Emotional labor of social workers and associated factors resulting in positive/negative outcomes
A systematic review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14557232 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Meiyi Lai (0009-0001-2447-9816, Fudan University), Miao Jian (0000-0002-5083-1895, Shanghai University), Miao Wang (0000-0002-4102-8582, Nankai University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf228 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 52 |
Social work is a relationship-centered profession with high demands for emotional labor. This study aimed to systematically review social workers’ emotional labor and identify factors that predict its outcomes. This study conducted a comprehensive review of English language studies through an extensive search. Only empirical studies that investigated social workers’ emotional labor and its outcomes, as well as the predictive factors that resulted in these outcomes, were eligible and included. This study identified 13,681 non-duplicate studies through database searches, with 22 ultimately meeting the inclusion criteria. Excluded studies were not peer-reviewed, or lacked clear definitions or relevant outcome/factor analysis of social workers’ emotional labor. The findings revealed that social workers’ emotional labor might yield both positive and negative outcomes on individual, professional, or organizational dimensions. Associated protective and risk factors, respectively, that resulted in these outcomes could be categorized into individual, professional relationship, organizational, and societal and contextual domains. Despite its significance, studies on social workers’ emotional labor remained limited. Considering the high emotional labor investment required of social workers and their potential outcomes, this study advocates for enhancing professional education, improving care services, strengthening organizational support, and greater social awareness to promote social workers’ professional and personal well-being
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |