2020 CPA Conference: A Developmental Model of Evidence-Based Interventions for Catholic Clergy

Developmental Barriers to Clergy Health (Part 1)

The number of Catholic priests in the United States has steadily declined since 1970, going from 59,192 to 36,580 in 2018 (CARA, 2019). Thus, men began eliminating the priesthood as a vocational option before the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The downward statistical trend is a reminder of the significant barriers men experience in their discernment of the priesthood (Isacco & Tirabassi, 2018). The barriers contribute to an unhealthy discernment process full of self-doubt, irrational thoughts, psychological consternation, avoidance, and feelings of loneliness. Therefore, the discernment phase is ripe with opportunities to help men overcome those barriers and to establish a positive trajectory to healthy development in subsequent phases.

Some men move forward with their discernment by applying to the seminary, which is typically seen as a positive step. The USCCB (2015) mandated that seminary applicants receive a psychological evaluation before their admittance. Despite previous studies reporting that clergy applicants are generally psychologically healthy (Plante et al., 2005; Plante & Lackey, 2007; Thomas & Plante, 2015), the psychological evaluation can identify important concerns such as risk factors for sexual offending as well as other contraindications to an authentic vocation. This portion of the presentation reviews original research findings from testing data (MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF) with 150 clergy applicants (Isacco, 2017; 2019). Results indicate that the applicants had aggregate scores below the T of 65 cut-offs but scored comparatively higher on the underreporting/defensiveness validity indices and overcontrolled hostility than the national norm group. Applicants scored significantly lower on all scales mapped onto risk factors when compared to a norm group of child sexual offenders except underreporting.

Newly ordained priests experience a significant role transition in a current hostile climate. The extant literature has presented a mixed picture of psychological concerns among the clergy. For newly ordained, the developmental task in this difficult context is to be a good priest while preventing burnout, maintaining fraternal community (Tirabassi, Porada, & Feiberg, 2015), and deepening their dynamic relationship with God, the latter of which is the core their health (Isacco et al., 2016). The newly ordained stage is the opportunity to stabilize a priestly identity and to establish a sustainable approach to health.

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify at least 5 common psycho-social barriers to active, healthy discernment of the priesthood.
• Describe the psychological concerns of clergy applicants reported in research studies of test data from psychological evaluations.
• Apply findings from the extant literature to the conceptualization and application of interventions to improve the health of men at different developmental stages - discerners, seminary applicants, seminarians, and newly ordained priests.

Interventions to Improve Clergy Health (Part 2)

Identification of barriers and concerns provide insight into what needs to be repaired.  Part 2 of the presentation focuses on using the best available research, clinical experience, and expertise, and input from various stakeholders (e.g., mental health professionals, formation faculty, post-ordination personnel) to develop evidence-based interventions aimed at improving health at the key developmental stages of discernment, formation, and newly ordained. The presentation will capitalize on the collective expertise of CPA membership by fostering discussion and input in the following areas:

• Discernment interventions across settings (family, parish, schools, universities, Vocation Offices).
• Screening and gatekeeping at the admission stage with comprehensive, multimodal psychological evaluations that follow the USCCB (2015) guidelines and incorporate specific best practices.
• Integrative and collaborative interventions in seminary formation such as an embedded counselor for mental health issues, workshop series on pertinent topics (e.g., pornography), continuous psychological screening, and strength-based coaching.
• Post-ordination supports (e.g., retreats, spiritual direction), consultation and mentoring resources, and help-seeking referrals.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify at least 5 common psycho-social barriers to active, healthy discernment of the priesthood.
• Describe the psychological concerns of clergy applicants reported in research studies of test data from psychological evaluations.
• Apply findings from the extant literature to the conceptualization of interventions to improve the health and wellness of men at different developmental stages - discerners, seminary applicants, seminarians, and newly ordained priests.

This program does not qualify for NBCC credits