SPECIFIC FEATURES OF SOCIAL WORKERS’ PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT

Abstract

The article deals with theoretical analysis of scientific approaches to the interpretation of the concept of «professional burnout». Its symptoms are ellucidated, the main causes, consequences and features of social workers’ professional burnout are described. It was found that social workers are at risk of burnout development due to the nature of their work. Social workers have high requirements for communication and communicative competence as the results of professional activity depend on the quality of interaction. The main groups of factors contributing to the development of the burnout syndrome include: individual characteristics of the person (character, self-esteem, education, etc.); organizational (content of labor, work overload, working conditions); peculiarities of professional activity. The analysis revealed that young inexperienced social workers are especially prone to the professional burnout due to their unrealistic expectations of the profession, organization they are employed by or their professional success. High and unfulfilled expectations are the source of burnout. The syndrome’s origins and evolution depend on age, length of professional record, and gender of the worker. Female social workers are more exposed to the burnout development due to the large number of social roles performed and responsibilities hold. As far as male social workers are concerned, professional burnout is closely connected with low self-esteem, loneliness, low level of cognitive activity and self-perception. The results of the study prove that social workers with a high degree of professional burnout more often use cautious behavior strategies, avoid problem situations, impulsive actions, and have the lowest indicators of personal adaptive capacity, behavioral regulation and neuropsychic stability compared with their colleagues with a low degree of professional burnout. The development of burnout syndrome in social workers’ activities is associated with such factors as situations of change or loss of social status, extreme conditions or uncertain situations. As a result of the theoretical analysis, it was found that developed adaptive abilities cause the resilience of social workers to professional stress and contribute to the preservation of professional health. The conclusion is made that social workers’ professional burnout can be prevented by taking the pauses for emotional unloading, optimization of work and rest regimes, training in relaxation and self-regulation of mental states, and constructive models of expedient behavior.