title: Intensive OutPatient Therapy for Clergy Burnout: How Much Difference Can a Week Make?
abstract: A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental matched pairs design was used to assess the effectiveness of a week-long multi-therapist intensive outpatient intervention process with clergy suffering from depression and burnout. Participants (n = 23) in the "Clergy in Kairos" program of the Pastoral Institute (Muse in J Pastor Care Couns 61(3):183-195, 2007) constituted the experimental variable. Clergy surveyed from United Methodist and Presbyterian denominations (n = 121) provided a control group from which 23 respondents were selected whose pre-test scores in depression and burnout were statistically equivalent to those in the experimental group. The treatment group consisted of clergy from three denominations who self-selected (or in some cases were referred by denominational officials) into the program. At the outset, clergy in both groups reported equivalent levels of conflict, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and depression. At the 6-months follow-up, clergy in the experimental group showed significant improvement of depression, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization scores. By contrast, there was no change in the burnout and depression scores in the control group at 6-months post-test. Findings suggest the usefulness of a week-long multi-therapist intensive outpatient intervention in reducing burnout and depression.
authors: D.A. & Elizabeth Turner Ministry Resource Center, Pastoral Institute, Inc., 2022 15th Ave, Columbus, GA, 31901, USA. smuse@pilink.org.
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Muse
authors: Columbus State University Social Research Department, Columbus, GA, USA.
authors: Milton
authors: M
authors: Love
authors: Columbus State University Social Research Department, Columbus, GA, USA.
authors: Kyle
authors: K
authors: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010327:Pastoral Care; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Clergy burnout; Clergy stress; Compulsive citizenship