and even includes physical symptoms 17,26) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Short-term effects of social stressors at work on rumination and physical symptoms in social workers

Eggli

Romano-Pereira

2021

INDUSTRIAL HEALTH

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The present study focuses on social stressors at work and the development of physical symptoms in social workers on a daily basis. In a seven-day diary study it was anticipated that daily rumination functions as a mediator, linked to additional daily physical symptoms in individuals. Before and after work, 81 social workers completed daily questions on social stressors, rumination, and physical symptoms. Multilevel analyses of up to 391 daily measurements revealed that more intense social stressors predicted more rumination, as well as physical symptoms. Rumination anteceded higher physical symptoms. A test of the indirect effects showed a significant indirect path from social stressors at work via rumination to physical symptoms. Hence, it was found that social stressors and rumination contribute to the ongoing health crisis in the social work profession. These findings advance our understanding of the stress mechanisms in social work, as well as point to individual and organizational aspects that occupational health prevention programs should consider.

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Introduction

Powell,

Mayfield

2024

SpringerBriefs in Social Work

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Exploring stress, coping, and health outcomes among social workers

Cited by 32 publications

References 26 publications

Let's talk about our feelings: Emotional labour of community practice in times of pandemic

Let's talk about our feelings: Emotional labour of community practice in times of pandemic

Short-term effects of social stressors at work on rumination and physical symptoms in social workers

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