The impact of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion of social workers

A test of the mediating effect of perceived job demands

Bibliographic Data

ID22068461
AuthorsHuan Fu (Guangdong Baiyun University), Yu Tian (0000-0002-2744-2226, Sun Yat-sen University), J Zhao (0000-0003-0400-2006, Guangdong Baiyun University), Lizhen Wei (Guangdong Baiyun University), Haiquan Chen (Shandong Management University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume14
Pages1823541-1823541
Publication date2026-06-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2026.1823541
PMID42404965
OpenAlexW7165190065
LanguageEN
References cited26

Introduction: Social work has entered a critical period of high-quality development. As the main force participating in social governance and providing professional services, social workers directly affect the effectiveness of social governance. However, the emotional demands inherent in their work make them vulnerable to emotional exhaustion. Drawing on the theoretical perspective of emotional labor, this study explores the association between social workers' emotional labor and emotional exhaustion, with particular attention to the mediating role of individuals' perception of job demand. The central aim is to move beyond a general understanding of emotional labor by deconstructing the antagonistic dynamics among its internal strategies. Methods: An empirical investigation was conducted with a sample of 399 front-line social workers. The study measured participants' emotional labor strategies, their perception of job demand, and their levels of emotional exhaustion. Mediation analysis was employed to examine the pathways linking emotional labor to emotional exhaustion through job demand, and moderation analysis was used to assess the role of supportive resources in the work setting. Results: The findings reveal that social workers generally exhibit a high level of emotional exhaustion, with deep acting being the predominant emotional labor strategy. Job demand plays a significant mediating role between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion, and this mediation displays notable "strategy heterogeneity": Surface acting is positively associated with emotional exhaustion through increased work demands. Deep acting may predict lower emotional exhaustion by reducing the perception of work demands, thereby generating a "shielding effect" against emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, supportive resources in the work setting moderate the effects of different emotional labor strategies in fundamentally different ways. Discussion: By deconstructing the antagonistic dynamics of the internal strategies of emotional labor, this study provides a more precise and practically valuable perspective for understanding and intervening in social workers' job burnout. The identification of "strategy heterogeneity" and the "shielding effect" of deep acting suggests that interventions should be tailored to specific emotional labor strategies rather than treating emotional labor as a unified construct. These insights offer practical guidance for reducing emotional exhaustion among front-line social workers and, in turn, enhancing the effectiveness of social governance

Emotional contagion · Emotional exhaustion · Emotional labor · Mediation · Moderated mediation · Moderation · Perception · Emotional Labor in Professions · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Social Work Education and Practice

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