Wypalenie zawodowe księży katolickich – zarys problematyki
Professional burnout among Catholic priests in Poland – an outline of the problem

Summary/Abstract: Aim. The author raises the problem of professional burnout among Catholic priests, because the risk of it occurring in this professional group is still not spoken enough, and its causes, forms and effects are underestimated. Concept. First of all, the author reviews the American literature on professional burnout in general and in particular clergymen, and then supplements this with Polish research on burnout in caring professions. She notes that Polish research mainly concerns the support of professional groups, and that which discusses the problem among the clergy is rare. Therefore, the author presents a report based on her own pilot studies, conducted using the in-depth interview method. The interviewees were three priests from Poland. Results and conclusions. Based on these conversations, the author presents the most important reasons for burnout among the clergy — the multitude of duties with its accompanying stress, misunderstanding pf the environment, and a sense of loneliness and exclusion. Finally, she formulates suggestions for solutions on how to prevent burnout in this professional group. Cognitive value. This article presents the real possible causes of professional burnout among Catholic priests and a proposal to continue research to develop methods of psychological support for the clergy. The article may be an area of further research and consideration.

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