Burnout Among Social Workers

The phenomenon of burnout first became the subject of public attention in the mid-1970s. This landmark volume is one of the first devoted exclusively to theoretical and empirical work on burnout. Each valuable chapter represents the state of the art in social services research on burnout. Burnout Among Social Workers illustrates and assesses problems with definitions and theoretical orientations to help clarify the overall conceptual vagueness that has plagued burnout research since its beginning. Attention is paid to both personal and job-related variables and coping mechanisms. Expert social work academicians and researchers clearly demonstrate the importance of burnout measurement for theory and practice and establish important guidelines for subsequent research and theory development in this area.

David F. Gillespie

Contents Preface - Introduction - An Approach to the Study of Burnout in Professional Care Providers in Human Service Organizations - Factors Associated With Burnout in the Social Services: An Exploratory Study - Gender Differences in Work Stress Among Clinical Social Workers - The Association of Burnout and Social Work Practitioners' Impressions of Their Clients: Empirical Evidence - Social Workers and Burnout: A Psychological Description - Burnout Among Social Workers Working With Physically Disabled Persons and Bereaved Families - Burnout Research in the Social Services: A Critique