Examining occupational stress in early-career child welfare workers
Dina J. Wilke, Karen A. Randolph, Cassandra Olson
Abstract
This study examined changes in the perceptions of physical and emotional wellbeing of early career child welfare workers (n = 578) using four waves of data collected during their first 18 months of employment. Measures for physical wellbeing included self-reported physical health and a scale for sleep disturbances. Measures for emotional wellbeing included self-reported mental health and a scale for psychological distress. Compared to baseline, perceptions of physical and emotional wellbeing significantly worsened during the first six months. Self-reported physical wellbeing appeared to stabilize over time; however, emotional wellbeing continued to decline. Implications for agencies, including supervisory support and employee assistance programs are described.