Draru Mary Cecilia, Lopatofsky Tara, Karimi Kevin, Gautier Mary L
African Sisters Education Collaborative, Emmanuel Hall, 2300 Adams Ave., 18509 PA Scranton, United States.
Rev Relig Res. 2022;64(2):325-342. doi: 10.1007/s13644-022-00488-z. Epub 2022 Apr 7.
The African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) operates education programs for women religious in ten countries of Africa south of the Sahara. As ASEC prioritizes strong relationships with partner institutions, understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these stakeholders is central to providing effective interventions that will ensure continuation of its programs.
The purpose of this study was to obtain an organizational understanding of stakeholders' ministry/work stress and coping mechanisms during the initial phase of the pandemic. ASEC surveyed its more than 3,500 stakeholders to assess their ministry/work stress, sources of emotional well-being, and coping skills during the early months of the pandemic. The study was designed to provide information to help ASEC initiate a proactive response to the pandemic at an organizational level.
ASEC prepared a brief online survey that was distributed from late April through mid-May 2020. Scales to measure emotional well-being, coping skills, ministry/work stress, and sources of pandemic support were researcher-designed. Lockdown status of the country at the time of the survey was used as a proxy measure of severity of the pandemic.
Religious sisters who have participated in ASEC's education programs experienced increased stress in their ministry/work settings, particularly in countries that were under lockdown at the time of the survey. Ministry/work stress was lessened by individual coping skills and sense of emotional well-being, as predicted by the balanced affect literature on ministry stress among religious workers. Working under lockdown, lower levels of ministry/work stress, and confidence in one's coping skills all positively impacted emotional well-being. In turn, emotional well-being was significantly related to greater coping skills, which was also impacted by lower levels of ministry/work stress and greater sources of pandemic support.
The pandemic has negatively impacted the ministries and work settings of these stakeholders, which has influenced their personal emotional well-being as well as their assessment of their coping skills. Positive attitudes about their ability to cope and their emotional well-being reduced their levels of ministry/work stress.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13644-022-00488-z.
非洲姐妹教育协作组织（ASEC）在撒哈拉以南非洲的十个国家为女性宗教人员开展教育项目。由于ASEC将与合作伙伴机构建立牢固关系作为优先事项，了解新冠疫情对这些利益相关者的影响对于提供有效的干预措施以确保其项目的持续开展至关重要。
本研究的目的是从组织层面了解疫情初期利益相关者的神职工作/工作压力及应对机制。ASEC对其3500多名利益相关者进行了调查，以评估他们在疫情最初几个月的神职工作/工作压力、情感幸福来源及应对技能。该研究旨在提供信息，帮助ASEC在组织层面积极应对疫情。
ASEC编制了一份简短的在线调查问卷，于2020年4月下旬至5月中旬分发。用于测量情感幸福、应对技能、神职工作/工作压力及疫情支持来源的量表由研究人员设计。调查时各国的封锁状态被用作疫情严重程度的替代指标。
参与ASEC教育项目的宗教姐妹在其神职工作/工作环境中压力增加，尤其是在调查时处于封锁状态的国家。正如关于宗教工作者神职压力的平衡情感文献所预测的那样，个人应对技能和情感幸福感减轻了神职工作/工作压力。在封锁状态下工作、较低的神职工作/工作压力水平以及对自身应对技能的信心都对情感幸福感产生了积极影响。反过来，情感幸福感与更强的应对技能显著相关，而应对技能也受到较低的神职工作/工作压力水平和更多疫情支持来源的影响。
疫情对这些利益相关者的神职工作和工作环境产生了负面影响，这影响了他们的个人情感幸福感以及他们对自身应对技能的评估。对自身应对能力和情感幸福感的积极态度降低了他们的神职工作/工作压力水平。
在线版本包含可在10.1007/s13644-022-00488-z获取的补充材料。
