Drawing from an analytical framework combining psychological and sociological perspectives, this article presents the organizational factors involved in the phenomenon of emotional difficulties (N= 19) identified by 31 social service workers working in child protection services in Quebec. The qualitative study provides a better understanding of the psychosocial dimensions of labour involved in the deterioration of health, studied by psychological and psychiatric models (burn-out, compassion fatigue or secondary traumatization, vicarious traumatization, work stress). It also highlights the institution’s collective responsibility in regard to the phenomenon of emotional difficulties, thus going far beyond the individual responsibility of the workers.