Supervision Effects on Negative Affect and Psychological Distress: Evidence from Social Workers in China

Bin Tu, Chienchung Huang (), Sophie Sitar and Yulu Wang ()
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Bin Tu: Guangdong Research Center for NPO, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China
Chienchung Huang: School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Sophie Sitar: Law School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
Yulu Wang: School of Public Administration, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Supervision is an imperative practice within the social work field. It provides social workers with support systems, ensures that social workers are adhering to professional standards, and protects clients. Research has also shown that quality supervision can improve social workers’ professional capacity and reduce work stress. However, most of this research has been confined to social workers’ experiences within Western countries and has been largely qualitative in nature. Thus, this study aims to examine the experience of 489 social workers based in Guangzhou, China to understand how supervision affects their negative affect and psychological distress. The findings indicate that supervision not only reduces negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers, but also is especially effective for social workers with high job demands. When job demands are high, social workers who receive both individual and group supervision also appear to have lower negative affect and psychological distress as compared to social workers who only receive individual supervision. These findings emphasize the significance of supervision as a buffer factor to reduce negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers who face high job demands.

Keywords: China; job demands; negative affect; psychological distress; social workers; supervision (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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