The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

  • Received 18.12.2025,
  • Revised 10.05.2026,
  • Accepted 12.06.2026
  • Published 24.06.2026
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Vol. 21, No. 3, 2026
  • emotional exhaustion; depersonalisation; reduced personal accomplishment; stress resilience; optimism; activity; wartime stress
  • https://doi.org/10.33099/2617-6858-26-21-3-23-31
  • Pages 23-31

The relevance of this study is determined by the increasing psycho-emotional burden, the prolonged impact of wartime stressors, and the depletion of the psychological resources of social workers. The aim of the study was to identify the psychological characteristics of professional burnout among social workers and to analyse its relationship with stress resilience, optimism, and individual activity. The study involved 48 social workers (healthcare and social workers employed at social service centres). To collect empirical data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a stress resilience test, and the methodology “Determination of Psychological Types According to the Level of Optimism and Personal Activity (Energy)” were employed. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation analysis. The findings revealed a predominance of a moderate level of professional burnout across all its components. Depersonalisation emerged as the most pronounced component, indicating a tendency towards emotional distancing as a means of psychological adaptation to occupational stress. The majority of respondents demonstrated a moderate level of stress resilience (75%), suggesting the presence of adaptive resources; however, these resources were insufficient for effectively coping with prolonged stress. The predominance of the psychological type classified as “realists” (41.67%) and the relatively low proportion of “active optimists” (14.58%) indicate limitations in resource-based strategies for coping with occupational stress. Correlation analysis identified statistically significant negative relationships between optimism and emotional exhaustion (rs = -0.482; p ≤ 0.001) and depersonalisation (rs = -0.538; p ≤ 0.001), as well as between activity and emotional exhaustion (rs = -0.504; p ≤ 0.001). At the same time, positive relationships were found between optimism, activity, and indicators of personal accomplishment (rs = 0.552; p ≤ 0.001 and rs = 0.473; p ≤ 0.001, respectively). The results confirmed the important role of personal resources in reducing the risk of professional burnout and maintaining the professional effectiveness of social workers. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the findings to develop psychological prevention programmes aimed at enhancing stress resilience, optimism, emotional self-regulation, and the psychological well-being of social workers under martial law

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