Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions

Publication ,  Journal Article
Adams, CJ; Hough, H; Proeschold-Bell, RJ; Yao, J; Kolkin, M
Published in: Pastoral Psychology
April 1, 2017

Clergy experience a large number of stressors in their work, including role overload and emotional labor. Although studies have found high rates of depression in clergy, the degree of work-related burnout in clergy compared to other occupations is unknown. The widely used Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) measures three aspects of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. We sought studies using comparable versions of the MBI for clergy; for social workers, counselors, and teachers because of those occupations’ emotional intensity and labor; and for police and emergency personnel because of the unpredictability and stress-related physiological arousal in those occupations. We found a total of 84 studies and compared the ranges of burnout scores between the studies of clergy, each additional occupation, and MBI published mean norms. Compared to U.S. norms, clergy exhibited moderate rates of burnout. Across the three kinds of burnout, clergy scores were relatively better than those of police and emergency personnel, similar to those of social workers and teachers, and worse than those of counselors. Clergy may benefit from burnout prevention strategies used by counselors. The moderate levels of burnout found for clergy, despite the numerous stressors associated with their occupation, suggest that clergy generally cope well and may be models to study. Overall, there is room for improvement in burnout for all professions, especially police and emergency personnel. It is important to remember the variation within any profession, including clergy, and prevent and address burnout for those in need.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Pastoral Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1573-6679

ISSN

0031-2789

Publication Date

April 1, 2017

Volume

66

Issue

2

Start / End Page

147 / 175

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Adams, C. J., Hough, H., Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Yao, J., & Kolkin, M. (2017). Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions. Pastoral Psychology, 66(2), 147–175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4
Adams, C. J., H. Hough, R. J. Proeschold-Bell, J. Yao, and M. Kolkin. “Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions.” Pastoral Psychology 66, no. 2 (April 1, 2017): 147–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4.
Adams CJ, Hough H, Proeschold-Bell RJ, Yao J, Kolkin M. Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions. Pastoral Psychology. 2017 Apr 1;66(2):147–75.
Adams, C. J., et al. “Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions.” Pastoral Psychology, vol. 66, no. 2, Apr. 2017, pp. 147–75. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4.
Adams CJ, Hough H, Proeschold-Bell RJ, Yao J, Kolkin M. Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping Professions. Pastoral Psychology. 2017 Apr 1;66(2):147–175.
Journal cover image

Published In

Pastoral Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1573-6679

ISSN

0031-2789

Publication Date

April 1, 2017

Volume

66

Issue

2

Start / End Page

147 / 175

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 1701 Psychology