A new study published in the journal International Social Work reveals an association between rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety among social workers. Stress related to COVID-19 was the strongest factor associated with negative mental health outcomes. Those who experienced a greater number of pandemic-related stressors – such as health concerns, increased caregiving responsibilities, violence in the home, family stress due to confinement, and stress related to work-life balance – had higher levels of mental health experienced problems at higher rates than those who were not affected by difficulties related to the pandemic.
“Like physicians, nurses and other allied health care providers, social workers are feeling the effects of the pandemic, and it’s showing up in their mental health,” says lead author Ramona Alaggia, who is also a professor at Factor-Inventash at the University of Toronto. I am a professor. Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Margaret and Wallace McCain Chair in Child and Family.
“As we celebrate Social Work Week in Ontario March 6-12 and National Social Work Month in March, it is important to recognize the stressors that affect social workers and the well-being of those working in this essential field.”
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An alarming 40 percent of the sample reported depression—a rate four times higher than the general population. Rates of reported depression are also significantly higher among social workers than other health professionals working in conditions related to COVID-19, with a prevalence rate of 24 percent. Overall, one-fifth of the sample reported PTSD while 15 percent reported anxiety.
“As personal stress has increased among social workers, their needs have increased as well,” says study co-author Esme Fuller-Thomson, FIFSW professor and director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. “With increasing rates of domestic violence, child abuse, mental health illnesses and addictions, mortality in long-term care systems, and homelessness, social worker jobs are more in demand than ever.”
“The majority of survey respondents were from Ontario and were married or in common law unions. Half of respondents had children under the age of 18, and 85 per cent were women, which is in line with the number of women working in the social work sector . . Recent trends clearly indicate that women have felt the most negative employment changes and job losses during COVID-19,” says Carolyn O’Connor, co-author and doctoral candidate at FIFSW.
“Studies over time consistently show that women typically perform most childcare and household responsibilities at home. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 lockdown has made working from home even more stressful as parents experience isolation and less support Meet the demands of work with home-schooling.”
The study also found that social workers most affected by mental health problems tend to be younger, less experienced and less established in their profession. The level of resilience was also measured. Those who were older and had higher incomes had higher resilience scores.
“Job instability is common early in a social worker’s career, especially when working in a neoliberal environment that promotes precarious, contractual work conditions with low benefits and low pay,” co-author and FIFSW Ph.D. They say. Candidate Kerry West.
Alagiya says that in her work with community-based agencies, she has seen social workers leaving in large numbers through the beginning of 2022, with some agencies reducing staffing levels by as much as 30 percent and filling those positions significantly. Problems have been reported. “There seems to be a turning point where social workers are leaving traditional settings because of low pay, job insecurity, and meager benefits,” says Alagiya.
“Given the essential societal roles that social workers play, there is an urgent need for strategies to sustain the profession in the next generation and future generations. These strategies should include a trauma-informed approach and strong mental health support for staff This could be a defining moment. Building resilience into the social work sector and into social service systems is the way forward.”