Reframing emotional labor: A mixed-methods study of animal health technologists

Abstract

Similar to other health care workers, animal health technologists (AHTs) face emotionally demanding expectations nursing patients and supporting family members. We explore how AHTs experience emotional labor and whether they cope by reframing their work as meaningful and valuable. This study uses a two-phase, exploratory mixed-methods design with data from 12 online interviews and 292 online questionnaires from AHTs. The results show that the emotional labor of caring for clients and conflict with coworkers is associated with greater depression and reframing work as satisfying reduces depression. We discuss how reframing can be an effective coping strategy to improve mental health.

Keywords:

• Dirty work
• care workers
• job stress
• coping
• mental health

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a research grant from Alberta Association of Animal Health Technologists. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alberta Association of Animal Health Technologists.