Work stress and well-being : a longitudinal study of the job demands-resources model in Australian Clergy

Abstract

Background: Work stress and well-being continue to be a major concern warranting research and intervention. The Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model has been supported as a model of clergy well-being in Australian Salvation Army clergy by Cotton (2006). This research aims to examine the JDR model among clergy in other denominations, with general and occupation-specific demands and job (and personal) resources. In addition to other health and work outcomes, work-related depression was investigated. This research also sought to contribute to job redesign through an evaluation of a pilot work stress intervention focussed on individual job redesign. Method: A longitudinal web-based survey of 283 respondents at Time 1 and 64 of these respondents at Time 2 was conducted with NSW/ACT clergy in four denominations. The first survey measured job demands, burnout, health, depression, and resources, work engagement, self-rated performance and resignation intention. The second survey focussed on the health impairment pathway of the JDR model retaining job demands, burnout, health, and depression as well as resources from the first survey. Results: Time 1 The results at Time 1 provided cross-sectional support for the JDR model for clergy. The health impairment pathway, and the motivational enhancement pathway were supported. Job resources, particularly co-worker support buffered the effect of job demands on burnout, depression and health. Work home interference had a broader role than as a job demand, as it mediated the relationship between job demands and health, as well as the relationship between burnout and health. The relationship between depression and burnout was explored with cynicism particularly prominent in its relationship with the depression scale and mediation of the effect of job demands for this occupational sample. Results: Time 2 The longitudinal results showed correlational evidence for the hypotheses of the health impairment pathway for depression, and some support for the buffering of the effect of job demands on depression by job resources from Time 1 to Time 2. However, despite these findings analysis of the JDR model through structural equation modelling and ordinal logistic regression did not find evidence to support the health impairment pathway and associated hypotheses of the JDR model longitudinally. Conclusion The JDR model provides a valuable way of understanding clergy well-being, as this research found support across several denominations for both pathways as well as some support for the buffering by resources of the effect of demands on burnout, depression and health. The inclusion of clergy-specific demands and resources improved the applicability of the model. There was cross-sectional support for the application of the JDR model in work-related depression. Research recommendations include longitudinal research of the role of work home interference, use of all burnout scales in research on depression, further consideration of the match hypotheses, and use of collaborative research approaches with denominations. Limitations A major limitation of this research is the small number of respondents at Time 2 that reduced the capacity to undertake effective longitudinal analysis. The response rate was also low which impacts on the capacity to make research and practical recommendations.