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. 2022 Apr;61(2):1242-1260.
doi: 10.1007/s10943-021-01488-z. Epub 2022 Jan 8.

Well-Being and Help-Seeking Among Assemblies of God Ministers in the USA

Kristen M Kansiewicz  1 , James N Sells  2 , Daniel Holland  2 , Donald Lichi  3 , Mark Newmeyer  4
Affiliations

Well-Being and Help-Seeking Among Assemblies of God Ministers in the USA

Kristen M Kansiewicz et al. J Relig Health. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

This study examined Assemblies of God pastors in the USA (n = 874) on role identity, well-being, religious coping, and attitudes toward seeking professional counseling. Overall, 14.1% had depression at moderate or higher severity based on the PHQ-9 scale (score of 10 or above), with an additional 25.7% in the mild category (score of 5-9). On the Clergy Spiritual Well-Being scale, 9.2% had poor spiritual well-being in everyday life, while 18.1% showed poor spiritual well-being in ministry (score below 15 on each respective subscale). About 20% of the sample scored in the high range (above 10) on the Clergy Occupational Distress Index. Male role norms, occupational distress, and positive religious coping were predictive of help-seeking attitudes. Those who were married, younger, more highly educated, female, or had more close friends had more positive attitudes toward seeking counseling.

Keywords: Clergy; Counseling; Help-seeking; Mental health; Minister health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The first author K.K. holds credentials with the Assemblies of God as a licensed minister. The authors have no relevant financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Depression Scores by Category. Note. None—60.2%, Mild—25.7%, Moderate—10.4%, Mod.-severe—2.9%, Severe—0.8%
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Power and Presence of God in Everyday Life Subscale by Category. Note. Poor—9.2%, Moderate—71.2%, Excellent—19.6%
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Power and Presence of God in Ministry Subscale by Category. Note. Poor—18.1%, Moderate—67.7%, Excellent—14.2%
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Clergy Occupational Distress by Category. Note. Low—21.0%, Moderate—58.5%, High—20.5%
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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