Pastors Are Struggling With Their Emotional and Physical Health Why Are People Who Are Supposed to Minister Us in Declining Health?

Faith-based organization Barna Group collected data on the overall health of pastors. The study compared 901 interviews with Protestant pastors in 2015 to 585 interviews in September 2022. The study asked pastors to self-rate various aspects of their lives from excellent to poor (or don’t know).

The results saw sharp drop-offs in the mental, emotional, and physical health of pastors participating in the study.

"Pastors who reported that their mental and emotional health was below average spiked from 3% in 2015 to 10% in 2022, and those who said they were in excellent mental and emotional health cratered from 39% in 2015 to 11% last year," the study found.

The physical health of pastors dropped too, with 22% describing their physical health as "poor or below average" compared to just 7% rating their health as poor in 2015. Pastors who claimed to have excellent physical health dropped from 24% eight years ago to only 9% last year.

The study suggests more pastors are emotionally and mentally exhausted, jumping from 21% in 2015 to 32% in 2022.

"Since COVID the demand for pastoral counseling to the church and non-churched have increased, leaving little room and time for self-care,” Boston-based theologian the Rev. Irene Monroe told SurvivorNet in response to the data.

Rev. Monroe co-hosts the “All Rev'd Up” podcast, in which she and fellow theologian the Rev. Emmett G. Price III address the intersections of faith, politics, and culture.

She admitted that, during the height of the pandemic, she too found herself needing mental health counseling due to the added stress of her ministerial work.

"I officiated so many funerals related to COVID, I had to return to therapy," Monroe added.

"If we focus on what God's called us to do pastoring, preaching, serving we are less likely to face some of the challenges that are making pastors want to quit," Dance told Fox News.

What Can Pastors Do to Boost Their Overall Health Amid Added Pressures?

For pastors struggling with their physical and mental health, they can certainly take advice from experts and survivors we’ve spoken with about coping with challenges during a cancer journey.

New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans promotes prayer for anyone struggling with a complex web of emotions through a health struggle.

In fact, a 2015 National Health Interview Survey found that 69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health compared to 45% of the general United States population.

WATCH: Faith Perspective: Opening Yourself Up to Others After a Cancer Diagnosis

"It's important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you've never prayed before, you don't know what to say, a heartfelt plea, 'God, help me, be with me,’" Pastor Evans previously told SurvivorNet.

"You can reach out to God and you can reach out to people, your friends and family and say, 'I can't do this on my own. I need you.' It's in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can actually find something deeper that we never would've encountered without this hardship."

For breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent, praying helped her get through the hard times.

"I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay," Vincent previously told SurvivorNet.

WATCH: "I Had A Talk With God And I Knew I'd Be Okay"

And just as Rev. Monroe said she sought therapy to help her cope, other experts we spoke with said that can be an incredible resource to help people cope with stressors – whether that’s a cancer diagnosis or the pressures of a ministerial job.

Mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. It impacts how we think, feel, and behave. Triggers like stress, traumatic events, or changes in your physical health can upend your mental health. One way to help you maintain your mental health is through therapy.

Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychologist, shares some signs to look out for that could signal the onset of changes in your mental health:

• A change in eating or sleeping habits
• Losing interest in people or usual activities
• Experiencing little or no energy
• Numb and/or hopeless feelings
• Turning to drink or drugs more than usual
• Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
• Yelling/fighting with loved ones
• Experiencing mood swings
• Intrusive thoughts
• Trouble getting through daily tasks

WATCH: How to navigate your long-term mental health.

If you find yourself engaging in some of the activities that could be indicative of a mental health challenge, there are ways to overcome it.

While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist or starting medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing some lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and cutting back on alcohol.

Treatment options for mental health include:

• Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
• Learning healthy coping skills
• Medication such as antidepressants
• Adding more physical activity to your routine
• Adjusting your sleep schedule
• Connecting with others via support groups
• Mindfulness and meditation

WATCH: How genetic testing can help mental health treatment.

If you and your doctor do decide that medication would be helpful in your situation, genetic testing can sometimes be used to help determine which medication is most likely to work for you and cause the least amount of side effects.

"About 95% of the time the first medication that I choose for them ends up being the right medication. Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology," psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.

"It's something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication," Dr. Plutchik continued.

Practicing mindfulness and meditation is an easy method you can do on your own to help maintain your mental health. Regularly meditating allows people to start to become more aware of the emotions in the physical body and the thoughts running through the mind, to feel their emotions and acknowledge their thoughts as they arise, and then gently let them go.

Mindfulness is often suggested for cancer patients to reduce high levels of anxiety and distress associated with diagnosis, treatment, and anticipation of possible disease recurrence.

Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society of Integrative Oncology (SIO) recommend meditation as part of a multidisciplinary approach to reduce stress, depression, and mood disturbance, and to improve the quality of life in cancer patients. That same approach can be beneficial during any hardship.

5 tips for practicing mindfulness:

1. Choose one daily activity to practice mindfully (e.g. eating your lunch, brushing your teeth, or taking a shower). During this activity notice your breath and activity of your mind for a few moments.
2. Pause throughout your day. During your day, find a moment to stop and take 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed.
3. Kindly acknowledge a moment you're experiencing difficulty by putting your hand on your heart and saying, "I feel my pain. How can I be kind to myself at this moment?"
4. Get curious about your emotions.  Experiment with welcoming your emotions as they come, instead of pushing them away.
5. Become aware when you're in a rush. Ask yourself, "Do I need to hurry?"

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you’re struggling with your mental health, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor to get the conversation started:

• What can I do if my emotions begin to feel overwhelming?
• Are there approaches that don't involve traditional therapy?
• Should I consider medication such as antidepressants?
• What are the potential side effects should I decide to begin medication?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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