Response to COVID-19 in social welfare facilities and the psychological state of social workers in South Korea: The mediating role of satisfaction with government

Abstract

This paper investigated associations between COVID-19 responses in social welfare facilities and the psychological state of social workers together with the potential mediating role of satisfaction with the government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, following government guidelines, social workers have continued to provide social services to the vulnerable groups. However, no research has been conducted focusing on their psychological state. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. Data from 332 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Supplementary in-depth interviews were conducted with social workers. Analysis results show that higher levels of preventive measures against COVID-19 directly worsen levels of well-being, but this negative effect is offset by the satisfaction with the government (β = .383, p < .001). In social workers, satisfaction with the government fully mediates the influence of preventive measures toward reduced negative emotionality (β = -.288, p < .001). The implications of this study suggest that the government's active response to the social welfare sector is important to alleviate the negative psychological consequences of social workers.

Keywords: COVID‐19; South Korea; psychological state; satisfaction with the government; social welfare; social worker.