Work-life balance and life satisfaction: perceptions of professionals who support victims of interpersonal violence

Specifically in Portugal, according to APAV, in 2019, 54,403 attendances were reported, where it was possible to identify 29,816 crimes and other forms of violence in which 95.8% of these were against people. Given these data, the main victim support institutions have strengthened their intervention to meet the needs of victims comprising different types of support. Professionals specialized in various areas of action are faced with extreme cases and are placed before unique challenges, which may trigger situations with influence on their physical and emotional health. These individuals feel that their lives are increasingly overloaded with professional and personal responsibilities. Although the challenges faced by professionals who support victims of interpersonal violence are well known, in Portugal little is known in academic terms about this population. As such, the main purpose of this study is to analyze the ability/strategy of these professionals to reconcile their work with their personal life, and to identify their perception of satisfaction with their own life. The study uses the qualitative method, with ten semistructured individual interviews. The data was analyzed and processed with the help of NVivo 12, with emphasis on open coding. The results indicate that although the participants perceive a high perception of work-life conflict, they also experience a high overall satisfaction with life. Finally, as practical implications of this study, it is suggested the adoption of good work-life balance practices.