Social Workers in Iceland in the Pandemic: Job Satisfaction, Stress, and Burnout

*Freydís Jóna Freysteinsdóttir*

### **Abstract**

The purpose of this study was to find out how the position is regarding various factors related to social workers in Iceland following the pandemic. A questionnaire was send to all social workers registered in the social worker association in Iceland. The response rate was 46%. The results showed that most of them worked in the social services or 60%, and most of them used empowerment and solution-focused approach as their theoretical approach. Most of the social workers were satisfied with the management, social environment, content of their work, work condition, and salaries. Nearly 90% of the social workers thought that the stress was high, and nearly 80% of them were experiencing one or more stress symptoms or six on the average. The most common stress symptoms were lack of energy, worries, and sleep difficulties. Child protection workers were experiencing the highest number of stress symptoms. One fifth of social workers had experienced burnout in the past. The higher the employment ratio, the more likely a social worker was to have experienced burnout. Nearly a third of the participants thought that they would change jobs in the near future.

**Keywords:** social work, theories, interventions, stress, burnout, supervision, pandemic, job satisfaction
