Mindfulness Practice and Burnout: Evidence From Chinese Social Workers

Social media utilization, mindfulness practice, and psychological distress of nonprofit workers in China: mediation effects of positive and negative affect

Introduction

In the contemporary landscape, the intersection of technology and human behavior has given rise to transformative trends, prominently featuring the emergence of social media. Nevertheless, studies show that adults who heavily depend on these platforms may affect their psychological distress. Conversely, a growing body of research indicates that engaging in mindfulness practices can regulate emotional reactions and contribute to enhanced mental health, resulting in a reduction of psychological distress.

Methods

In this investigation, a cross-sectional survey involving 318 adult nonprofit employees in China was conducted to explore the impact of social media utilization and mindfulness practice on psychological distress. The study specifically aimed to examine whether positive and negative affect mediate the relationships between these variables. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to analyze both the direct and indirect effects of social media utilization and mindfulness practice on psychological distress through positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA).

Results

Social media utilization positively influenced positive affect (PA) (β = 0.15, p < 0.01) but showed no significant impact on negative affect (NA). Mindfulness practice displayed a positive effect on PA (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) and a negative effect on NA (β = -0.10, p < 0.10). PA exhibited a negative effect on psychological distress (β = -0.12, p < 0.01), whereas NA had a positive effect on psychological distress (β = 0.75, p < 0.001). The total effect of mindfulness practice on psychological distress was -0.11 (p < 0.01), while social media utilization did not have a significant effect on distress.

Discussions

The results indicated that participating in mindfulness practice boosts PA and simultaneously diminishes NA and psychological distress. Despite social media utilization being linked to heightened PA, it did not demonstrate significant effects in mitigating NA or psychological distress. This study underscores the significance of advocating for mindfulness practice as a public health strategy to alleviate NA and psychological distress, while also fostering PA among adults in China.

How Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice Impacts Burnout: A Sequential Mediation Model

PURPOSE

With the rapid development of China's social work sector, the increasing job pressures, and risks of professional burnout among social workers have become more prevalent. This study examined the relationship between Chinese social workers' attitudes toward evidence-based practice (EBP) and burnout, exploring the mediating mechanisms of evidence-based knowledge (EBK) and service quality perception (SQP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We applied PROCESS 4.2 macro in SPSS to analyze the data from 5,931 social workers, testing the sequential mediation effects of EBK and SQP between their attitudes toward EBP and burnout.

RESULTS

The findings revealed: (1) Attitudes toward EBP had significant indirect positive effects on burnout; (2) EBK partially mediated the relationship between EBP attitude and burnout; (3) SQP partially mediated the relationship between attitudes toward EBP and burnout; (4) Attitudes toward EBP had a sequential mediated effect on burnout through EBK and SQP.

DISCUSSION

The findings emphasize the need to implement targeted interventions and training programs to foster positive attitudes toward EBP, promote continuous professional development, and provide access to EBP resources. Moreover, nurturing EBK and SQP could help alleviate burnout by improving social workers' ability to address client issues and enhance their sense of confidence and accomplishment.

CONCLUSION

This study fills a research gap by providing empirical evidence on the negative correlation between Chinese social workers' attitudes toward EBP and burnout, while demonstrating the mediating roles of EBK and SQP.

Mindfulness Practice and Job Performance in Social Workers: Mediation Effect of Work Engagement

Despite a rapid increase in the work force over the last decade, the social work labor force is still suffering through high amounts of stress and burnout that could negatively affect work engagement and job performance in China. A potential solution worth exploring, however, is the practice of mindfulness, a concept based on expanding one's awareness to target focus without judgement. Using 537 social workers from street-level social work service stations in Guangzhou, China, this paper examines the relation between mindfulness practice and job performance, and whether work engagement mediated the relation through the application of the job demand and resources theory. The findings indicate that that mindfulness practice directly increases work engagement (Beta = 0.33) and has an indirect effect on job performance (Beta = 0.21) through its effect on work engagement that fully mediated the relation between mindfulness practice and job performance. In contrast to formal mindful practices (Beta = 0.13), informal mindful practices (Beta = 0.22) encompass a broader impact on employee performance. The findings suggest that mindfulness practice can effectively be used in workspaces to enhance engagement and performance of social workers in China.