Psychological and Spiritual Predictors of Domains of Functioning and Effectiveness of Short-Term Missionaries

Abstract

The present study investigated how psychopathology, current object relations, and spiritual development relate to short-term missionary performance and psychological distress. Forty short-term missionaries completed questionnaires measuring psychopathology, object relations, and spirituality before going overseas. Participants and their supervisors completed questionnaires assessing performance and psychological distress before returning home. Principle components analyses revealed three self-report performance factors and four supervisorreport performance factors. Zero-order correlations showed that having greater psychological symptomatology, greater conflict with authority, more social alienation, less satisfying relationships with peers, overly dependent relationships, and greater disappointment and instability in relationship with God were related to less effective performance. Partial correlations also showed that having greater psychological symptomatology was related to increased psychological distress. It was concluded that short-term missionaries' levels of psychopathology, object relations development, and spiritual development influence their effectiveness and psychological adjustment on the mission field.