Mental Health Values of Clergy: Effects of Open-Mindedness, Religious Affiliation, and Education in Counseling

Abstract

Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that both religious affiliation and education in counseling of 44 Episcopal and 51 Catholic clergy had over-all effects on their scores on the Mental Health Values Questionnaire. In separate univariate analyses, significant effects were found on six of eight mental health value subscales. On all subscales in which significant interactions occurred, much of the variance was found among the clergy who were least well educated in counseling. As education in counseling increased, perceptions of mental health values became more consistent between affiliations. Mental health values of clergy were similar to those of a sample of psychotherapists, with Self-acceptance and Good Interpersonal Relations being the highest scored values for both groups.