Spirituality of professional pastoral caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic: distress, resources, and consequences
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on mental health in general and on care professionals in particular. Studies have shown that professional pastoral caregivers are challenged concerning stabilizing their mental health and coping with stress experiences. Spirituality, on the other hand...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| WorldCat: | WorldCat |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2023
|
| In: |
Journal of empirical theology
Year: 2023, Volume: 35, Issue: 2, Pages: 139-159 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Germany
/ COVID-19 (Disease)
/ Pastor
/ Church work
/ Spiritual care
/ Spirituality
/ Misery
|
| IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBB German language area NCH Medical ethics RB Church office; congregation RG Pastoral care ZD Psychology |
| Further subjects: | B
Spiritual coping
B Pastoral Care B Spiritual dryness B Health B Spiritual care B Distress B Spiritual Experience |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on mental health in general and on care professionals in particular. Studies have shown that professional pastoral caregivers are challenged concerning stabilizing their mental health and coping with stress experiences. Spirituality, on the other hand, has been considered as a helpful coping resource. This study examines professional pastoral caregivers in various contexts of hospitals, congregations, old people’s homes or schools during the second lockdown in Germany. Results show the importance of spirituality as a resource, with an overall high centrality of religiosity, high daily spiritual experience and low spiritual dryness, but also reveal various stress factors with which pastoral caregivers have to deal. However, associations between work-related distress, spiritual dryness, centrality of religiosity and spiritual experience are displayed and discussed. Spiritual dryness correlates positively with work-related distress, whereas daily spiritual experience and centrality of religiosity correlates negatively. Possibilities of further support for those offering pastoral care during the pandemic and beyond are presented. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | 21 |
| ISSN: | 1570-9256 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of empirical theology
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20221433 |
