AUTHOR=Wu Yaxue , Wei Yue , Li Yanli , Pang Jun , Su Yang 

TITLE=Burnout, negative emotions, and wellbeing among social workers in China after community lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: Mediating roles of trait mindfulness

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.952269

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.952269

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The study  surveyed the burnout levels one year after social workers serving Wuhan communities locked down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among 182 respondents, 75 (41.2%) still suffered from severe burnout. The interrelationships between the respondents’ burnout, trait mindfulness (TM), negative emotions (NEs), and well-being (WB) were analyzed through correlations, regression analysis, and testing for mediating effects. TM was significantly and negatively correlated with burnout (r = -0.623), negatively correlated with NEs (r = -0.560), and significantly and positively correlated with WB (r = 0.617). burnout had a significantly positive correlation with NEs (r = 0.544) and a significantly negative correlation with WB (r = -0.666). Further, WB was significantly and negatively correlated with NEs (r = -0.758). After controlling for age, gender, marital status, educational level, and years of employment, burnout had a significantly positive predictive effect on NEs (β = 0.509), whereas TM had a significantly negative predictive effect on NEs (β = -0.334). TM had a partial mediating role in the effect of burnout on NEs: Its mediating effect and effect ratios were 0.088 and 39.7%, respectively. burnout had a significantly negative predictive effect on WB (β = -0.598), whereas TM had a significantly positive predictive effect on WB (β = 0.299). TM played a partial mediating role in the effect of burnout effect on NEs, with a mediating effect of -0.164 and an effect ratio of 30.3%. WB had a significantly negative predictive effect on NEs (β = -0.711) and a partial mediating role in the effect of burnout effect on NEs, with a mediating effect and effect ratio of 0.185 and 83.3%, respectively. These results led to the conclusion that the current level of burnout among local social workers remained high one year after the COVID-19 community lockdowns. Moreover, TM played a mediating effect in the relationship between burnout and NEs and WB. Concomitantly, WB had a mediating effect between burnout and NEs. Thus, in states of burnout, TM could be a protective factor in reducing emotional stress and the risk of developing psychiatric disorders through the enhancement of WB.