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Stability and shifts in the combined positive and negative mental health of clergy: A longitudinal latent class and latent transition analysis study of united methodist pastors before and after the onset of COVID-19.

Stability and shifts in the combined positive and negative mental health of clergy: A longitudinal latent class and latent transition analysis study of united methodist pastors before and after the onset of COVID-19.

Authors :
Lee BJ
Holleman A
Proeschold-Bell RJ
Source :
Social science & medicine (1982) [Soc Sci Med] 2024 Mar; Vol. 344, pp. 116651. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 04.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

COVID-19 and its associated restrictions presented unprecedented challenges for those in the helping professions. In this study, we seek to understand how the mental health of those who belong to one specific helping profession - clergy - changed in the context of COVID-19. Using longitudinal data of a sample of United Methodist pastors from the North Carolina Clergy Health Initiative, we conduct both cross-sectional and person-centered analyses to investigate how the overall mental health of this occupational group changed, as well as how different subgroups of clergy fared within the context of the pandemic, depending on their well-being prior to the onset of COVID-19. We found that the mental health of pastors suffered within the context of the pandemic, but that individual changes in mental health differed based on what the combined positive and negative mental health patterns of clergy were prior to the pandemic, for which we used latent class analysis to identify as Flourishing, Distressed, Languishing, or Burdened but Fulfilled. Of these subgroups, having Flourishing pre-pandemic status was protective of mental health following the onset of COVID-19, whereas the other three subgroups' mental health statuses worsened. This study is the one of the first longitudinal studies of helping professionals which has tracked changes in mental health before and after the onset of COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate the utility of considering positive and negative mental health indicators together, and they point to certain groups that can be targeted with well-being resources during future periods of acute or abnormal stress.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.<br /> (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1873-5347
Volume :
344
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Social science & medicine (1982)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38340387
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116651