Overcoming the challenges of pastoral work? Peer support groups and psychological distress among united methodist church clergy

Clergy often face a great deal of occupational stress that in turn can lead to psychological distress. In recent years, denominations have been turning to peer support groups to combat these challenges, but little research exists regarding their effectiveness. This study explores the utility of peer support groups for reducing psychological distress among pastors by analyzing data from two waves of an ongoing study of United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy in North Carolina, as well as focus group data from the same population. Results indicate that participation in peer support groups had weakly beneficial direct and indirect relationships to psychological distress (measured as mentally unhealthy days, anxiety, and depression). Focus group data indicated that the weak results may be due to an interplay between varied group activities and differences in individual coping styles, which in turn lead to a mix of positive and negative group experiences. The results caution against assuming that peer groups are a uniformly effective solution to the occupational demands of pastoral work. © 2012 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association for the Sociology of Religion. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell Duke Global Health Institute