The Relationship Between Personality, Burnout, and Engagement Among the Indian Clergy

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions, burnout, and engagement among 511 Indian Catholic diocesan priests. We expected that Neuroticism would be positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with engagement. Moreover, we expected Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness to be negatively associated with burnout and positively associated with engagement. Hierarchical regression analyses largely confirmed these expectations. Results are discussed in the context of the broader literature on burnout and engagement, as well as the literature on priesthood.

Notes

¹Alwaye, Bangalore, Bellary, Chikmagalur, Chingelpet, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kottar, Kumbakonam, Madras-Mylapore, Mysore, Ootacamund, Palayamkottai, Pondicherry, Salem, Shimoga, Sivagangai, Thanjavur, Trichy, and Vizag.

²The Cronbach alphas mentioned in this section are based on the present study among the Indian Catholic priests.

³PCA–Principal Component Analysis

**p < .01.

*p ≤ .05.

**p ≤ .01.

***p ≤ .001.