Pastoral Stress and Psychological Resilience among Catholic Priests in Ondo Diocese, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined pastoral stress and psychological resilience among Catholic priests in Ondo Diocese, Nigeria. The objectives were to explore the primary sources of pastoral stress, assess levels of psychological resilience, and determine the relationship between pastoral stress and psychological resilience among priests of Ondo Diocese, Nigeria respectively. The study was anchored on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping as well as Richardson’s Metatheory of Resilience and Resiliency theories. A correlational design was adopted, where 103 priests were selected using simple random sampling based on Yamane’s formula. Data was collected through adapted questionnaire using Google Form. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Pearson’s correlation were used for analysis. Findings revealed a moderate level of pastoral stress (M = 2.90, SD = 0.57) and a high level of psychological resilience (M = 4.50, SD = 0.40) among priests in Ondo Diocese. The relationship between pastoral stress and psychological resilience was negative but not statistically significant (r = −.164, p = .097). The study recommended that: Diocese of Ondo should ensure regular psychological evaluation of priests to determine their level of stress and administer appropriate remedy; that appropriate spiritual, social, economic and psychological support be rendered to priests to enhance their resilience; that institutions for priestly formation should educate their students on sources of stress and coping mechanisms to familiarize the priests and enable them cope with the daily demands of their pastoral roles. Future researchers should consider: longitudinal studies on stress and pattern of resilience among priests; comparative study on the lived pastoral experiences of priest in urban and rural areas.