Investigating the Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Resilience of Health Workers in Shazand City

Health workers (Behvarz), as the frontline providers of health care services, are facing challenges in their profession that can cause emotional tension and disruption in the way of providing their wide range of services. To improve their resilience, it is necessary to know the factors related to it. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between perceived social support and resilience of health workers (Behvarz) in Shazand City.

This descriptive-correlational study that was conducted in the health and treatment network of Shazand City of Iran in 2023. 147 Health workers (Behvarz) who met the inclusion criteria were selected by convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Demographic Information form, Zimet perceived social support questionnaire, and the Connor-Davidson resilience questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software with 0.05 significance level.

The average score of perceived social support of health workers (Behvarz) was 46.27±8.15. None of the demographic characteristics had a statistically significant relationship with perceived social support. Their average resilience score is also 62.75±14.94 and was higher in participants with a second job (p=0.004). Perceived social support with resilience (p<0.001) had a statistically significant positive correlation. With the increase of perceived social support, resilience and its subscales also increased. Also, the total resilience score has the highest correlation respectively with social support received from significant others (r=0.376, p=0.001), family (r=0.237, p=0.004), and friends (r=0.213, p=0.011).

This study revealed that health workers (Behvarz) perceive a moderate degree of social support and resilience. Resilience also rises with increased support from family, friends, and significant others. Therefore, by strengthening the effective components of social support in health workers, it is possible to increase their resilience in diverse and challenging working conditions and, as a result, the quality of services provided by them.