Students in Faith-Based Doctoral Psychology Programs: Religious/Spiritual Struggles Moderate the Effect of Distress from Clinical Work on Negative Affect

Abstract

Objective: The present study assessed 96 doctoral psychology students at APA-accredited faith-based institutions to further understand the relationships between distress from clinical work, religious and spiritual ( r/s) struggles, and negative affect. Based on past research it was hypothesized that distress from clinical work would predict heightened r/s struggles and negative affect. Furthermore, we hypothesized r/s struggles would moderate the effect between distress from clinical work and negative affect. Findings were significant, and demonstrated that our population experienced heightened levels of distress from clinical work, r/s struggles, and negative affect compared to the normed populations. The relationships between distress from clinical work and r/s struggles as well as distress from clinical work and negative affect were significant. Religious and spiritual struggles further moderated the relationship in that those experiencing r/s struggles alongside distress from clinical work demonstrated a stronger relationship between distress from clinical work and negative affect. A more comprehensive discussion regarding these findings as well as the limitations, areas of future research, and implications for training are included in the following.