Abstract

The issue of physical and mental health is an important aim of research around, especially in the time of huge demands and challenges in the workplace. One of the ideas focusing on the good functioning of the unit, despite stressful conditions or demands is resilience conception (Garmezy, 2006; Rutter, 1987; Werner, 1994, 2000). This contributes to the search for individual characteristics that increase probability to overcome stress and coping with.

The research problem concerns personal determinants of professional burnout among social workers.

The aim was to establish: do the special types of personality exist among social workers, which of them impersonate the highest level of burnout and which styles of coping with stress are used by samples with high and low level of professional burnout? The study involved 296 polish social workers employed in municipal centers of social assistance. The methods were: Cattell's 16 Personality Questionnaire (16 PF-5), Questionnaire of Coping with Stressful Situations (CISS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

The results indicate, there are four types of personality among social workers, with different levels of burnout, including the highest: type – logical but very unstable emotionally tense, vigilant and fearful, inflexible, conservative, and type of the lowest level of burnout: logical, serious, calm, careful and conventional. Type of the highest level of burnout prefers style of coping with stress concentrated on emotions and avoiding but type of the lowest burnout – style concentrated on the task.

Key words: professional burnout, types of personality, coping with stress, social worker

Introduction

The issue of physical and mental health is an important aim of research around the world, especially in the time of huge demands and challenges in the workplace. Health research concern both attempts to understand and reduce the risk factors and strengthening personal resources to cope with stress. One of the ideas focusing on the good functioning of the person, despite difficult and stressful living conditions or demands is resilience conception (Garmezy, 2006; Rutter, 1987; Werner, 1994, 2000). Literally resilience means: flexibility, elasticity, resistance or regeneration. It can be understood as a positive or protective process, which reduces the inappropriateness of the person exposed to stressors, so that the retains a relatively good mental health. It considers the interactions and protection factors.