Scotland: A new study by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research has found that female charity workers who supported vulnerable women both during and after the pandemic experienced severe psychological distress.
Researchers conducted 135 interviews with women across the UK who worked for community-based third sector organisations. These women provided services, support, and advocacy to women and girls who were facing homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty, or other forms of disadvantage.
The findings showed women working in these kinds of services experienced trauma, exhaustion, depression, and anxiety related to the nature of the work. These effects were compounded by heavy workloads and worries about job security and funding.
Co-author of the research, Prof. Michele Burman, University of Glasgow, stated that, “To respond to these increasing and multi-layered needs within the context of the pandemic, organisations had to significantly change the way they provided support by moving away from in-person contact by setting up telephone helplines, holding meetings online or even installing chatbots on their website.”
“All of this change at a time when many other existing networks and support fell away created a considerable emotional toll on those workers who were left to fill in the gaps,” Prof. Burman remarked.
“As the immediate risks of the pandemic receded, we saw the deepening cost of living crisis which once again disproportionately affected women, particularly those experiencing marginalization and social isolation,” Prof. Burman added.
The research offers nine recommendations in total some of which include increasing staff training and raising awareness of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in the workplace.
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