Correlates and Pathways of the relationship between Work Interference in Personal life and Burnout in Social Workers (A quantitative study from India)
Selwyn Stanley and Anand Jerard Sebastine
Citation: Stanley, S., & Sebastine, A. J. (2024). Correlates and Pathways of the relationship between Work Interference in Personal life and Burnout in Social Workers: A quantitative study from India. International Journal of Stress Prevention and Wellbeing, 8, 5, 1-11. https://www.stressprevention.net/volume/volume-8-2024/volume-8-article-5
Processing dates: Submitted:19th October 2023; Re-submitted: 12th March 2024; Accepted: 2nd May 2024; Published: 2nd August 2024
Abstract
Background: Social Work by nature is a high-stress profession that poses considerable challenges for practitioners. As such work interference in personal life (WIPL) could be frustrating and an added source of considerable stress for social workers.
Aims: This study explored the manifestation of burnout, perceived social support, resilience and WIPL in social workers, the relationship between these variables and to identify those that
predict the manifestation of burnout.
Method: 73 social workers in two cities of south India were studied using a cross-sectional quantitative design and data were collected based on survey methodology. The Resilience Scale,
the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Work-life Balance scale were the instruments administered to assess the manifestation of the key variables. The data were analysed using basic and advanced statistical procedures.
Results: The results indicated the manifestation of high levels of burnout and low levels of social support, resilience and WIPL in the respondents. Low social support and high WIPL were
extracted as significant predictors of burnout.
Limitations: Given the sample size and the socio-cultural context of the study, the findings may not be generalised to other practice contexts. Further, the cross-sectional design of the
study does not capture any change in the manifestation of the variables over time.
Conclusions: The study is a pointer to the need for better social support, improved work-life balance, and the importance of strengthening resilience in social work practitioners to reduce
the manifestation of burnout. This would in the long run augur well for their wellbeing and positively impact services delivered to their clients.
Keywords: Social Workers, Social Work Practice, Burnout, Social Support, Work-life Balance, Resilience
Biographies
Selwyn Stanley is with the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health, Social Care & Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK
Email: selwynstanley@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9885-2890
Anand Jerard Sebastine is with the Department of Social Work, Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology, Vallam, Thanjavur, India 613403
Email: anandjerry@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0545-8574