Emotional Burden and Coping in Social Work Practice

Author Sora Pazer
DOI https://ww

Country : Germany
Subject : Applied Science

Keywords : social work; emotional exhaustion; burnout; coping; institutional support; qualitative content analysis; occupational stress; online survey

Abstract

Social work is widely recognized as a profession characterized by high emotional demands, repeated exposure to human suffering, and substantial organizational pressure. The present study examines emotional burden, coping strategies, and perceived institutional support in social work practice on the basis of an online survey conducted via Reddit and other online platforms. A total of 109 participants from different fields of social work and related psychosocial practice took part in the study. The design combined qualitative content analysis with standardized self-report indicators of subjective exhaustion and institutional support.
The findings show that emotional exhaustion was widespread across the sample, with nearly half of the participants reporting high levels of exhaustion. The most salient forms of burden were client-related strain, experiences of powerlessness, time pressure, and bureaucratic demands. With regard to coping, collegial exchange emerged as the most frequent functional strategy, while emotional distancing was the most prominent dysfunctional pattern. A differentiated analysis further indicated that dysfunctional coping became more prevalent as exhaustion levels increased. In addition, perceived institutional support showed a clear inverse relationship with emotional exhaustion: lower levels of support were associated with markedly higher exhaustion scores.
The study suggests that emotional strain in social work should not be understood merely as an individual problem of resilience or self-care, but as a structurally mediated occupational phenomenon shaped by the interaction of relational demands, organizational conditions, and coping processes. The results underline the importance of institutional support, reflective spaces, and sustainable working conditions for the prevention of chronic exhaustion in social work practice.

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