Skilled help for mental health concerns: comparing the perceptions of Catholic priests and Catholic parishioners

Abstract

This study compares the data from a study investigating the perceptions of 203 functioning Catholic priests (Kane, 2003) to the data from a study of the perceptions of 473 practicing lay Catholics (Kane & Williams, 2000) regarding who is best qualified to assist people in 11 moral, emotional, family or personal situations in which skilled help might be necessary. Choice options for 11 hypothetical situations in which skilled help might be needed included (a) a Catholic priest, ( b) a Catholic priest with a graduate degree in social work, psychology, psychiatry or counselling, (c) a lay mental health professional (clinical social worker, counsellor, clinical psychologist or psychiatrist) or (d) no one—this situation should be handled by the individual without skilled help. There were significant differences between the perceptions of respondent Catholic priests and practicing Catholics in all 11 situations. Cultural differences appear critically important in the choice of skilled helpers. Additionally, there were significant differences between priests’ and parishioners’ use of skilled help in their personal past histories. Implications are discussed.