Abstract:  This study examines the psychological well‐being of social workers in Portugal and the emotional, ethical, and institutional dynamics that shape their professional practice within contexts of vulnerability. Drawing on an integrated mixed‐methods design, the research combines a nationwide survey (𝑁 = 1389) using the World Health Organization Well‐Being Index (WHO‐5) with thirteen in‐depth semi‐structured interviews analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Quantitative findings show that most professionals report adequate well‐being, but 26.3% present low scores, mainly associated with fatigue, reduced energy, and limited rest. Qualitative results deepen this picture, highlighting six interrelated themes: mutual vulnerability in caring relationships, emotional labour and psychosocial strain, institutional barriers to ethical practice, tensions between ideal and real conditions of care, strategies for sustaining professional resilience, professional recognition and collective mobilisation. Participants describe profound emotional resonance with service users, experiences of burnout, and a chronic sense of powerlessness stemming from structural inequalities, resource scarcity, fragmented services, and low professional recognition. Care emerges as relational and ethically demanding, yet structurally constrained. The study argues that workers’ well‐being is inseparable from organisational cultures and socio‐political conditions. Individual coping strategies mitigate strain but cannot compensate for systemic shortcomings. Fostering compassionate institutional ecosystems is therefore an ethical and political imperative.

Keywords:  collective well‐being; compassionate futures; social work; social workers

Published:   1 July 2026

Issue:   Vol 14 (2026): Compassionate Futures for Collective Well-Being (In Progress)