Work overload and burnout among chinese social workers during and post-covid-19: the impact of organizational support and professional identity

Background: This study aimed to fill a gap in the existing literature by investigating burnout among Chinese social workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a large number of studies have examined the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers, there are relatively few studies on social workers. Method: Using a non-matched repeated cross-sectional design, this study surveyed frontline social workers who were engaged in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts at two time points: during the pandemic in 2022 (606 respondents) and after the pandemic period in 2023 (336 respondents). The collected data were analyzed to understand changes in burnout and work overload, and the moderating effects of professional identity and organizational support. Results: The analysis showed that social workers experienced moderate levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, along with a drop in personal accomplishment during and after the pandemic. Work overload was a key factor contributing to burnout. Both organizational support and professional identity played roles in moderating the effects of work overload on burnout, but their influences varied over time. During the pandemic, professional identity helped buffer the impact on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while organizational support was more effective in moderating personal accomplishment. After the pandemic, organizational support played a more comprehensive moderating role across all burnout dimensions, whereas professional identity only has a weak effect on depersonalization. Conclusion: This study underscores the important role of professional identity during crises and highlights the significance of organizational support in transition to a post-crisis environment. These insights are valuable for policymakers and practitioners aiming to reduce burnout and improve the well-being of social workers.