ABSTRACT

Emotional exhaustion is relatively widespread among social workers but lack of research explored its relationship with social supports and workplace bullying. The aim of the study was to examine the mediating role of workplace bullying in the relationship between social support (family and friends; coworkers and supervisors) and emotional exhaustion. Using a sample of 369 French social workers, the hypothesised model was tested utilising structural equation modelling. Our results showed that the social support from family and friends and the social support from coworkers and supervisor contribute in distinct ways to reduce emotional exhaustion in social workers. Social support from coworkers and supervisors was directly related to emotional exhaustion. Moreover, it was indirectly related to emotional exhaustion via workplace bullying. Family and friends’ support was only directly related to emotional exhaustion. Workplace bullying was strongly and positively associated with emotional exhaustion. Workplace policies and practices in social work institutions must encourage all kinds of social supports and increase the informal exchange spaces.

摘要

情绪衰竭在社会工作者中相对普遍，但缺乏研究探讨其与社会支持和工作场所欺凌的关系。该研究的目的是检查工作场所欺凌在社会支持（家人和朋友；同事和主管）和情绪衰竭之间的关系中的中介作用。使用 369 名法国社会工作者的样本，利用结构方程模型对假设的模型进行了测试。我们的研究结果表明，来自家人和朋友的社会支持以及来自同事和主管的社会支持以不同的方式有助于减少社会工作者的情绪衰竭。来自同事和主管的社会支持与情绪衰竭直接相关。此外，它与工作场所欺凌导致的情绪衰竭间接相关。家人和朋友的支持只与情绪衰竭直接相关。工作场所欺凌与情绪耗竭密切相关。社会工作机构的工作场所政策和实践必须鼓励各种社会支持并增加非正式交流空间。