Clergy work-related psychological health, stress, and burnout: An introduction to this special issue of Mental Health, Religion and CultureLewis, Christopher Alan; Turton, Douglas W.; Francis, Leslie J.
doi: 10.1080/13674670601070541pmid: N/A
The purpose of this special issue of Mental Health, Religion and Culture was to provide a forum for examples of current research examining work-related psychological health, stress, and burnout among clergy. This collection, comprising six empirical articles and five book reviews, is drawn from researchers in Australia, the UK, and the US. Of the six empirical papers, three studies employed the Maslach Burnout Inventory among samples of clergy in Australia (Miner, 2007a, 2007b) and the US (Doolittle, 2007), while the remaining three studies employed a modified form of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Rutledge & Francis, 2004) especially adapted for use among clergy in the UK (Francis, Turton, & Louden, 2007; Randall, 2007; Turton & Francis, 2007). Consistent findings across all six studies indicated a high level of work-related burnout among the samples of clergy, irrespective of religious denomination or country. In combination, this work demonstrated the wide range of matters currently being investigated by researchers as well as the variety of methodologies being employed within the social scientific study of religion and related disciplines focused on clergy work-related psychological health, stress, and burnout.
Changes in burnout over the first 12 months in ministry: Links with stress and orientation to ministryMiner, Maureen H.
doi: 10.1080/13674670600841819pmid: N/A
Working in Christian ministry is stressful because it is focused on the intangible spirituality of people within a secularized society. Consequently, clergy are at risk of burnout. An internal orientation to the demands of ministry (where ministers depend on internal sources of authority and coping, such as spirituality and competence) is associated with low burnout in cross-sectional studies of ministers. However, little is known about stressors in early ministry and whether an internal ministry orientation is associated with burnout over the first year of ministry. Sixty graduating theological students completed demographic items, exploratory questions relating to the psychological effects of secularization, and measures of burnout, personality, and orientation to ministry. Most of these measures, together with ratings of stress and coping, were repeated after 12 months. Burnout increased over time in ministry, and ministers reported that ministry and relational issues were most stressful. Those with only a weakly internal orientation to ministry demands experienced higher levels of burnout on exit from theological college, and after 12 months. The results support a prediction from secularization theory, that the declining authority of ministers will have important consequences for their psychological health.
Burnout in the first year of ministry: Personality and belief style as important predictorsMiner, Maureen H.
doi: 10.1080/13694670500378017pmid: N/A
Although cross-sectional research has found that personality dimensions and religious styles are associated with distress and burnout in clergy, there is little longitudinal research that considers predictors of psychological health, particularly over the initial twelve months of ministry. The author's study measured demographic and personality characteristics, openness to change in beliefs, and orientation to the demands of ministry in 60 graduating theological students in Sydney, Australia. Twelve months later they completed measures of anxiety and depression and the subscales of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the best predictors of distress and burnout after twelve months in ministry. Neuroticism predicted emotional exhaustion, depression, and anxiety; extraversion predicted personal accomplishment; and openness to change of beliefs predicted emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. The power of openness to belief change as a predictor of burnout supports the inference from secularization theory, that some degree of self-integration is necessary to avoid burnout.
Burnout and coping among parish-based clergyDoolittle, Benjamin R.
doi: 10.1080/13674670600857591pmid: N/A
To investigate the correlation between burnout, coping strategies, and spiritual attitudes of religious leaders, parish-based United Methodist clergy were invited to complete a questionnaire booklet that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale, and validated coping scales. Of a total of 358 parish clergy, 222 (62%) completed the survey. Prevalence of high emotional exhaustion was 19%, high depersonalization 10%, and low personal accomplishment 11%. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that a higher spirituality score correlated with greater personal accomplishment, but also related to greater emotional exhaustion and greater depersonalization. Clergy were more likely to have greater emotional exhaustion and depersonalization if they employed coping strategies of venting, disengagement, and self-blame. Acceptance, active coping, planning and positive reframing were correlated with greater personal accomplishment, but less strongly with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. A higher spirituality score correlates with greater personal accomplishment but also greater emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Certain coping strategies, including acceptance, active coping, planning, and positive reframing may also protect against burnout. The implications of these relationships are discussed.
Examining the relationship between burnout and age among Anglican clergy in England and WalesRandall, Kelvin J.
doi: 10.1080/13674670601012303pmid: N/A
Previous research examining the links between age and burnout has found that there was a significant negative correlation between age and both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Two theories are often advanced to account for this: those who suffered from emotional exhaustion or depersonalization at a younger age may have left the job either on grounds of ill-health or to seek alternative employment; older workers may have learned how better to pace themselves in their work in order to minimize opportunities for burnout. The present study sought to evaluate these two theories. A sample of 340 Anglican clergy in England and Wales, who had all served one year in ordained ministry, completed a modified form of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, alongside a variety of socio-demographic questions, including age and years in ministry. The results show that it is chronological age, and not years in ministry, that is negatively correlated with the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales of burnout. It is concluded that in order to reduce the incidence of burnout among clergy, particular strategies need to be introduced for the care and support of younger clergy.
The relationship between attitude toward prayer and professional burnout among Anglican parochial clergy in England: Are praying clergy healthier clergy?Turton, Douglas W.; Francis, Leslie J.
doi: 10.1080/13674670601012246pmid: N/A
This study examines the theory that confidence in prayer is fundamental to maintaining a good level of work-related psychological health among Anglican parochial clergy and that low confidence in prayer is associated with professional burnout. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified form of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the short form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with a scale assessing clergy attitude toward prayer. The results indicated that a positive attitude toward prayer was associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion, lower levels of depersonalization, and higher levels of personal accomplishment. These findings are interpreted in light of a growing understanding of the psychological role of prayer in human functioning.