Theological conservatism and mental well-being of Roman Catholic priests: the mediating role of social support

While previous research has made important strides in understanding clergy health, it has typically not been situated within larger shifts happening in the Catholic Church, including the conservative turn in the American priesthood. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Catholic Priests (N = 3515), we assessed the extent to which priests’ conservative theological orientations may associate with their well-being, measured by flourishing, psychological distress, and burnout, and test social support from fellow priests, bishops, and the Catholic laity as possible mediators. Regression results suggest that more theologically conservative Catholic priests report significantly greater well-being across all measures, and KHB decomposition analyses suggest that support from bishops is a consistent mediator of these associations. We discuss our findings within the framework of system justification theory and “job-fit”, as alignment with church teachings may cause priests less strain and allow for greater network support.