RT Article
T1 Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians: Personal Experiences of Trauma and Implications for Pastoral Well-Being and Ministerial Training
JF Journal of psychology and theology
VO 52
IS 1
SP 3
OP 17
A1 Holleman, Anna
A1 Upenieks, Laura
A1 Eagle, David
LA English
PB Sage Publishing
YR 2024
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1878572873
AB Recent research has shown Mainline Protestant clergy evidence poor mental health. In accounting for this, research has focused on occupational factors that impact health, with less attention paid to the role of selection into ministry as it relates to health. We investigate one possible selection characteristic, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), among a sample of 535 seminarians attending a Mainline seminary. Compared with a demographically matched national sample, these seminarians reported higher prevalence of the childhood experiences of emotional abuse, of living with someone with mental illness, and of sexual abuse. These seminarians also reported lower prevalence of parental separation/divorce and of familial incarceration. Furthermore, we found demographic variations in the prevalence of certain ACEs among the sample of seminarians. In addition to informing the scholarly discussion regarding mechanisms associated with clergy well-being, this work highlights the need for seminaries to attend to the ministerial formation of students with these experiences.
K1 ministerial formation
K1 Mental Health
K1 Clergy
K1 Seminary
K1 Adverse Childhood Experiences
DO 10.1177/00916471231206361