Date of Conferral

9-9-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Social Work

Advisor

Virginia Smith

Abstract

Third-sector organizations (TSOs) face challenges providing effective evidence in reducing stress and burnout for human services professionals (HSPs) to remain in the field. Burnout is a social phenomenon that has received much attention in the helping professions for the past 50 years, due to the nature of the work that HSPs perform. Researchers have confirmed that HSPs are at critical risk of burnout, which affects not only their health and work performance, but also their delivery of service. Current literature lacks studies on what supports HSPs’ need in TSOs to reduce their stress and burnout to remain in the field. The purpose of this generic qualitative study, guided by Bakker and Demerouti’s job demand-resources model/theory and Percy et al.’s thematic analysis, was to explore the lived experiences of HSPs in TSOs of what supports them to reduce their stress and burnout as they perform their daily job duties. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 HSPs currently employed in TSOs to complete semistructured, 12-question interviews. Thematic coding analysis yielded six themes: (a) current employer supports are not sufficient; (b) employees need employer-provided resources that help reduce and prevent stress and burnout; (c) peer mentorship is a needed support for stress and burnout; (d) physical, mental, professional, and emotional/spiritual health supports are emphasized; (e) employees need work-life balance to reduce stress and burnout; and (f) employer accountability is important and essential to helping reduce burnout. The findings showed the challenges that HSPs faced in TSOs, suggesting that changes are needed that effectively support their well-being and reduce turnover. Positive social change could occur when such suggestions are considered.

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