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Abstract

Although burnout in various fields of social work has been explored in some depth, there are very few longitudinal investigations of the phenomenon. This article reports the findings of a national survey of 879 social workers who completed mailed questionnaires in 1989 and 1990. The study participants are social workers who work with elderly people and who belong to either the National Association of Social Workers or the Gerontological Society of America. The results show that burnout is a relatively stable phenomenon. About two-thirds of the subjects' burnout classification did not change between 1989 and 1990. Among those whose level of burnout changed, about equal proportions increased and decreased. Regression analysis found that low and high burnout is associated with a number of organizational, client, and personal factors. Additional findings on the predictors of burnout change suggest that burnout not only can be prevented but also can be reversed. The implications of these findings for social work practice are discussed.

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© 1993 by the National Association of Social Workers, Inc.
Issue Section:
Research
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