Response to COVID-19 in social welfare facilities and the psychological state of social workers in South Korea: The mediating role of satisfaction with government.

Abstract

This paper investigated associations between COVID‐19 responses in social welfare facilities and the psychological state of social workers together with the potential mediating role of satisfaction with the government. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, following government guidelines, social workers have continued to provide social services to the vulnerable groups. However, no research has been conducted focusing on their psychological state. A cross‐sectional survey was carried out in Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. Data from 332 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Supplementary in‐depth interviews were conducted with social workers. Analysis results show that higher levels of preventive measures against COVID‐19 directly worsen levels of well‐being, but this negative effect is offset by the satisfaction with the government (β = .383, p < .001). In social workers, satisfaction with the government fully mediates the influence of preventive measures toward reduced negative emotionality (β = −.288, p < .001). The implications of this study suggest that the government's active response to the social welfare sector is important to alleviate the negative psychological consequences of social workers.