Burnout in Social Work Students

Burnout in social work students has long been an under-addressed issue in social work education. Twenty-first-century studies have revealed a few significant factors in relation to social work students. Social work students were susceptible to exhaustion. A correlation existed between age/experience and burnout, with burnout more dominant among younger students than among those who were older and more experienced. Studies suggested that risk factors for student burnout included the level or year in the program, with second-year students being more susceptible than first- or third-year students. Another issue in student burnout occurred when student research subjects were followed into their first professional practice. Students had high expectations for a gratifying, enjoyable career, but within the first 1–2 years, they did not believe that their schooling had sufficiently trained them for the challenges of professional practice. One large, recent study, however, indicated the trend may be changing.