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Burnout Prevention in an Economic Recession
By Diana Rowan, PhD, MSW, LCSW
How can we possibly do more with less? Is this a question you ask yourself? Do you hear others at your agency
asking this question? If you are employed in social services, you are likely struggling with the new realities of
funding sources drying up while demands for more and varied services increase. These accelerated pressures
can bring on symptoms of burnout in human service agency staff at a rate that is higher than usual.
What Is Burnout?
Jerry Edelwich, MSW, in his classic 1980 text on burnout titled Burn-out: Stages of Disillusionment in the
Helping Professions, defines the concept of burnout in a worker as a progressive loss of idealism, energy, and
purpose as a result of the conditions of their work (p. 14). Conditions producing burnout in the helping
professions are said to include not enough training, too large of a caseload, ungratefulness from clients, too
many hours, bureaucratic and political constraints, and the inherent gap between aspiration and accomplishment
in the helping professions (Edelwich, 1980).
Burnout in the Social Work Profession
Social workers, as well as other helping professionals such as counselors, nursing and medical personnel,
emergency responders, and pastoral care providers, are prone to burn out quickly in the workplace. One reason
is the dynamic of compassion fatigue, which is a sense of helplessness and confusion triggered by clients
traumatic or painful experiences (Figley, 1995). Exposure to the compounding tragedies of ones client caseload
has the psychological impact of collective secondary traumatization. Recent research indicates that female
helping professionals are more prone to burnout than their male counterparts (Williams, 2007). This trend is
hypothesized to be due to their higher levels of emotional empathy than male helpers, which leads to emotional
exhaustion. If this emotional exhaustion is not mediated by personal accomplishment, it may lead to
depersonalization, which is related to burnout.
Beyond the reality of compassion fatigue, however, there are several other issues that place social workers at
high risk for burnout. First, social workers are typically drawn into the profession out of a desire to help others.
When insurmountable obstacles repeatedly block these enthusiastic newcomers from seeing widespread
improvements in the functioning of individuals, families, or communities, they can become overwhelmed, jaded,
and frustrated. Also, social workers are called on by others in our agencies, organizations, and communities to
solve complex problems but tend to receive little credit or respect among other professions.
Recognizing Symptoms
By recognizing early signs of burnout, awareness can be increased, thus improving chances of preventive action
being effective (Ericson-Lidman & Strandberg, 2007). The following is a list of symptoms of burnout. As you scan
the list, assess for these behaviors in your coworkers as well as yourself:
increased absenteeism;
avoiding or postponing client contact (Cherniss, 1980);
rigid by-the-book approaches;
angry or emotional outbursts;
increasingly cynical attitude;
allowing work problems to interfere with social or family relationships (Duffy, n.d.);
struggling to manage alone; becoming distanced or isolated (Ericson-Lidman & Strandberg, 2007);

 trying to reach unattainable goals (Ericson-Lidman & Strandberg, 2007);

physical symptoms: hypersomnia or hyposomnia, changes in appetite, stress-related medical problems; and
emotional symptoms: depression, anxiety, aggression, suicidal/homicidal ideation or threats.
Dealing With the Economic Recession
We hear much about the effects of the economic recession on credit and financial markets, the domestic housing
market, and international trade but not about its effects on social work professionals, many of whom work with
clients and communities that are victims of the economic downturn. Conservative columnist George Will dubbed
the Obama stimulus package, or the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, No Social Worker Left Behind
(Will, 2009).
Middle and upper class portions of society may see the recession as a boon for the poor and the social workers
who advocate for that population. But if this is so, why are social workers hearing about and experiencing such
widespread struggles in the nonprofit agencies comprising our patchwork quilt of social services in the United
States?
Effects
The degree and range of the economic recessions effects on social service needs and delivery have yet to be
determined, as the crises will likely unfold and reverberate for decades. However, the following effects can
already be readily observed in nonprofit agencies:
Pressure to do more with less (serve more clients or provide more types of services with fewer financial
resources).
Clients are suffering in new ways.
The shifting landscape of other agencies in the community calls for reevaluation of referral practices.
The recovery act has restructured welfare reform by removing the financial penalty to states that increase their
welfare rolls.
Agency staffs are worried about the lack of resources for clients and the threat of downsizing.
Staff likely have increased stress in their home lives due to the effects of the recession on their own family and
friends.
How to Address Effects of the Recession With Agency Staff
Agency executive directors, supervisors, and midlevel managers should be proactive in addressing the effects of
the recession on the agency, its clients, and its staff members. Many times, a lack of information is more
disturbing than bad news. Here are some tips for dealing with staff:
Ask for input from staff members on budget priorities in times of cutbacks. This practice creates buy-in and more
support for decisions.
Keep lines of communication open in all directions (up, down, and across the organizational chart). People
worry more in the absence of information.
Keep an open ear and listen to their concerns.
Revisit the agency or programs mission statement to stay focused on the main thing. When services must be
pared down, this practice helps prioritize what should be preserved.
How to Address Effects of the Recession With Clients
Even clients who are not considered financially marginalized can be negatively affected by the recession. For
example, dont stereotype clients as being insulated from the recessions effects just because they remain
employed. Below are some ideas for interfacing with clients:

 Listen to each client/case and dont assume he or she is not affected by or concerned about the recession.
Reassess more often than usual. Be aware that clients circumstances may change very quickly in this turbulent
time.
Offer emotional supports when resources are scarce. Dont underestimate the benefit of sharing your concern
by saying that you still care about the client who must be turned away when your homeless shelter is full.
Use your advocacy skills to seek policy and funding changes on the behalf of clients. Social action changes
things.
Be creative and think outside the box.
Tips for Burnout Prevention
Social workers learn about the importance of self-care during their academic preparation and in continuing
education workshops and in-service trainings. We may frequently hear about common approaches to healthy
lifestyles, including paying attention to diet, level of exercise, getting enough sleep, and practicing relaxation
(through deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or creative visualization techniques). Here are some more ideas to
add to your arsenal of approaches to ward off symptoms of burnout:
Pay attention to time management. Do tasks with the greatest payoff first.
Think positively and see the glass as half full. This idea has its foundation in rational-emotive therapy.
Dont neglect to take scheduled breaks and vacation days. Vacation is not only for fun but also for relaxation,
refreshing of the mind, and taking a break from the pressures of the job.
See the opportunities for growth and positive change. The forest grows back quickly in the nutrient-rich soil left
behind by a fire. President Obamas chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel has been quoted as having said, It would be
a shame to let a good crisis go to waste.
If you truly hate yours, change jobs. Social exchange theory posits that when we repeatedly get less out of a
relationship than we put into it, the relationship will terminate. When the physical and emotional costs of the job
continue to outweigh the benefits, look for another position. One strength of a generalist social work education is
that at the BSW and MSW levels, we are prepared to work in a wide variety of settings with an even greater
variety of client systems. Dont feel boxed in.
And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, in times of stress, reflect on the Twelve Steppers Serenity Prayer.
Some things we have control over and others we do not; so, address that which you can. Life will deliver enough
to handle that we cant avoid.
Diana Rowan, PhD, MSW, LCSW, is the MSW program coordinator at the University of North Carolina
at Charlotte. She has more than 15 years of clinical social work and teaching experience.
References
Cherniss, C. (1980). Staff burnout: Job stress in the human services. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Duffy, V. (n.d.). Beating burnout in helping professionals. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?
Beating-Burnout-In-Helping-Professionals&id=1041938.
Edelwich, J. (1980). Burn-out: Stages of disillusionment in the helping professions. New York: Human
Sciences Press.
Ericson-Lidman, E. & Strandberg, G. (2007). Burnout: Co-workers perceptions of signs preceding workmates
burnout. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(2), 199-208.
Figley, C. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Toward a new understanding of the costs of caring. In: B. Stamm
(ed.) Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators. Luterville,
MD: Sidren Press.

Will, G. (2009, January 26). The last word: 43, for the final time. Newsweek, 153(4), 78.
Williams, C. (2007). Empathy and burnout in male and female helping professionals. Research in Nursing &
Health, 12(3), 169-178