SPIRITUALITY AND PRAYER ON TEACHER STRESS AND BURNOUT

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
randomised into two groups: prayer treatment or control group. 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
depersonalisation sub-scales) were measured at baseline and at follow-up.