Arbetsrelaterad stress bland socialsekreterare : En kvalitativ studie om socialsekreterarnas upplevelse av stress samt hantering av den.

The purpose of our study is to examine whether stress among social workers is present, and if so, what strategies they and their supervisors use to manage work-related stress. The study is based on a qualitative method. The data consist of interviews, with six social workers and three supervisors. The study’s theoretical framework is based on KASAM, SOC-sense of coherence by Antonovsky, demand- control- support model by Karasek & Theorell, stress theory by Hans Selye and coping strategies by Lazarus. The result of our study indicates that stress is present among social workers. The common stress symptoms are gastritis, difficulty concentrating and sleeping problems. The main factors that cause work- related stress are found to be workload, work environment, involuntary break, and responsibility. The study shows that stress is not constant and it is manageable thanks to coping strategies that the social workers and their supervisors use. Coping strategies that contribute to the reduction of stress are a supportive chief, social support, reasonable requests, clear leadership and functioning family. Social support and support from their supervisors is the most frequently mentioned copying strategies. Our result indicates that creating a supportive work environment is very important for the well-being of social workers.