Emotional Labor in Work with Patients and Clients: Effects and Recommendations for Recovery

This book describes psychosocial working conditions that negatively impact the mental and physical well-being of employees of various “assistance-related” professional groups, as well as individuals whose work is related to contact with demanding clients. It offers concepts and research on the causes and effects of emotional burden (most often manifested as stress and burnout) when working with patients, children, and clients. The book provides a detailed analysis of various aspects of emotional burden at work. It includes a description of studies carried out in 5 different professional groups that were exposed to emotional burden during emotional work and emotional labour. The book discusses the application of known and international diagnostic methods and provides an intercultural comparison. The current diagnosis of stress and burnout, as well as physical and mental health of individuals performing emotional work will be covered, as well as offering practical solutions on assistance for individuals based on the diagnosis of their health. This book is for any professional or aspiring professional in the field, including postgraduate students. Scientists and practitioners in the field of work and health psychology, management, occupational health and safety, and HR will find this book of interest. Employers of assistance and services sectors, authorities formulating employment laws, lawyers, and occupational medicine physicians are also among this book’s top audience.

About the Author

Dorota Żołnierczyk-Zreda, PhD, Head of Laboratory of Social Psychology, Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland, is a senior researcher in occupational health psychology. Her research is focused on psychosocial working conditions and mental health at work, its determinants and various methods to sustain it in different groups of workers (e.g. young, older) and different occupational groups. She has extensive experience in qualitative studies and quantitative studies as well as in policy research and monitoring studies. She is also involved in national and international projects investigating different stress manage-ment interventions on both the organizational and individual levels. She is the author or co-author of approximately 60 scientific publications, including articles, chapters in monographs and textbooks, and many speeches at scientific conferences nation-ally and abroad. She is a licensed cognitive-behavioral therapist.