A research report submitted to the Department of Social Work, School of Human and Community Development, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Occupational Social Work, 2016 / The primary purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of occupational stress among social workers employed by the Department of Social Development in Mpumalanga Province, Ehlanzeni District. Mpumalanga Province is predominantly rural and the assumption is that work-related challenges for social workers in rural areas are different from urban areas. There are theoretical basis suggesting that people view and respond to stress differently thus their coping strategies even in identical situations are different. The study has therefore focused on the experiences of occupational stress among social workers, the contributory factors that led to occupational stress, the impact of occupational stress, the social workers’ coping strategies with occupational stress; and the availability and effectiveness of organisational support offered to employees experiencing occupational stress as perceived by social workers. The research used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The researcher utilised a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions, together with the Work-Related Quality of Life scale consisting of closed questions that measured work stress, administered to 40 social workers employed at Ehlanzeni District offices. One year’s working experience as a social worker in the Department of Social Development was a qualifying criterion in the study. Thematic content analysis and descriptive statistical analysis were used to analyse data. The findings of the study suggested that unsatisfactory salaries, working conditions, high workload, lack of recognition and a lack of support were the main stressors for social workers in this study. The research concluded with recommendations that will hopefully assist in improving the quality of work-life of the sound workers and facilitate a balanced understanding between the employees and the employer. / GR2017

published_or_final_version / Social Service Management / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Social Service Management / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This work was based on an investigation of the subject of burnout, as observed by the researcher among social workers that worked for various social services organizations - both Government Departments and Non-Governmental Organizations - based in the Eastern Cape Province. The study of burnout was conducted with the aim to obtain information from the respondents about their conditions at work, and how those conditions contributed, as alleged, to burnout experienced by them. A qualitative research method was used as an approach that the researcher found best in that it allowed for an in-depth probe into the circumstances of the respondents (including the attitudes and emotions of the respondents), to give a broad picture of the situation as experienced by the respondents at work. A qualitative method was handled through the exploratory research principle of sampling and gathering of data, as the researcher felt it a sufficiently appropriate route to help yield the required outcomes of the study. The researcher's motivation to pursue the research was prompted by several indicators which included an article in the Daily Dispatch of 26 August 2003 that wrote 'Social workers quit in droves' and some personal contact with graduated students of social work, recently employed as social workers in various settings. Interesting dynamics about social work practice and its frustrations surfaced, and out of that premise, the researcher felt that it was an opportune moment to carry out an investigation to discover the facts about burnout as experienced by social workers. The findings on the research would be published, and the researcher intended to inform the social work community about the outcomes of research, hoping that the information would become useful to them in curtailing or preventing future encounters of burnout as experienced by them at the work place. In other words, recommendations for solutions would be provided based on the findings as an outcome of that investigation. To allow for the success of the research process, the researcher planned to draw from several resource centers and other researchers' data, any valuable piece of information, record, or existing data that could assist in evaluating information that became available during data collection. Such information was seen as very important since it helped in making the data analysis process easier and more than enough information could thus be obtained. Finally the researcher had found the study quite fascinating in that it addressed human concerns in the form of social work issues at work, which the researcher personally considered important and shared as one of the issues affecting social work professionals.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that protect social workers and other clinicians from experiencing burnout. Many things contribute to job burnout among clinicians. Some examples of contributing factors include a shortage of government funding, heavy caseloads, and a lack of autonomy. However, this study will look at workplace factors that are more amendable to change in the agency's environment.

This study was inspired by the desire to understand the experience of mental health clinicians coping with work related stress in treating traumatized children. In studying this experience, heuristic design and methodology was followed. The findings of this study are based on interviews of 3 Caucasian, female clinicians, a 49-year-old art therapist with eight years experience, a 61-year-old licensed clinical social worker with 34 years of postgraduate experience, and a 44-year-old licensed clinical social worker with 21 years of experience. Mental health practitioners, clinical supervisors and consultants as well as professionals in counselor education benefit from the findings of this study that extends knowledge of effective coping with work related stress in treating traumatized children. Participants in this study coped by using the following core characteristics the most often: seeking emotional and instrumental support from others, maintaining balance in work and private life, staying spiritually oriented, participating in leisure activities, focusing on health and using cognitive restructuring techniques. The least mentioned was the use of humor. Four themes permeated the experience of these clinicians: (1) Maintaining Balance: Coping included maintaining a balance in work and private life; (2) Healthy Personal Identity: Coping successfully meant keeping the career as work and not a definition of the self; (3) Clear Role Definition: Coping to continue the work included increased focus on professional and personal boundaries and the role of the clinician; (4) Realistic Control: Successful coping included differentiating between what can and can't be controlled. This study also found that part of coping with work-related stress meant moving from the public sector into private enterprise. In private practice, participants found that coping with stress improved with the decrease of high client caseload requirements and the ability to screen potential clientele for the purpose of creating a balance in treatment issues. Overall, this study found that the experience of coping successfully with work-related stress had a great deal to do with increased professional autonomy. / Graduation date: 2003

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

Afrikaans text / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om die voorkoms en hantering van stressors en stres by welsynsorganisasies in die Boland streek te ondersoek ten einde aanbevelings aan die Bestuur van welsynsorganisasies te maak met die oog op voorkoming en vermindering van stres in die werksplek. Vyftien (15) welsynsorganisasies en agtien (18) maatskaplikewerkbestuurders in die Boland streek is by die ondersoek betrek. Slegs veertien (14) maatskaplikewerkbestuurders het aan die ondersoek deelgeneem. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsinginligting is met behulp van literatuurstudie en ‘n gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat Maatskaplikewerkbestuurders in die Boland streek werkstres ervaar en dat die meeste privaat-; en staatswelsynsorganisasies nie oor programme vir die voorkoming van stres beskik nie. Daar word aanbeveel dat die Bestuur van welsynsorganisasies die verantwoordelikheid moet neem om stres in die werksplek te bestuur deur die daarstelling van stres voorkomingstrategieë. / The purpose of this research study was to investigate the occurrence of stressors and stress in the private-; as well as government welfare organisation in the Boland region and to make recommendations to the Management of welfare organisations regarding the prevention and decrease of stress in the workplace. Fifteen (15) welfare organisations with eighteen (18) social work managers were approached, but only fourteen (14) participated in the investigation. The research process was directed by quantitative research and research information being obtained through literature study and a structured questionnaire. With reference to the empirical study, it was established that social workers in the Boland region experience stress in the workplace and most of the welfare organisations do not have stress prevention programmes available for social work personnel. It is recommended that the Management of welfare organisations institute stress management programmes with the focus on management of stress through stress prevention strategies. / Social Work / M.A. (SS)

On t.p.: Master of Arts in Social Work (Welfare Programme management) / Thesis (MA(MW))--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Medical social workers working in children's wards are more prone to burnout because of the stressful nature of their work. Because social work requires emotional involvement, it is not uncommon for workers to be emotionally drained and frustrated, which might lead to burnout. Stress amongst social workers is an important issue, as a stressed workforce can negatively affect the quality of service. This study was undertaken with the aim of providing guidelines for handling stress amongst medical social workers working in children's wards, in order to promote job satisfaction and enhance work performance. Chronically ill children who are hospitalised, often suffer from behavioural and emotional problems that require social work intervention, which in turn puts pressure on the social worker. Concurrent stressors on the children and their families may exhaust their normal coping capacity and further complicate the child's adaptation to hospitalisation. The role of the medical social worker is to provide social support to the child and the family in order to promote positive coping in the child during and after hospital treatment. The demands put on the social worker by hospitalised children can cause stress, which could adversely affect their work performance and job satisfaction. Social workers therefore, have to carefully select an appropriate practice framework when dealing with hospitalised children. This entails the selection of appropriate perspectives, theories and models to ensure effective intervention. These frameworks provide structure and directive to social work intervention, and combined with supervision, can promote job satisfaction amongst medical social workers. The study was undertaken amongst medical social workers working in paediatric wards within hospitals in the Cape Metropolitan area. The empirical study focused on an investigation of factors, which might contribute to the experience of burnout amongst the social workers. Work-related stressors playa major role in increasing the likelihood of burnout amongst social workers. If these stressors are not properly dealt with they might lead to burnout amongst medical social workers, which will have a direct bearing on the child's benefit from medical services. A combination of both organisationally based and individually based strategies should be implemented in order to overcome job-related stress and to prevent burnout. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mediese maatskaplike werkers wat in kindersale werk, is meer geneig tot uitbranding as gevolg van die stresvolle aard van hulle werk. Maatskaplike werk vereis emosionele betrokkenheid. Dit is dus nie ongewoon vir maatskaplike werkers om emosioneel gedreineerd en gefrustreerd te voel nie. Laasgenoemde is kenmerke van uitbranding. Oormatige stres by maatskaplike werkers kan 'n negatiewe uitwerking op die kwaliteit van hul dienslewering hê. Hierdie navorsingstudie was onderneem met die oog op die daarstelling van riglyne vir die hantering van stres by mediese maatskaplike werkers, wat in kindersale werk om sodoende werkstevredenheid en -verrigting te bevorder. Kroniese siek kinders wat gehospitaliseer word, presenteer dikwels met gedrags- en emosionele probleme wat uiteraard tydens intervensie addisionele druk op die maatskaplike werker plaas. Gepaardgaande stressors kan daartoe lei dat pasiënte en hul gesinne afwyk van hul normale funksionering wat weer die pasiënt se hanteringsvermoë en aanpassing by die hospitaalopset belemmer. Die rol van die mediese maatskaplike werker is om sosiale ondersteuning aan bogenoemde partye te gee ten einde positiewe hanteringsvermoë tydens en na mediese behandeling, by pasiënte te vestig. Die eise wat deur pasiënte aan maatskaplike werkers gestel word kan stres veroorsaak wat hul werksverrigtinge en tevredenheid negatief kan affekteer. Maatskaplike werkers moet dus versigtig te werk gaan in die keuse van 'n gepaste praktykraamwerk vir intervensie ten opsigte van gehospitaliseerde kinders. 'n Verantwoordbare keuse van perspektiewe, teorieë en modelle lê ten grondslag van effektiewe maatskaplike werk intervensie. Hierdie raamwerke bied struktuur en rigting aan maatskaplike werk intervensie. Laasgenoemde, tesame met Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za superviste kan werkstevredenheid onder mediese maatskaplike werkers bevorder. Stressors wat met werk verband hou, speel 'n groot rol in die toename van uitbranding onder mediese maatskaplike werkers. Indien hierdie stressors nie effektief hanteer word nie, kan dit tot uitbranding by maatskaplike werkers ly wat dan weer die pasiënt se benutting van mediese dienste negatief beïnvloed. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit tien mediese maatskaplike werkers wat werksaam was in paediatriese sale in hospitale binne die Kaapse Metropool. Tydens 'n empiriese ondersoek is gefokus op faktore wat moontlik aanleiding kan gee tot die uitbranding van maatskaplike werkers. Dit word dus aanbeveel dat 'n kombinasie van strategieë van beide die orgarusaste en die persoon geïmplementeer moet word om werksverwante stres te oorkom en dus uitbranding by mediese maatskaplike werkers te voorkom.