| Abstract: | Correspondence to Professor John Collings, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Leeds Metropolitan University Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK Summary Much of what is known about stress amongst social workers isanecdotal and there is a dearth of systematic research findingson the subject. This questionnaire study examined the perceptionsof work-related stress, and factors contributing to high andlow levels of stress, in a sample of 243 social workers drawnfrom four local authorities in northern England. The samplewas broadly based in terms of a range of personal backgroundfactors, and included social workers in urban, rural and semi-rurallocations. A measure of overall stress was constructed encompassingpsychological and physical aspects, and which permitted an analysisof the relative importance of predictor variables. A varietyof rating scales was used to assess aspects of the work environmentand perceived stressors. The most powerful predictor of overallstress that emerged related to the pressure involved in planningand reaching work targets. The study also identified certaincaseload and supervision-related predictors of stress, but,apart from age and marital status, personal background factorsseemed of weak predictive power. Social workers' perceptionsof their image in society seemed an additional source of pressure.The study findings suggest a need for combining organizationalwith individual oriented initiatives to combat stress. |
