The Moderating Effect of Social Support on Psychological Stress and Job Burnout Among Grass-roots Civil Servants

Understanding the job burnout and psychological stress of grass-roots civil servants and exploring the relationship between social support and job burnout and psychological stress can provide empirical evidence for improving the mental health level of grass-roots civil servants. This study used the “Chinese Occupational Population Occupational Tension Scale,” “Social Support Scale,” and “General Version of the Job Burnout Scale” to investigate 300 grass-roots civil servants in Cangzhou City and its affiliated counties in Hebei Province. The results showed that the average work stress of the 300 grass-roots civil servants was at a medium-low level, while the average job burnout and social support were at a relatively high level. There were significant differences in psychological stress, job burnout, and social support and their various dimensions across demographic information such as gender, age, work experience, and job level. There was a significant positive correlation between work stress and job burnout among grass-roots civil servants; social support levels were significantly and negatively correlated with job burnout and psychological stress; work stress significantly predicted job burnout; social support played a moderating role in the psychological stress and job burnout of grass-roots civil servants. The conclusion is that grass-roots civil servants in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, experience varying degrees of job burnout and psychological stress. Psychological stress is one of the influencing factors of job burnout, and the higher the psychological stress, the higher the degree of job burnout. Providing multifaceted social support can alleviate their psychological stress and job burnout.