Celebrating Giving Souls: Beating Burnout
Taking responsibility for another person’s spiritual development,
beliefs and actions is a brave and challenging thing to do, but many clergy,
administrators and lay volunteers experience great stress as a result.
Spiritual providers suffer from depression at rates far higher than most Americans; in the past decade antidepressant use by clergy has increased while their life expectancy has decreased. Many clerics find themselves overwhelmed by the urgency of other people’s needs while neglecting their own, often resulting in absenteeism, increased physical and emotional distress, substance and alcohol abuse, and turnover, creating costly gaps in compassion and expertise.
One study by Duke University confirmed that compared with their neighbors in their census tracts, ministers reported significantly higher rates of asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and obesity. Many clergy admit that they would change careers if they could and one study by the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church noted a quadrupling in the number of people leaving the profession in their first five years of ministry compared to the 1970’s.
While serving as Co-Chair of Pastoral Care at Boston’s largest Episcopal church, HCEI founder R. Scott Boots experienced stress and as a result held the first-ever nationwide focus groups with caring people. HCEI's seminar “Celebrating Ourselves: Beating Burnout” was then developed and has been presented for thousands of persons internationally.
What has your organization, church or temple done to reduce compassion fatigue and build resilience? HCEI would like to collaborate.
Spiritual providers suffer from depression at rates far higher than most Americans; in the past decade antidepressant use by clergy has increased while their life expectancy has decreased. Many clerics find themselves overwhelmed by the urgency of other people’s needs while neglecting their own, often resulting in absenteeism, increased physical and emotional distress, substance and alcohol abuse, and turnover, creating costly gaps in compassion and expertise.
One study by Duke University confirmed that compared with their neighbors in their census tracts, ministers reported significantly higher rates of asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and obesity. Many clergy admit that they would change careers if they could and one study by the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church noted a quadrupling in the number of people leaving the profession in their first five years of ministry compared to the 1970’s.
While serving as Co-Chair of Pastoral Care at Boston’s largest Episcopal church, HCEI founder R. Scott Boots experienced stress and as a result held the first-ever nationwide focus groups with caring people. HCEI's seminar “Celebrating Ourselves: Beating Burnout” was then developed and has been presented for thousands of persons internationally.
What has your organization, church or temple done to reduce compassion fatigue and build resilience? HCEI would like to collaborate.
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"Wherever Scott goes, he carries with him his remarkable compassion and skills for leadership" HCEI Spirituality Collaborators Include:
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