Who Meets the Emotional Support Needs of Home Healthcare Workers? Characterizing Help-Seeking Practices and Preferences in the Workplace

Home healthcare workers (HHCWs) experience high levels of occupational stress, yet their help-seeking practices and preferences for emotional support in the workplace are not well understood. This study was conducted in November and December 2021 at one large home care organization, using a cross-sectional web-based survey to report HHCWs' (n = 249; 118 personal support workers, 44 nurses, and 87 rehabilitation providers) current and preferred sources of emotional support at work and perceived barriers. All groups relied heavily on supervisors and expressed comfort sharing with their peers. Respondents reported reluctance to burden others with emotional sharing, not having enough time to seek or use resources, and a desire for more connection with leaders and peers. To meet the emotional support needs of this workforce, organizations can enhance training offered to key organizational leaders and leverage existing members of their workplace support network to provide stronger organization-based support, normalize help-seeking, and sustain a healthy workforce.