The Relationship between Lutheran Pastors’Well-Being and Depression and the Professional Support Available to Them: A Quantitative Study in the Hungarian Lutheran Church

Introduction: Several studies confirm the unfavorable physical and mental health status of church pastors. These findings have often been linked to the level of social support they receive. Aims: The purpose of this study is to provide insights into the relationship between the mental health of Hungarian Lutheran pastors and the availability of professional support. We examined which form of support shows the strongest association with their well-being and depression. Methods: The quantitative research was conducted in 2022 in the Hungarian Lutheran Church. 54.0% of pastors (N = 148) completed the survey. Mental health status was measured using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WBI-5) and the 9-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Three kinds of professional support were measured in the questionnaire: supervision, spiritual direction, and peer group support. Results: The results clearly indicate a significant association between increasing levels of support utilized by pastors and improved well-being [χ² (3, N = 139) = 28.75, p < .001]. In the binary logistic regression analysis, the odds of being classified in the non-normal category of the BDI decreased by approximately 60.0% if pastors had a supervisor or spiritual director [χ² (3, N = 132) = 15.33, p = .002, Nagelkerke R2 = 15.1%]. Conclusions: Our results suggest that professional support has a stronger association with pastors’ mental health status than any sociodemographic characteristics. The authors conclude that it is important to establish professional support systems for clergy to strengthen their ministry within the Hungarian Lutheran Church.