Spirituality and Prayer on Teacher Stress and Burnout in an Italian Cohort: A Pilot, Before-After Controlled Study

Abstract

Introduction: Teaching is a stressful profession that exposes workers to the risk of burnout. Techniques involving higher mental functions, such as transcendental meditation and prayer, have been used in stress and burnout prevention programs. In this study, we report the results of an experience conducted in a group of teachers of a religious institute, in which prayer was used as a technique to prevent burnout. Methods: Fifty teachers and support staff employed at a Catholic school of a Congregation of nuns volunteered for this study. They were randomized into two groups: prayer treatment (n = 25) or control group (n = 25). The treatment protocol was based on the combination of individual Christian prayer and a focus group of prayer-reflection. The participants received two 30 min training sessions a week over 2 months. Job satisfaction, well-being, and burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization sub-scales) were measured at baseline and at followup (4 months) with the Italian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory validated for teaching and education sector, the General Health Questionnaire, and the Warr, Cook, and Wall's Job Satisfaction Scale. Results: At follow-up, a significant improvement of all outcome measures was observed. Emotional exhaustion (16.80-4.92, p < 0.001), depersonalization (3.72-0.60, p < 0.001) levels, and psychological impairment (10.08-2.04, p < 0.001) were significantly decreased, and job satisfaction (45.96-77.00, p < 0.001) was increased. The effect sizes (Glass') of the therapeutic interventions ranged from 0.53 (satisfaction level) to 2.87 (psychological health), suggesting moderate to large effects. Discussion: Prayer could be effective, no less than meditation and other spiritual or mind-body techniques, in contrasting the negative effects of occupational stress and preventing burnout among teachers and possibly other human service professionals.

Mental Health and Religiosity in the Sardinian Blue Zone: Life Satisfaction and Optimism for Aging Well

“…Concerning this, numerous studies highlighted the effectiveness of spirituality and religious activity as a coping strategy for the empowerment of mental health (e.g., life satisfaction, happiness, optimism) and the management of stress-related events across the adult life span (e.g., Chirico, 2017;Frankel & Hewitt, 1994;Lawler-Row & Elliott, 2009). There is evidence that interventions based on the use of meditational techniques and prayer can be very effective in reducing emotional exhaustion and enhancing mental health (e.g., reducing depressive symptoms, anxiety) in adults (Chirico et al, 2020), especially in older individuals who have to deal with different types of stressful events (e.g., loss of relatives, occurrence of chronic diseases) threatening their mental health. In this regard, spirituality-based interventions are effective in reducing depression and anxiety and empowering optimism among older individuals (Rajagopal et al, 2002), even among those exhibiting cardiovascular diseases (Ai et al, 2002).…”

Prolonged Stress Causes Depression in Frontline Workers Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in a COVID-19 Hub-Hospital in Central Italy

“…Our research revealed that lack of time for meditation was strongly associated with stress. It is well known that meditation can significantly increase workers’ resilience [ 52 ], and meditative prayer has been used to prevent burnout in workers [ 53 ]. Mindfulness techniques have been used to support HCWs struggling with COVID-19 [ 54 ].…”

Prolonged Stress Causes Depression in Frontline Workers Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our research revealed that lack of time for meditation was strongly associated with stress. It is well known that meditation can significantly increase workers' resilience [29] and meditative prayer has been used to prevent burnout in workers [30]. Mindfulness techniques have been used to support HCWs struggling with COVID-19 [31].…”