Articles & Thesis

THE PREVALENCE OF MENTAL DISORDERS AMONG CLERGY IN SAO PAULO - BRAZIL

(Free Professor Thesis)

Francisco Lotufo Neto, MD, PhD *

Abstracts
The relationship between religion and psychiatry was reviewed. The main religious issues influencing mental health were detailed. Methodological problems were discussed.
To investigate their mental disorders prevalence, the Self-Report Psychiatric Screening Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and the Religious Life Inventory were mailed to 750 religious ministers. From the 207 who answered, 40 were randomly chosen and invited to a diagnostic interview with the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and an open interview with the Severity of Psychosocial Stressors Scale (DSM-III-R axis IV). During the month before the interview mental disorders prevalence was 12,5% and 47% received a psychiatric diagnosis when the lifetime period was considered. Their main diagnoses were Depressive Disorders (16,4%), Sleep Disorders (12,9%) and Anxiety Disorders (9,4%). Intrinsic religion orientation was associated with positive mental health and quest orientation scores were significantly higher in the group with a larger probability of mental disorder symptoms and diagnosis. Financial problems, problems with church members and with other pastors, leadership conflicts, marital difficulties, doctrinal problems in the church, and overwork were the main identified stressors.

Due to extension of the text «The Prevalence of Mental Disorders Among Clergy in Sao Paulo - Brazil» the dear colleague will be able to consult the entire article into Hoje - Jean Evangelist Hospital Brazil or here.

* Psychiatrists and Associated Professors of Medicine, Brazil