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. 2022 Nov;58(8):1437-1447.
doi: 10.1007/s10597-022-00953-7. Epub 2022 Feb 26.

Attitudes of Catholic Priests Regarding the Participation of People with Schizophrenia and Depression in Religious Practices: Relationships with Prejudices and Community Size

Lorenza Magliano  1 , Gaetana Affuso  2
Affiliations

Attitudes of Catholic Priests Regarding the Participation of People with Schizophrenia and Depression in Religious Practices: Relationships with Prejudices and Community Size

Lorenza Magliano et al. Community Ment Health J. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

This study investigated whether priests' attitudes regarding individuals with schizophrenia and depression participating in religious practices varied in relation to priests' adherence to prejudices about these mental disorders (MD). A sample of 559 Italian priests completed a questionnaire on their views of either schizophrenia or depression. Data were analyzed using a multiple-group structural equation in which the diagnostic group was a moderator and the size of the municipalities in which the churches were located was a covariate. The study revealed that: priests' attitudes towards churchgoers with MDs are related to views of these individuals as dangerous, easy to recognize and poorly aware of their MDs; community size has a direct effect on priests' attitudes and an indirect effect through perceived dangerousness; the above-mentioned relationships do not differ by type of disorder. Sensitizing priests on stigma may be helpful to facilitate the participation of believers with MDs to religious practices.

Keywords: Attitudes; Depression; Prejudices; Priests; Schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial or otherwise competing interests to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Multiple-group (schizophrenia and depression) structural equation model. Relations between priests’ perception of dangerousness, social distance, poor insight, easy recognizability of people with MDs and priests’ views regarding the participation of people with MDs in parish activities and sacraments, and the opportunity to adopt discriminatory behaviors toward this group of people during religious celebrations. Standardized path coefficients of the constrained model (Δχ2(21) = 18.20, p > .05). Parameters for schizophrenia are shown without brackets, parameters for depression are shown in brackets. Significant correlations between dangerousness with perception of social distance (schizophrenia group: β = 0.33, p < .001; depression group: β = 0.31, p < .001) and recognizability (β = 0.12, p < .01 ; β = 0.13, p < .01); between perception of social distance with insight (β = 0.20, p < .001; β = 0.18, p < .001); and recognizability (β = 0.28, p < .001; β = 0.25, p < .001); non-significant correlations between insight with perception of dangerousness (β = 0.07, p > .05 ; β = 0.08, p > .05); and recognizability (β = 0.01, p > .05. ; β = 0.01, p > .05). *p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001
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