In this study, we examine the role of spiritual struggles among clergy, in the form of “divine struggle” or feelings of alienation from God and their associations with well-being (depressive symptoms and burnout) among clergy. Drawing from a life-stress perspective, we also test whether received and anticipated congregational support moderates these associations. Using two waves of data (2016–2019) of the Clergy Panel Health Survey of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina (n = 1,261), results suggest that it was clergy who increased in divine struggles over time who had the highest depressive symptom and burnout scores. However, clergy who received significant emotional support from members of their congregation were protected from elevated depressive symptoms and greater burnout. Anticipated congregational support only buffered the relationship between increasing divine struggles and one component of burnout (positive achievement). We offer some broader implications for supporting clergy well-being in the face of divine struggles.

中文翻译：

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做上帝工作的人的神圣斗争：预测抑郁和倦怠的纵向评估以及社会支持在联合卫理公会神职人员中的作用

在这项研究中，我们研究了神职人员精神斗争的作用，以“神圣的斗争”或与上帝疏远的感觉的形式，以及它们与神职人员的幸福感（抑郁症状和倦怠）的联系。从生活压力的角度来看，我们还测试了收到和预期的会众支持是否缓和了这些关联。使用北卡罗来纳州联合卫理公会神职人员的神职人员小组健康调查（n = 1,261）的两波数据（2016-2019），结果表明随着时间的推移，神职人员在神圣的斗争中增加，他们的抑郁症状和倦怠程度最高分数。然而，从会众那里得到重要情感支持的神职人员不会出现抑郁症状加重和更严重的倦怠。预期的会众支持只会缓冲日益增加的神圣斗争与倦怠的一个组成部分（积极成就）之间的关系。我们提供了一些更广泛的含义来支持神职人员在面对神圣斗争时的福祉。