Psychosocial working conditions, burnout, and work engagement among social workers in Germany: a cross-sectional COPSOQ III study with occupational group comparisons

International research indicates that social workers are at risk of burnout. Based on the Job Demands-Resources model, this cross-sectional study examined how job demands and resources relate to strain and motivational outcomes among German social workers (N = 666), using the German COPSOQ III. Data were compared with reference values from the COPSOQ database. Multivariate analyses revealed that work privacy conflicts (β = .36; p < .001), hiding emotions (β = .14; p = .001), dissolution (β = .13; p = .002), emotional demands (β = .11; p = .009), and poor work environment/physical conditions (β = .09; p = .026) significantly predicted burnout symptoms. Conversely, commitment to workplace significantly predicted work engagement (β = .37; p < .001). Social workers reported higher emotional demands (d = 1.24; p < .001) and burnout symptoms (d = 0.54; p < .001) than other occupations, yet also higher job resources, such as influence at work (d = 0.56; p < .001) and possibilities for development (d = 0.47; p < .001). Findings highlight the complex interplay between demands and resources, underscoring the need for targeted organisational interventions to reduce burnout risk in social work.