The role of self-care and self-compassion in burnout among Japanese social welfare professionals supporting formerly incarcerated individuals: a cross-sectional quantitative study

Purpose Supporting formerly incarcerated individuals represents a distinct and demanding task for social welfare professionals who typically work with nonoffending individuals. Some may even face mental health challenges while balancing legal constraints with their duty of care. The elevated rate of recidivism in Japan necessitates a meticulous evaluation of both formerly incarcerated individuals, and the psychological state of welfare professionals. This study aims to examine whether self-compassion and self-care predict burnout among welfare professionals and investigates the levels of these factors by comparing years of experience in supporting formerly incarcerated individuals and gender. Design/methodology/approach In a sample of 78 welfare service employees in Japan, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and the Mann–Whitney U test were used to test the study hypotheses. Findings Low levels of self-compassion and self-care practice may predict burnout. The overall results pattern indicated that male employees tended to ignore self-care and mindfulness, while female employees tended to practice better self-care, using workplace relationships as part of their approach. Excessive identification was more prevalent among male employees. No significant differences were found in any of the variables based on years of experience. Practical implications Prioritizing self-care to promote self-compassion may serve as a mitigating factor in the development of burnout. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to quantitatively investigate the psychological burden experienced by welfare professionals in the Japanese forensic field.