Exploring Burnout and Emotional Intelligence in Hungarian Social Care Leaders: The Role of Job Demands and Resources
Kozák Anna
Mental Health Sciences Division
Dr. Bódizs Róbert
SE Gyógyszerészeti Intézet B ép. Zalai terem
2026-06-01 09:00:00
Interdiszciplináris társadalomtudományok
Dr. Pethesné Dávid Beáta
Dr. Albert Fruzsina és Dr. Szócska Miklós
Dr. Dobos Attila
Dr. Csordás Georgina
Dr. Zelkó Romána
Dr. Tóth Zoltán
Dr. Frankó Luca
Burnout among social care leaders is a significant challenge due to the emotional and quantitative demands of their roles. Within the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, this study examines the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on burnout, focusing on its indirect influence through workplace psychosocial resources – specifically, a sense of community and mutual trust. It also examines whether EI moderates the relationship between job demands (emotional and quantitative) and burnout among Hungarian social care leaders. The study analysed three EI dimensions: self-awareness (understanding one’s own emotions), social awareness (understanding others’ emotions), and positive emotional appraisal (maintaining an optimistic interpretation of emotions). It assessed whether workplace resources mediate the relationship between EI and burnout, and whether EI buffers the impact of job demands on well-being. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 667 Hungarian social care leaders, resulting in a final sample of 471 respondents. Measures included the Assessing Emotions Scale (EI dimensions) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (burnout and workplace factors). Analyses involved descriptive statistics, correlations, mediation models testing each EI component with the resources as mediators, and moderation analyses on the job demands-burnout relationship. Results showed EI reduces burnout indirectly by fostering a workplace environment rich in community and trust. Direct effects of EI on burnout were weak or non-significant, highlighting the mediating role of psychosocial resources. EI-Self buffered moderate emotional demands, but this effect disappeared or reversed at very high emotional demands, likely due to emotional overload. None of the EI dimensions moderated the impact of quantitative demands, suggesting systemic workload issues require organisational solutions. In summary, EI contributes to reducing burnout primarily by enabling leaders to build psychosocial resources, such as trust and community. Thus, EI training focused solely on emotional skills may be insufficient. In the context of the Hungarian social care system, where financial compensation and societal recognition are often limited, fostering a positive and supportive workplace atmosphere becomes especially crucial. Effective interventions should integrate EI development with organisational strategies that nurture supportive workplace cultures. Such combined approaches can enhance leader resilience, reduce burnout and promote workforce well-being in demanding social care settings.
