The impact of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion of social workers: a test of the mediating effect of perceived job demands

Introduction Social work has entered a critical period of high-quality development. As the main force participating in social governance and providing professional services, social workers directly affect the effectiveness of social governance. However, the emotional demands inherent in their work make them vulnerable to emotional exhaustion. Drawing on the theoretical perspective of emotional labor, this study explores the association between social workers’ emotional labor and emotional exhaus