Abstract
This article focuses on levels of burnout as well as engagement experienced by fourth-year undergraduate social work students attending a South African university. By means of quantitative procedures, data were obtained from 43 final-year social work students who completed a self-administered questionnaire. Respondents presented with above-average levels of exhaustion, professional efficacy, vigour, dedication and absorption, and below average levels of cynicism. Non-parametric procedures revealed significant differences in the levels of burnout related to population group, place of origin and household income status. Recommendations focus on monitoring the wellbeing of students and mobilising support for students who appear more vulnerable to burnout and low academic engagement.
Highlights
Burnout was considered a social problem long before the phenomenon drew the attention of researchers (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001)
The results showed that neuroticism was associated with high levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism; extroversion and openness to experience were related to professional efficacy; and emotionally stable, outgoing, hardworking individuals with good interpersonal relationships exhibited lower levels of burnout
In addition to the challenges faced by all university students, social work students experience demands relating to their exposure to stressors and vicarious trauma during their field practicum (Napoli & Bonifas, 2011; Ngai & Cheung, 2009)
Summary
Burnout was considered a social problem long before the phenomenon drew the attention of researchers (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001). The emotional demands that are characteristic of many helping professions such as nursing, psychotherapy, medicine and social work can result in individuals experiencing distress and developing burnout over time (Acker, 2012; Chang, Eddins-Follensbee & Coverdale, 2012; Iglesias, Vallejo & Feuntes, 2010; Puig, Yoon, Callueng, An & Lee, 2014). International studies indicate that, even in their undergraduate studies, the demands of social work training can result in burnout among social work students (Harr & Moore, 2011; Ngai & Cheung, 2009; Piatkowska, 2014), especially in individuals with limited resources (Alarcon, Edwards & Menke, 2011). The implications of burnout among students may influence attrition rates and academic success (Alarcon et al, 2011). The higher risk of burnout among social work students and the negative effects of burnout on students’ academic performance should be a cause for concern for teaching staff involved in the training of social work students
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