Over seventy percent of Americans identify with some faith community and use their faith as a means to cope with life experiences, especially following disasters (Weaver, Flannelly, Garbarino, Figley, & Flannelly, 2003). Clergy have been found to play a significant role in responding to disaster needs, including providing pastoral counseling, crisis management, and serving and meeting the overall needs of others (Darling, Hill, & McWey, 2004; Pector, 2005). Though clergy play a major role in attending to disaster needs, little is known about how clergy cope with disasters. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ways in which clergy in South Mississippi and New Orleans coped with Hurricane Katrina using a phenomenological approach.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AtenJ. D., & HernandezB. C. (2005). A 25-year review of qualitative research published in spiritually and psychologically oriented journals. Journal of Psychology & Christianity, 24(3), 266–277.
2.
CainD. S., & BarthelemyJ. (2008). Tangible and spiritual relief after the storm: The religious community responds to Katrina. Journal of Social Service Research, 34(3), 29–42.
3.
CNN Reports. (2005). CNN reports: Katrina- state of emergency.Kansas City, KS: Andrews McMeel Publishing.
4.
DarlingC. A., HillE. W., & McWeyL. M. (2004). Understanding stress and quality of life for clergy and clergy spouses. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 20(5), 261–277.
5.
Dass-BrailsfordP. (2008). After the storm: Recognition, recovery, and reconstruction. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(1), 24–30.
6.
Dass-BrailsfordP. (2010). Crisis and disaster counseling: Lessons learned from hurricane Katrina and other disasters.Thousand Oaks, CA US: Sage Publications, Inc.
7.
Davidowitz-FarkasZ, & Hutchison-HallJ. (2005). Religious care in coping with terrorism. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 10(1), 565–576.
8.
DixonN. F. (1980). Humor: A cognitive alternative to stress. In SpielbergerC. D., & SarasonI. G. (Eds.), Anxiety and Stress,7.Washington, DC: Hemisphere, 281–289.
9.
Dunkel-SchetterC., FolkmanS., & LazarusR. (1987). Correlates of social support receipt. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1), 71–80.
10.
FEMA. (2005). Mississippi disaster declaration as of 10/27/2005 No. 1604-DR. Washington, DC: ITS Mapping and Analysis Center.
11.
FieldM., & QuigleyM. (2009). Mild stress increases attentional bias in social drinkers who drink to cope: A replication and extension. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 17(5), 312–319.
12.
FigleyC. R. (1989). Helping traumatized families.San Francisco, CA US: Jossey-Bass.
13.
FrameM. W. (1998). Relocation and well-being in United Methodist clergy and their spouses: What pastoral counselors need to know. Pastoral Psychology, 46(6), 415–430.
14.
GuthrieT., & StickleyT. (2008). Spiritual experience and mental distress: A clergy perspective. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 11(4), 387–402.
15.
HorsmanS. (1989). Special needs in stress coping for the clergy. In McGuiganF. J., SimeW. E., WallaceJ. M., McGuiganF. J., SimeW. E., & WallaceJ. M. (Eds.), Stress and tension control 3: Stress management. (pp. 147–151). New York, NY US: Plenum Press.
16.
IngledewD., HardyL., CooperC., & JemalH. (1996). Health behaviours reported as coping strategies: A factor analytical study. British Journal of Health Psychology, 1(Part 3), 263–281.
17.
Institute for Southern Studies. (2008). Faith in the gulf: Lessons from the religious response to hurricane Katrina. (Issue No. 7). Durham, NC: Evans, D.; Kromm, C.; Sturgis, S.
18.
Janoff-BulmanR. (1992). Shattered assumptions: Towards a new psychology of trauma.New York, NY US: Free Press.
19.
JonesB. K. (2001). Rest in the storm: Self-care strategies for clergy and other caregivers.Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press.
20.
KarneyB. R., & BradburyT. N. (1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, method, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118(1), 3–34.
21.
KesslerR., GaleaS., JonesR., & ParkerH. (2006). Mental illness and suicidality after hurricane Katrina. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 84(11), 1–21.
22.
KoenigH. G. (2006). In the wake of disaster: Religious responses to terrorism & catastrophe.West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Foundation Press.
23.
Louisiana Survey (2005, November 30). The 2005 Louisiana survey post-hurricane community audit. The Public Policy Research Lab.
24.
LincolnY. S., & GubaE. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
25.
LordJ. H., HookM., & EnglishS. (2003). Different faiths, different perceptions of public tragedy. In Lattanzi-LichtM., DokaK. J., Lattanzi-LichtM., & DokaK. J. (Eds.), Living with grief: Coping with public tragedy. (pp. 91–107). New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.
26.
MarshallC., & RossmanG. B. (2006). Designing qualitative research (Fourth ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
27.
MartinR. A., KuiperN. A., OlingerL. J., & DanceK. A. (1993). Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 6(1), 89–104.
28.
McLeodJ. D. (1994). Anxiety disorders and marital quality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103(4), 767–776.
29.
McMinnM. R., LishR. A., TriceP. D., RootA. M., GilbertN., & YapA. (2005). Care for pastors: Learning from clergy and their spouses. Pastoral Psychology, 53(6), 563–581.
30.
MeisenhelderJ. B., & MarcumJ. P. (2004). Responses of clergy to 9/11: Posttraumatic stress, coping, and religious outcomes. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43(4), 547–554.
31.
MilliganG., & McGuinnessT. (2009). Mental health needs in a post-disaster environment. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 47(9), 23–30.
32.
MoranC. C., & HughesL. P. (2006). Coping with stress: Social work students and humour. Social Work Education, 25(4), 501–517.
33.
MorrowS. L. (2007). Qualitative research in counseling psychology: Conceptual foundations. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(2), 209–235.
34.
MurphyS. (1986). Perceptions of stress, coping, and recovery one and three years after a natural disaster. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 8(1), 63–77.
35.
NakoneznyP., ReddickR., & RodgersJ. (2004). Did divorces decline after the Oklahoma City bombing?Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(1), 90–100.
36.
NorrisF. H., WeisshaarD. L., ConradM. L., DiazE. M., MurphyA. D., & IbañezG. E. (2001). A qualitative analysis of posttraumatic stress among Mexican victims of disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(4), 741–756.
37.
PargamentK. I., TarakeshwarN., EllisonC. G., & WulffK. M. (2001). Religious coping among the religious: The relationships between religious coping and well-being in a national sample of Presbyterian clergy, elders, and members. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40(3), 497–513.
38.
PectorE. A. (2005). Professional burnout detection, prevention, and coping. Clergy Journal, 81(9), 19–20.
39.
PratiG., & PietrantoniL. (2009). Optimism, social support, and coping strategies as factors contributing to posttraumatic growth: Ameta-analysis. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14(5), 364–388.
40.
ProffittD., CannA., CalhounL. G., & TedeschiR. G. (2007). Judeo-Christian clergy and personal crisis: Religion, posttraumatic growth and well being. Journal of Religion & Health, 46(2), 219–231.
41.
RobertsS. B., & AshleyW. C.Sr. (Eds.). (2008). Disaster spiritual care: Practical clergy responses to community, regional and national tragedy.Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Publishing.
42.
RobertsS., EllersK., & WilsonJ. (2008). Compassion fatigue. Disaster spiritual care: Practical clergy responses to community, regional and national tragedy (pp. 209–226). Woodstock, VT US: SkyLight Paths Publishing.
43.
RobertsS. B., FlannellyK. J., WeaverA. J., & RigleyC. R. (2003). Compassion fatigue among chaplains, clergy, and other respondents after September llth. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191(11), 756–758.
44.
RogersD. F. (2002). Pastoral care for post-traumatic stress disorder: Healing the shattered soul.Binghamton, NY: Haworth Pastoral Press.
45.
SchusterM. A., SteinB. D., JaycoxL. H., CollinsR. L., MarshallG. N., ElliottM. N. (2001). A national survey of stress reactions after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(20; 20), 1507–1512.
46.
ShurcliffA. (1968). Judged humor, arousal, and the relief theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology8, 360–363.
47.
SmithB. W., PargamentK. I., BrantC., & OliverJ. M. (2000). Noah revisited: Religious coping by church members and the impact of the 1993 Midwest flood. Journal of Community Psychology, 28(2), 169–186.
48.
SpenceP. R., LachlanK. A., & BurkeJ. M. (2007). Adjusting to uncertainty: Coping strategies among the displaced after hurricane Katrina. Sociological Spectrum, 27(6), 653–678.
49.
US Department of Commerce. (2006). Service assessment: Hurricane Katrina august 23–31, 2005.Silver Spring, MD: NOAA's National Weather Service.
50.
VeenstraM., LemmensP., FriesemaI., TanF., GarretsenH., KnottnerusJ. (2007). Coping style mediates impact of stress on alcohol use: A prospective population-based study. Addiction, 102(12), 1890–1898.
51.
WeaverA. J. (2005). Clergy as health care providers. Southern Medical Journal, 98(12), 1237–1237.
52.
WeaverA. J., FlannellyK. J., LarsonD. B., StapletonC. L., & KoenigH. G. (2002). Mental health issues among clergy and other religious professionals: A review of research. The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: JPCC, 56(4), 393–403.
53.
WeaverA. J., FlannellyL. T., GarbarinoJ., FigleyC. R., & FlannellyK. J. (2003). A systematic review of research on religion and spirituality in the journal of traumatic stress: 1990–1999. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 6(3), 215–228.
54.
WeaverA. J., KoenigH. G., & OchbergF. M. (1996). Posttraumatic stress, mental health professionals, and the clergy: A need for collaboration, training, and research. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(4), 847–856.
55.
WhittemoreR., ChaseS. K., & MandleC. L. (2001). Validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 11(4), 522–538.
