From Burden to Leverage: How Digital Competence Empowers Service Quality Among Chinese Gerontological Social Workers

Population aging places sustained pressure on gerontological social workers to deliver high-quality services. Digitalization is reshaping practice and raising expectations for digital competence, yet empirical evidence on whether digital competence translates into better service quality remains limited. Using 2022 China Social Work Longitudinal Survey data from 2,317 gerontological social workers, we found a positive association between digital competence and service quality. Work engagement, role stress, and professional identity mediated this relationship. Workplace support strengthened digital competence's associations with role stress and professional identity. These findings highlight the importance of combining digital competence development with organizational support.