The phenomenon of burnout first became the subject of public attention in the mid-1970s. This landmark volume is one of the first devoted exclusively to theoretical and empirical work on burnout. Each valuable chapter represents the state of the art in social services research on burnout. Burnout Among Social Workers illustrates and assesses problems with definitions and theoretical orientations to help clarify the overall conceptual vagueness that has plagued burnout research since its beginning. Attention is paid to both personal and job-related variables and coping mechanisms. Expert social work academicians and researchers clearly demonstrate the importance of burnout measurement for theory and practice and establish important guidelines for subsequent research and theory development in this area.

"Burnout, one of the primary reasons why committed social workers leave the profession, is a grave and pervasive problem with glaring impact. Those entering social work and all related fields, as well as those already deeply involved, must be educated about its toll and prepared to address and prevent the depletion it causes. This book provides valuable insights for all who carry complex and divergent responsibilities. The author addresses burnout and self-care from the perspective of five arenas: the professional, personal, relational, societal, and physical. She integrates research, case studies, questionnaire responses, and her seasoned experience to identify four major root causes of burnout-compassion fatigue, countertransference, vicarious trauma, and moral distress and injury-and defines creative strategies for individual self-care opportunities. This resourceful guide offers clarification, direction, and opportunity for reflection to help students and professionals in social work, related fields, and beyond find balance in their personal and professional lives as well as ease work-related stress to better serve clients-and, in this way, achieve professional equilibrium, success, and personal fulfillment. This is the second, updated edition of the 2015 original"--

Stress, fatigue and burnout are serious problems in the social work profession. High case loads, staff shortages, budget cuts and the challenging nature of the job contribute to high levels of stress, and social workers can crack under the pressure. This accessible book demonstrates how managers and practitioners can overcome workplace distress, fatigue and burnout by understanding the causes and implementing practical strategies. Part 1 outlines how stress, fatigue, burnout and trauma can be identified, how they impact upon social workers, and what strategies can help. Part 2 explores stress in particular settings, covering frontline practice, working with trauma, working with aggressive service users, bullying and violence in the workplace, and making mistakes. The book is rooted in the reality of everyday social work, incorporating the views and experiences of practising social workers. This book is full of techniques and tips that will be invaluable to all social work managers and practitioners seeking to beat workplace stress overload and burnout.

Social workers regularly make high-risk, high-impact decisions: determining that a child has been abused; that an individual may take their own life; or that someone with a history of violence poses harm to another. In the course of this work, social workers are exposed to acute and prolonged workplace trauma and stress that may result in posttraumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. These effects not only impact practitioners, but also the decisions that social workers make and ultimately the quality of the services that they provide. In this book, Cheryl Regehr explores the intersection between workplace stress, trauma exposure, and professional decision-making in social workers. She weaves together practice experience, research on the impact of stress and trauma on performance and decision-making in other high-risk professions including paramedics and police officers, and the empirical study of competence and decision-making in social work practice. Covering a wide range of research and theory, she surveys practical approaches to reducing stress and trauma exposure, mitigating their effects in social work practice, and improving decision-making. This book is critical reading for all social workers who engage in high-stakes decision-making, from those newly embarking on a career to expert practitioners.

A rapidly growing number of people experience psychological strain at their workplace. In almost all industrialized countries, absenteeism and turnover rates increase, and an increasing amount of workers receive disablement benefits because of psychological problems. This book, first published in 1993, concentrates on a specific kind of occupational stress: burnout, the depletion of energy resources as a result of continuous emotional demands of the job. This volume presents theoretical perspectives that had been developed in the United States and Europe, discusses methodological issues, and examines organisational contexts. Written by an international group of leading scholars, this book will be of interest to students of both psychology and human resource management.

The psychological concept of burnout refers to long-term exhaustion from, and diminished interest in, the work we do. It’s a phenomenon that most of us have some understanding of, even if we haven’t always been affected directly. Many people start their working lives full of energy and enthusiasm, but far fewer are able to maintain that level of engagement. Burnout at Work: A Psychological Perspective provides a comprehensive overview of how the concept of burnout has been conceived over recent decades, as well as discussing the challenges and possible interventions that can help confront this pervasive issue. Including contributions from the most eminent researchers in this field, the book examines a range of topics including: The links between burnout and health How our individual relationships at work can affect levels of burnout The role of leadership in mediating or causing burnout The strategies that individuals can pursue to avoid burnout, as well as wider interventions. The book will be required reading for anyone studying organizational or occupational psychology, and will also interest students of business and management, and health psychology.

Social workers encounter a number of unique forms of occupational stress on a daily basis. The more thoroughly they understand the stressors they face, the better-prepared social workers will be able to manage them successfully. Self-Care in Social Work is a guide to promote effective self-care tailored to the needs of social workers, including both individual and organizational approaches. On a personal level, it goes beyond the typical prescriptions to exercise, eat well, sleep more, and get a massage or meditate. In fact, the book is based on the premise that self-care should not be an add-on activity only happening in the rare instance there is some free time. Instead, it is conceptualized as a state of mind and considered an integral part of a social worker's training. In Self-Care in Social Work, the reader is taught how to approach individually oriented self-care through the development of self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. At the organizational level, readers are guided through a process of learning about areas of match and mismatch between themselves and their agency structure and culture. The book is timely in that the economic downturn has put pressure on agencies to do more with less, which ultimately leads to stress. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma are topics that students, instructors, practitioners, and administrators are concerned about. A practical guide to stress management and approaches to self-care, this book includes narratives gathered from both students and practitioners in the field. It is an excellent resource for social workers, counselors, and mental health professionals in education.--Back cover.