ISLAMABAD: (APP) Realistic workloads and ongoing emotional support are essential if social workers are to manage stress and perform theirjob effectively, according to new research.
The study by the Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF)
United Kingdom examined the relationship between emotional intelligence – the ability to identify and manage emotions in oneself and others – stress, burnout and social work practice. It also assessed whether emotional intelligence training for social workers would reduce their burnout rates over time, Science Daily reported.
It is known that the rate of work related stress and burnout among social workers is high compared to similar professions. This contributes to high vacancy rates, particularly in the areas of child care, young people and families, which has consequences for colleagues and those the service is trying to help.
Emotional intelligence training is offered by some local authorities but there is little consistent evidence to show the benefits of such interventions on practice. This UEA study involved 209 child and family social workers across eight local authorities in England.
The researchers found that the training received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, but it did not show any statistically significant effect on stress and burnout after the training.
Lead author Dr Laura Biggart, a lecturer in social science research and psychology, said social workers are meant to get reflective supervision -talking with others about their own experiences to improve the way they work -but this often gets squeezed out by other demands.