A Quantitative Analysis of Grit and Burnout Among Social Workers Well-Being

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (EdD)

Committee Chair

Kelly Renner

Committee Member

Usha Palaniswamy

Committee Member

Michelle Geiman

Abstract

Burnout among social workers continues to be a concern, worsened by job demands and emotional stressors. Grit is the passion and persistence toward long-term goals and has been identified as a possible protective factor against burnout. The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between burnout, grit, and well-being among licensed social workers in the United States.

Using a quantitative correlational cross-sectional design, data was collected from 355 licensed social workers utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), the Grit Scale, and the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The study addressed three research questions:

What is the relationship between grit and burnout among social workers?

How do social workers’ burnout symptoms and level of grit impact their overall well being?

Are social workers with high levels of grit less likely to experience burnout?

Statistical analyses included simple linear regression, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and Fisher’s Least Significant Difference were conducted to evaluate the relationship between burnout, grit, and well-being.

Findings revealed a significant inverse relationship between grit and burnout, suggesting that social workers with grit report lower levels within the burnout subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Grit was found to increase well-being, suggesting organizations should promote resilience and job satisfaction.

Results from the study indicated the need for organizations to develop interventions to increase resilience, decrease burnout, and improve overall job satisfaction in the social work field. These findings could assist in creating policies and training to promote balanced careers in social work.

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