title: Do Self-efficacy Expectation and Spirituality Provide a Buffer Against Stress-Associated Impairment of Health? A Comprehensive Analysis of the German Pastoral Ministry Study.
abstract: We aimed to analyse stress perception, psychosomatic health and life satisfaction in pastoral professionals, paying particular attention to their individual and shared resources. Enrolling 8574 German pastoral professionals (48% priests, 22% parish expert workers, 18% pastoral assistants, 12% deacons), we found that pastoral professionals' stress perception is associated with psychosomatic health impairment. General self-efficacy was a beneficial resource to protect against stress perceptions, while perception of the transcendent had a further yet weakly positive influence for stress-related impairment of health. External stressors (i.e. team size, duration of work per week and size of pastoral unit) were only of marginal independent relevance.
authors: Munich School of Philosophy and Professorship of Spiritual Care, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors: Eckhard
authors: E
authors: Frick
authors: Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Institute for Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, 583313, Herdecke, Germany. arndt.buessing@uni-wh.de.
authors: Arndt
authors: A
authors: Büssing
authors: Caritas Science and Christian Social Work, Faculty of Theology, Albert-Ludwig University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Baumann
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Weig
authors: Pastoral Psychology and Sociology, Faculty of Theology Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010327:Pastoral Care; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D029181:Spirituality; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Catholic priests; Impairment of health; Life satisfaction; Pastoral workers; Stress perception