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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Is screening and brief advice for problem drinkers by clergy feasible? A survey of clergy.

Routine screening for alcohol abuse in primary care, with brief advice to stop drinking for those screening positive, can detect individuals with alcohol problems and reduce alcohol use and alcohol induced problems in those detected. Not everyone with alcohol problems sees a physician regularly, however, and not all respond to a physician's brief advice. To explore the feasibility of expanding screening for alcohol problems to clergy, we did a mailed survey to 315 clergy at Christian churches in Cleveland, Ohio. Clergy reported a variety of views about alcohol use and abuse, but most agreed that alcoholism is a disease. They indicated counseling a significant number of parishioners, and were receptive to learning brief screening questions to detect alcohol problems. We conclude that many clergy would be interested in a strategy of screening and then giving brief advice or referral to individuals found to have alcohol problems.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed2006

How well trained are clergy in care of the dying patient and bereavement support?

Although comparatively few people have regular contact with a church or spiritual leader, during times of terminal illness or bereavement, clergy are expected to be available and able to provide support. This study was carried out to determine the perceptions of clergy on the training they had received in supporting the dying patient and the bereaved. A sample of clergy working in the diocese of Sheffield was sent a questionnaire to assess what skills and knowledge clergy believed they had in this area, together with areas where they would wish for further training. The questionnaire was developed with input from hospital, hospice, and academic chaplains, and palliative care consultants. A subsidiary questionnaire was sent to clergy training colleges to evaluate the teaching offered. There was a trend across all denominations that those who had trained more recently were more likely to have received relevant training. Most clergy believed that they possessed adequate liturgical skills, but 13% felt they possessed none or little skill in pastoral care of the dying. Seventy-one percent indicated that they would like further training in pastoral care of the dying and 66.3% desired training in care of the bereaved. Of the 50% of training colleges that responded, the number of hours of training on pastoral care of the dying ranged from 6 to 36 hours (median 23 hours and mean 25 hours) and only 26% believed that their training in pastoral support skills was comprehensive. This study suggests that care of the dying and the bereaved is identified by clergy as an area in need of further training by the majority of clergy and should be part of the core curriculum within clergy training colleges and late training programs.

Christianity↗

PubMed2003

Patterns and correlates of contacting clergy for mental disorders in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To present nationally representative data on the part played by clergy in providing treatment to people with mental disorders in the United States. DATA SOURCES: The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), a nationally representative general population survey of 8,098 respondents ages 15-54. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. DATA COLLECTION: A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess DSM-III-R mental disorders. Reports were obtained on age of onset of disorders, age of first seeking treatment, and treatment in the 12 months before interview with each of six types of professionals (clergy, general medical physicians, psychiatrists, other mental health specialists, human services providers, and alternative treatment providers). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: One-quarter of those who ever sought treatment for mental disorders did so from a clergy member. Although there has been a decline in this proportion between the 1950s (31.3 percent) and the early 1990s (23.5 percent), the clergy continue to be contacted by higher proportions than psychiatrists (16.7 percent) or general medical doctors (16.7 percent). Nearly one-quarter of those seeking help from clergy in a given year have the most seriously impairing mental disorders. The majority of these people are seen exclusively by the clergy, and not by a physician or mental health professional. CONCLUSIONS: The clergy continue to play a crucial role in the U.S. mental health care delivery system. However, interventions appear to be needed to ensure that clergy members recognize the presence and severity of disorders, deliver therapies of sufficient intensity and quality, and collaborate appropriately with health care professionals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

A community study of formal pastoral counseling activities of the clergy.

Although the clergy have been identified as a major community mental health resource, few epidemiologic studies of clergy practices have been conducted. The authors report a comprehensive survey of the counseling activities of clergy groups serving south-central Connecticut. They found that the clergy were a heterogeneous counseling group and that the counseling activities of many were extremely limited, although all were experienced with "troubled individuals". In recent years pastoral counselors have separated from their parishes and emerged as a psychotherapy profession. In contrast, certain parish-based clergy, especially the black clergy, have functioned as a major mental health resource to communities with limited access to professional mental health care.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed2005

Leading the flock: organ donation feelings, beliefs, and intentions among African American clergy and community residents.

CONTEXT: Despite a considerable potential role in organ donation for African American clergy, there has been little investigation to date of the beliefs, attitudes, and personal intentions of such clergy regarding donation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation among African American clergy to those of African American residents of the same large US city. DESIGN: Focus groups and 3 cross-sectional surveys. SETTING: Greater Houston, Tex, metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 761 randomly selected African American community residents and 311 African American clergy. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Beliefs about the importance of organ donation; how comfortable one is in thinking about donation; whether one believes that organ donation is against one's religion; trust in healthcare professionals regarding death declaration; concerns that donation leads to body mutilation; and the likelihood that one will donate one's own organs upon death. RESULTS: Compared to general African American residents, African American clergy in the Houston area were found more often to believe in the importance of donation; to be more comfortable with thinking about donation; to feel more certain that donation was not against their religion; to believe that they could trust healthcare professionals regarding death declaration; to feel less often that donation leads to mutilation of the body; and to indicate a greater likelihood of donating their own organs upon death. The same was found to be true among clergy and congregants of the largest religious denomination in Houston, the Baptists.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence and patterns of physician referral to clergy and pastoral care providers.

BACKGROUND: There is a heightened interest in spiritual and religious interventions in clinical settings, an area marked by unease and lack of training by physicians. A potential resource for generalists is specialty consultation and referral services, although little is known about the prevalence and patterns of involvement of clergy or pastoral professionals in patient care. OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence and patterns of physician-directed patient referral to or recommended consultation with clergy or pastoral care providers and to describe attitudinal and demographic variables that can predict referring and nonreferring physicians. DESIGN: A mailed anonymous survey. SETTING: Family physicians in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians whose self-designated professional activity is direct patient care. Of the 756 randomly selected physicians for participation in the study, 438 (57.9%) responded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physician reporting on their attitudes and referral behaviors, including referral frequency, and conditions or reasons for referral or nonreferral to clergy and pastoral care providers. RESULTS: More than 80% of the physicians reported that they refer or recommend their patients to clergy and pastoral care providers; more than 30% stated that they refer more than 10 times a year. Most physicians (75.5%) chose conditions associated with end-of-life care (ie, bereavement, terminal illness) as reasons for referral. Marital and family counseling were cited by 72.8% of physicians; however, other psychosocial issues, such as depression and mood disorders (38.7%) and substance abuse (19.0%), were less prevalent. Physicians who reported a greater degree of religiosity had a small increased tendency to refer (r = 0.39, P<.05) to these providers. In addition, physicians who were in practice for more than 15 years were more likely to refer to clergy (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Most family physicians accept clergy and pastoral professionals in the care of their patients. In medical settings, the providers of religious and spiritual interventions have a larger and more expanded role than previously reported.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A systematic review on chaplains and community-based clergy in three palliative care journals: 1990-1999.

A systematic review of all articles appearing between 1990 and 1999 in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, the Hospice Journal, and the Journal of Palliative Care was conducted. Articles citing at least one reference were categorized as scholarly, included in the study, and divided into either research or nonresearch categories. Scholarly articles were classified as research if they contained clearly defined methods and results sections, even if these headings were not used. Research and nonresearch articles were subdivided into qualitative and quantitative research and general reviews or program descriptions, respectively. All scholarly articles were read to see if they mentioned clergy, including the terms rabbi, priest, minister, pastor, imam, chaplain, or other religious professionals. Of 838 scholarly articles published between 1990 and 1999 in the three journals, 348 (41.5 percent) were research articles, 417 (49.8 percent) were reviews, and 73 (8.7 percent) were program descriptions. Forty-seven (5.6 percent) of all 838 scholarly articles mentioned clergy or chaplains in some way. Clergy and chaplains were more likely to be an integral part of research articles, whereas mention of them in nonresearch articles tended to be incidental (chi-square = 16.8, p < .001). Moreover, quantitative articles were more likely to include clergy as an integral aspect of the article than were qualitative articles (Fischer's exact probability test, p = .088). The results are discussed with respect to the mutual roles hospice chaplains and community-based clergy play in providing spiritual care at the end of life.

Chaplaincy Service, Hospital↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Florida Clergy End-of-Life Education Enhancement Project: a description and evaluation.

The Florida Clergy End-of-Life Education Enhancement Project was a model program developed to provide an interdenominational and statewide model of clergy education on loss, grief dying, and death. The authors describe the project including materials and curriculum as well as present data from the project's evaluation. Clergy and their partners in ministry responded enthusiastically to the project. As a whole, they reported higher levels of knowledge on end-of-life (EOL) issues at the conclusion of the training. Clergy and their ministerial teams also reported that they were better informed about the technical, procedural, medical, and legal issues that arise at the end of life and expressed the desire for subsequent training. The project indicates that clergy both recognize the need for additional training and are anxious to improve their abilities to minister to the dying and bereaved. The model presented here could easily be applied to local organizations such as hospices or denominational training.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Mental health issues among clergy and other religious professionals: a review of research.

The authors reviewed the literature on mental health issues among clergy and other religious professionals, using electronic searches of databases of medical (Medline), nursing (CINAHL), psychology (PsycINFO), religious (ATLA), and sociological research (Sociofile). The existing research indicates the Protestant clergy report higher levels of occupational stress than Catholic priests, brothers, or sisters. Catholic sisters repeatedly reported the lowest work-related stress, whereas women rabbis reported the highest stress levels in various studies. Occupational stress appears to be a source of family stress among Protestant clergy--a factor which clergy and their spouses believe the denominational leadership should address. High levels of stress also have been found to be associated with sexual misconduct among clergy. The authors make several recommendations based on these and other findings they report in their review.

Burnout, Professional↗

PubMed1978

Mental health training and consultation: a model for liaison with clergy.

A chaplain, a psychiatrist, and a social worker developed a program to train clergy in more effective mental health case management, counseling, and referral skills, and to sensitize mental health center professionals to the work of the clergy in mental health. The program consists of 12 two-hour meetings conducted by a clinician and a chaplain once a week. In the first four meetings, clergy are trained to use a self-report personal-data kit with individuals presenting with emotional problems. In the next eight meetings, clergy make case presentations that are used as a basis for consultation and group discussion. The project has established a firm basis for collaboration between clergy and mental health center staff in providing care.

Community Mental Health Services↗

PubMed1977

Clergy consultation as a community mental health program.

The authors describe the planning, development, implementation, and results of a consultation program to the clergy as part of an agency's community mental health service. The paper focuses on the four main program goals of (1) revitalizing a local association for the clergy, (2) developing the clergy's pastoral skills, (3) increasing community supports for mental health, and (4) developing a counseling service sponsored by the local clergy for community residents.

Clergy↗

PubMed1976

Parish clergy and the aged: examining stereotypes.

Hypotheses concerning clergymen's enjoyment of their pastoral contacts with older parishioners are examined using data from a national probability sample of 654 American Baptist parish ministers. The hypotheses test the ideas that ministers do not enjoy pastoral contacts with the elderly and that these contacts reflect the clergymen's ageist preferences and concern with instrumental over expressive values. The findings suggest that: (1) the majority of the clergy studied do not seem to have an aversion to ministering to older people; while not among the most enjoyable of their activities "ministering to the aged" clearly is not among the least enjoyable either; (2) there is some support for the view that clergy respond to the elderly in an ageist manner; comparing activities involving different age groups, the clergy prefer the young and adults to the aged; (3) those clergy who share with the elderly an interest in expressive activities are more likely to enjoy ministering to the aged.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Defining forgiveness: christian clergy and general population perspectives.

The lack of any consensual definition of forgiveness is a serious weakness in the research literature (McCullough, Pargament, & Thoresen, 2000). As forgiveness is at the core of Christianity, this study returns to the Christian source of the concept to explore the meaning of forgiveness for practicing Christian clergy. Comparisons are made with a general population sample and social science definitions of forgiveness to ensure that a shared meaning of forgiveness is articulated. Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy (N = 209) and a general population sample (N = 159) completed a postal questionnaire about forgiveness. There was agreement on the existence of individual differences in forgiveness. Clergy and the general population perceived reconciliation as necessary for forgiveness while there was no consensus within psychology. The clergy suggest that forgiveness is limitless and that repentance is unnecessary, while the general population suggests that there are limits and that repentance is necessary. Psychological definitions do not conceptualize repentance as necessary for forgiveness, and the question of limits has not been addressed, although, within therapy, the implicit assumption is that forgiveness is limitless.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Clergy perspectives and practices regarding intimate violence: a rural view.

Intimate violence has been recognized as a major problem in the United States. The financial and social hardships of declining rural economies, the social isolation of distance and poor transportation, inadequate social services for families in crisis, and limited options for women who might otherwise leave abusive partners are risk factors for intimate violence in rural areas. Church-based prevention programs are considered particularly useful in rural communities. If preventive health programs engage them properly, rural church members' overlapping social structures and their especially interconnected social circles can spread and support new ideas and practices. This study was conducted in four rural, predominately white, southern Illinois counties. The survey instrument used consisted of four subscales, measuring knowledge about, attitudes toward, and practices to prevent intimate violence as well as religious ideology. Overall, clergy knowledge and attitudes about intimate violence in this study did not necessarily translate into actual prevention practices against intimate violence. However, liberal clergy tend to employ prevention practices more often when compared with conservative clergy. Nevertheless, rural churches and their clergy seem to be promising sources for diffusion of intimate violence prevention information, attitudes and acceptable standards of behavior to rural communities.

Clergy↗

PubMed1990

A survey of general practitioners' attitudes to the involvement of clergy in patient care.

A questionnaire was sent to a sample of general practitioners in the Avon health district asking whether they perceived a role for the clergy in patient care. Doctors were questioned about both their theoretical attitudes to and practical involvement of clergy in relation to some 20 specific concerns of patients (for example, bereavement, divorce, depression, chronic illness) and to explain from a series of options their reasons for referring or failing to refer patients to clergy. The responses of the 228 respondents showed that they perceived a significant role for the clergy in theory which was not matched in practice. The reasons for the gap between theory and practice are analysed and discussed and suggestions are made as to how the positive responses may be more effectively developed towards improving patient care.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1989

Moral beliefs of physicians, medical students, clergy, and lay public concerning AIDS.

A questionnaire was developed to assess religiously based moral beliefs about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The questionnaire was administered to a group of primarily black physicians, a selection of freshman medical students, two groups of clergy representing contrasting philosophical orientations, a group of young urban black and white attendees of a black cultural event, and two groups of older whites from rural Tennessee who were attending health fairs. Other attitudes about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and related issues were also assessed. Results showed that 40% to 70% of rural whites strongly endorsed the idea that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a product of "divine intervention" or "divine retribution." More than half attributed the epidemic to a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Two of five conservative clergy strongly agreed with the idea of divine intervention, whereas only one in 20 liberal clergy concurred. Approximately one in 10 physicians endorsed these propositions. The responses of freshman medical students were strikingly similar to those of physicians, except that less than half as many believed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome represents the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. Physicians were remarkably similar to rural whites and conservative clergy in their distrust of the experts concerning the potential contagion of human immunodeficiency virus. When responses to several key items on the questionnaire were combined to create a measure of "conservatism," mean total scores differentiated all groups in the manner predicted. We conclude that religiously based moral beliefs about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome can have dangerous implications for the treatment of its victims by society and its caregivers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1979

Mental health treatment and referral practices of clergy and physician caregivers.

Consistent with previous literature, the results of a detailed survey mailed to clergy and physicians from a community known for its longstanding, excellent mental health system indicated extensive treatment and referral of mental health problems by clergy and physicians. Clergy and physicians, though, displayed very limited knowledge of mental health services and personnel, particularly innovative approaches and workers. Receiving mental health training was identified as a key factor, particularly for physicians, in terms of knowledge of services and personnel, referral to a mental health center, and treatment of serious mental health problems. Strategies were, therefore, outlined to provide more accurate information to this natural treatment and referral system.

Clergy↗

PubMed1979

The role of the clergy in community mental health service: a critical assessment.

Efforts to expand mental health manpower have taken three major directions: (1) increased use of consultation, (2) creating entirely new roles, and (3) offering training to persons engaged in roles or occupations presumably at strategic points of contact between the public and the mental health system (clergy, police, hairdressers, and bartenders). In this paper the role of modern clergy is examined along several dimensions in order to provide a more rational basis for determining their true potential as mental health service extenders or gatekeepers. Role aspects examined are: public acceptance, approachability, community stature, role separation, and professional identity. Clergy seem to be both appropriate and available as mental health resources.

Clergy↗