Perceived Psychosocial Stressors Of The Clergy Work And Their Impact On The Psychological Well-Being Of Adolescent Children Of The Clergy: The Case Of The Church Of Pentecost In Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study examines the impact of perceived psychosocial stressors of the clergy work and their impact on the psychological well-being of adolescent children in the Church of Pentecost in Ghana using the sequential exploratory equal status mixed method approach. One hundred and eleven (111) clergy fathers in the Church of Pentecost and one hundred and twenty- two (122) clergy children aged 10-19 years and were purposively sampled from all the regions of Ghana for the quantitative phase of the study. The quantitative analysis showed that perceived psychosocial stressors of clergy children is a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, accounting for 22.5%, 20.7% and 4.6% of the respective variances and a negative predictor of life satisfaction accounting for 13.8% of the variances in life satisfaction. Person characteristics (Age) and contextual factors (geographical setting of clergy family) were found to interact to significantly moderate the relationship between perceived psychosocial stressors and the experience of depression and anxiety. For the qualitative phase, thirty (30) clergy children were purposively sampled using scores on Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS) – 21 and Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) and interview. Thematic analysis of 27 interview scripts revealed five major themes: perceived psychosocial stressors of clergy adolescent children, perceived effect of psychosocial stressors on clergy father, perceived effect of psychosocial stressors on clergy family function and dynamics, effect of perceived psychosocial stressors on physical, mental and behaviour of clergy children and coping strategies of clergy adolescent children.

The result of the study has implications for clergy parents to create opportunities for family engagement on issues concerning the family’s identity and mission as clergy children who understand and accept their father’s profession as a call and have a shared sense of mission as being part of their fathers’ ministry team seem to better cope with the stressors of the clergy profession. Church institutions must put in place systems, such as counselling services, that help clergy men and their families to manage psychosocial stress. Training of clergy must also include programmes that prepare them for the impact of the psychosocial stressors of the profession on their families.