Abstract
The current study investigated the psychological functioning of over 200 applicants to the priesthood or diaconate in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, as revealed by the subjects’ scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2). Results revealed an overall trend of psychological health in the sample population, evidenced by few systematic elevations in indices of psychopathology. Within the Catholic sample, deacons demonstrated lower MMPI-2 scores on several measures, perhaps suggesting slightly better psychological well-being than their priest counterparts.
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Thomas, S.N., Plante, T.G. Psychological Well-Being of Roman Catholic and Episcopal Clergy Applicants. Pastoral Psychol 64, 875–881 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-015-0655-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-015-0655-3