TO HELP CARRY THE BURDENS THAT OTHERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH : A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF WORKING WITH INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ON SOCIAL WORKERS' HEALTH

The aim of the study was to examine how health is affected among social workers who work with domestic abuse. We also wanted to gain knowledge about how they identify different risks and warning signs as well as which protective factors and strategies they see as important for managing the emotions and experiences that risk contributing to illness as a result of their work. This is to become sustainable both in the profession and as people. The method used was a qualitative interview study where 7 respondents were interviewed and a thematic analysis was used to obtain the results of the study. The result showed that the biggest challenge for the social worker is not just listening to the clients' vulnerability and their trauma stories. It is also the organizational framework, the high workload and the feeling of inadequacy that, together with the emotional burden, contribute to a negative impact on the social worker's health. One respondent has previously been on sick leave as a result of working with intimate partner violence. At present, there is some impact on the respondents’ well-being, but nothing that has contributed to significant illness.The results also showed that the respondents' warning signs were often associated with both physical and emotional effects such as difficulty sleeping, fatigue and headaches, mood swings, compassion fatigue and feelings of inadequacy and concern. Furthermore, a lack of energy in leisure time led to a lack of physical activity and a negative impact on close relationships. The most important protective factors and strategies against negative health effects identified in the results were: peer support, supervision, feeling competent and finding acceptance in the professional role, varied work tasks, setting boundaries towards clients and between work and personal life and finally self-care in the form of doing what the individual finds relaxing and enjoyable. The conclusion is that reduced workload creates conditions for reflection and recovery among social workers who work with domestic abuse. This in turn contributes to sustainability both in the profession and as a person throughout life.