Burnout In The Workplace

Sprang, Clark, and Whitt-Woosley (2007) mention several factors that seem to serve as protective factors. They mention that as age of the social worker increased, risk for burnout decreased. It is not fully clear why older age may serve as a protective factor. One hypothesis is that those that were going to burnout have already done so and those that are less likely are still doing the work, therefore when age is considered compared to level of current burnout, there would be higher rates of burnout among those who are younger. This will be explored more later when looking at psychosocial factors pertaining to aging, work, mid-life crisis and approaching retirement. Organizational factors such as adequate supervision and supportive work environments
One study mentioned a few factors. Smith and Clark (2011) looked at Title IV-E graduates working in child welfare at the county level. They found that Asian Americans had the highest level of depersonalization while African Americans had the lowest. They found that Whites and Native Americans had the highest levels for personal accomplishment. Asian Americans had the lowest level of feelings of personal accomplishment. There was no statistical difference by race for emotional
Northern Ireland had 47% of respondents say they experienced burnout compared to 71% in New York City (as cited in Smith & Clark, 2011). Williams et al. (2011) found that an estimated 97% of child welfare workers in Georgia experienced burnout (as cited in Smith & Clark, 2011). Abdallah (2009) found that 83% of Palestinian social workers had a moderate to high rating for emotional exhaustion (as cited in Smith & Clark, 2011). A study of social workers in Spain showed burnout had a direct relationship with job stress, as job satisfaction decreased burnout increased (Hombrados-Medieta & Cosano-Rivas, 2011)
The Impact of Burnout Using a Biopsychosocial Approach
When analyzing burnout during middle adulthood, it is essential to use a biopsychosocial analysis of the issues. What is going on in one’s life and how that relates to work-life and possible burnout is important to take a look at. During middle adulthood there are many factors at play: physiological changes, psychological development, gender, race and culture, intimate relationships, friendship, parenting, grandparenting and approaching retirement.
Physiological