OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONALS IN absttract

Social work professionals in health settings play a vital role in psychosocial support, discharge planning, financial assistance, and rehabilitation. However, they face high occupational stress due to heavy caseloads, emotional demands, role ambiguity, and resource constraints. This cross sectional study assessed and compared occupational stress levels among 50 Medical Social Workers (MSWs) and 50 Psychiatric Social Workers (PSWs) in North Indian government hospitals using the Occupational Stress Index (OSI) by Srivastava and Singh (1984) and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). The study examined relationships with burnout and coping strategies. Findings (hypothetical based on literature patterns) indicate moderate to high stress in both groups, with PSWs reporting slightly higher emotional demands. Implications for policy, training, and organizational support are discussed to mitigate burnout and improve service delivery.