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    Differences in Coping and Stress Among Social Workers

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    truezeta
    This study examined how situational factors influence social workers' levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and coping strategies. The researchers surveyed 80 social workers and found that overall they were at low risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. The most commonly used coping strategy was maintaining a positive attitude. Some key findings were that child welfare workers reported higher levels of compassion fatigue, direct service workers were more at risk than managers, and that social support was a more used coping strategy among MSWs and those in health/mental health agencies. The researchers recommend agencies focus on reducing caseloads, increasing social support through meetings, and teaching coping strategies like maintaining a positive attitude.

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    Differences in Coping and Stress Among Social Workers

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    truezeta
    34 views32 pages
    This study examined how situational factors influence social workers' levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and coping strategies. The researchers surveyed 80 social workers and found that overall they were at low risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. The most commonly used coping strategy was maintaining a positive attitude. Some key findings were that child welfare workers reported higher levels of compassion fatigue, direct service workers were more at risk than managers, and that social support was a more used coping strategy among MSWs and those in health/mental health agencies. The researchers recommend agencies focus on reducing caseloads, increasing social support through meetings, and teaching coping strategies like maintaining a positive attitude.

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    This study examined how situational factors influence social workers' levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and coping strategies. The researchers surveyed 80 social workers and found that overall they were at low risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. The most commonly used coping strategy was maintaining a positive attitude. Some key findings were that child welfare workers reported higher levels of compassion fatigue, direct service workers were more at risk than managers, and that social support was a more used coping strategy among MSWs and those in health/mental health agencies. The researchers recommend agencies focus on reducing caseloads, increasing social support through meetings, and teaching coping strategies like maintaining a positive attitude.

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    34 views32 pages

    Differences in Coping and Stress Among Social Workers

    Uploaded by

    truezeta
    This study examined how situational factors influence social workers' levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and coping strategies. The researchers surveyed 80 social workers and found that overall they were at low risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. The most commonly used coping strategy was maintaining a positive attitude. Some key findings were that child welfare workers reported higher levels of compassion fatigue, direct service workers were more at risk than managers, and that social support was a more used coping strategy among MSWs and those in health/mental health agencies. The researchers recommend agencies focus on reducing caseloads, increasing social support through meetings, and teaching coping strategies like maintaining a positive attitude.

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    of 32

    Differences in Coping and

    Stress Among Social


    Workers
    Jamillah Bynum
    Shakirah Francis
    Melissa Jacobs
    Timothy Leadem
    Tiffany Lee
    Toshanika Moore
    Laura Parrish
    General Research Question
     How do situational factors influence
    social worker’s level of compassion
    fatigue, burnout, and use of coping
    strategies?
    What does the literature say?

     Coping response (Lazarus, 1984)


     Burnout (Maslache & Leiter, 1997)
     Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder
    (Compassion Fatigue) (Figley, 1995)
    Concepts Under Investigation
     Situational Factors
     Compassion Fatigue
     Burnout
     Coping
    • Social Support
    • Denial
    • Active Positive Attitude
    • Compensating Behavior
    Specific Research Questions
     Do situational factors have a negative or positive effect on
    the level of compassion fatigue experienced by social
    workers?
     Do situational factors have a negative or positive effect on
    the level of burnout experienced by social workers?
     Do situational factors have an influence on the coping
    strategies used by social workers?
     What coping strategies are employed most often by social
    workers?
    What are the primary sources
    of stress for social workers?

     Internal Role Conflict


    (Storey & Billingham, 2001)

     Role Ambiguity
    (Jayarante & Chess, 1984)

     Role Overload
    (Lloyd, et al, 2002)
    What have studies on this
    topic shown us?
     Surface Acting vs. Deep Acting
    (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002)
     Strong structural support and Positive
    Reinforcement
    (Kahn, 1993)
     Individual Methods
    (Mayes, et al, 2000)
    How did we use the literature to
    inform our study?
    Previous studies have explored the relationships between:

     Job Stressors and Coping


    (Storey & Billingham, 2001)

     Personal Factors and Coping


    (King & Chenoworth, 1993)

     Stressors unique to helping professions and the types of coping


    behaviors elicited
    (Koeske, et al, 1993)

     Coping strategies used in the face of compassion fatigue


    (Figley, 1995)
    Sample
     Convenience sample
    • BSW & MSW practitioners in social service
    agencies, hospitals and schools in:
    Alamance, Cumberland, Forsyth, Guilford,
    Lexington, & Wake counties.
    Demographics
     Gender:
    • 20% male (n=16)
    • 80% female (n=64)

    • Age:
    -average age for respondents was 40 years
    (22 yrs – 62 yrs)

    • Years of Experience:
    -average years of experience was 13 years
    (1 yr – 31 yrs)
    Degree

    Degree

    Other
    4%
    B.S.W.

    29%

    M.S.W.

    68%
    Job Position

    Job Position

    Both Direct Service


    11%

    Management
    5%

    Direct Service

    84%
    Agency Type
    Agency Type

    Other

    10%
    School

    26%

    Child welfare

    24%

    Health

    19%
    Mental health

    21%
    INSTRUMENTATION

    Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue (CSF)


    Test
     66-Item self report measure of:

    • Demographics
    • Risk for Compassion Fatigue
    • Risk for Burnout
    • Potential for Compassion Satisfaction
    Data Collection Method
     Data was collected by hardcopy instrument
    packages
     Participants received packages through
    interoffice mail; sent response the same way
    through students respective agencies
     All participants received identical packages
    containing informed consent and instruments
    Ethical and Cultural
    Considerations

    Ethical
     Confidentiality

     Participation

    Cultural
    Findings & Data Analysis
    Findings
     Overall, the research participants were at no significant
    risk for Burnout or Compassion Fatigue. (mean=26)
    Norms:
    Burnout: 36 or less = extremely low risk; 37-50 =
    moderate risk; 51-75 = high risk; 76-85 = extremely high
    risk

    Compassion Fatigue: 26 or less = extremely low risk; 27-


    30 = low risk; 31-35 = moderate risk; 36-40 = high risk; 41
    or more = extremely high risk
    Coping Strategies
     Social Support
     Denial
     Active Positive Attitude
     Compensating Behavior
    Coping Strategies

     The most used coping strategy, overall, in this sample


    was a positive attitude.

    Strategy Mean Range

    Active positive Attitude 22.5 (1-30)


    Social Support 19.9 (1-30)
    Denial 10.9 (1-35)
    Other 8.6 (1-20)
    Compensating Behavior 6.8 (1-30)
    Independent Samples T-Test
    Male & Female respondents
    -No significant differences

    BSW & MSW respondents


    -No significant differences on Burnout scale
    -BSW respondents were more likely to suffer
    Compassion Fatigue than MSW respondents (p = .068)

    -MSW respondents were more likely to use the coping


    strategy Social Support than were BSW respondents
    (p=.002)
    Independent Samples T-Test cont.
    Direct Service Practitioner & Management

    -No significant differences on Burnout


    scale

    -Direct service practitioners were more


    likely to experience Compassion Fatigue,
    scoring “low risk” but not “extremely low
    risk” (p=.043)
    ANOVA test
     Differences between agencies: school,
    health, mental health, child welfare &
    other (family services combined with
    other)
    ANOVA cont.
     Burnout scores

    Agency Mean

    Child Welfare 31.6


    Mental Health 30.7
    Other 23.5
    Health 22.7
    School 22.5
    ANOVA cont.

     Compassion Fatigue scores

    Agency Mean
    Child Welfare 33.0 “mod risk”
    Mental Health 27.6 “low risk”
    School 27.0 “low risk”
    Health 18.9
    Other 17.6
    ANOVA cont.
     Coping Strategies

    Respondents in all agencies consistently used an


    Active Positive Attitude as the prominent coping
    strategy.

    Health & Mental Health agencies were also more


    likely to use Social Support as a coping strategy.
    (mean=22) (p=.006)
    Limitations

     Generalization
     Sampling Method
     Participant Credentiality
    Discussion/Implications for
    Social Work Practice

     Main coping strategy – An Active


    Positive Attitude
     Implement workshops
     Role play
     Focus on maintaining a positive attitude
    More Discussion &
    Implementations
     Compassion Fatigue, BSWs vs. MSWs
     Graduate School teaches:
    • Separate yourself from clients
    • Higher level of education
     Agencies requiring a MSW for direct
    service positions
    • Time frame for degree
    • Mentoring program
    More Discussion & Implications
     Social Support, BSWs vs. MSWs
     Weekly meetings
    • Support
    • Non-judgmental setting
     Most compassion fatigue with Direct
    Service Practitioners
     Social Work Managers should utilize
    information
    A Few More Discussions &
    Implications
     Child Welfare Workers scored highest
     Social Work managers in Child Welfare
    agencies should:
    • Reduce caseloads
    • Hold workshops
     Results:
    • Less job turnover
    • Money saved by agencies
    • Benefit clients
    Conclusion
     A positive attitude was the most common
    coping strategy among social workers.

     Future research should focus on how


    having a positive attitude benefits the
    agency, the social worker, and the client.

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