Social Work Burnout in the Context of Interprofessional Collaboration

Abstract

This study builds on the existing research in the field of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and burnout among social workers. The authors sampled field instructors from a mid-Atlantic school of social work, comparing self-reported burnout scores among social workers on interprofessional teams with those of social workers who do not work on interprofessional teams, and completed a regression analysis of the relationship between burnout and participation in interprofessional teams, perceptions of IPC, and several individual and practice factors. Findings suggest that although members of interprofessional teams reported lower burnout scores, there was no significant relationship between working in an interprofessional team and burnout when controlling for other factors. Although the study provides an interesting first look at burnout among social workers in interprofessional teams, further research with a larger, more representative sample is needed.

Organization-Level Factors Associated With Burnout

“…Our finding that partnerships protect PHWs against burnout (when they reduce workload) but are also potentially stressful (when partners hold values incompatible with PHWs’) is congruent with other studies in social work and teaching workforces. 30 , 31 In “Preparing the Public Health Workforce for the Post-COVID-19 Era,” the authors argue for the importance of training public health students to partner with various sectors, including “a greater commitment to interprofessional education,” 32 a recommendation we support as a strategy requiring institutional accountability.…”