Psychological Well-Being and Work Engagement among Italian Social Workers: Examining the Mediational Role of Job Resources

The work-related well-being of social workers has become a central concern in international psychosocial literature. The majority of studies have focused on the negative outcomes of social work (for example, work-related stress, burnout, job dissatisfaction) and only a few studies have considered the positive work-related health outcomes. In an attempt to address this gap, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of both psychological well-being (PWB)—from a eudaimonic paradigm (that is, person's optimal functioning)—and job resources in promoting social workers’ work engagement (WE). Following the job demands-resources model and the conservation of resources theory, authors hypothesized that job resources mediate the relationship between PWB and WE. The study sample was composed of 140 social workers provided with a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Structural equation models and mediational analyses were applied and confirmed that job resources fully mediate the association between PWB and WE. PWB acts as a personal resource that endorses perception, identification, and even promotion of job resources. Job resources, in turn, were associated with WE. The article concludes with proposals of systemic interventions aiming at improving social workers’ work-related health.