RELIGIOSITY AND DEPRESSION: AN ANALYSIS IN PROTESTANT SHEPHERDS

Abstract

Depression is termed as a mental disorder that is affecting a large number of people of various age groups. Thus, the present study aimed at analyzing depression in front of Protestant leaders, verifying the level of stress in the performance of their activities and describing how the role of the religious influences the acceptance and confrontation of depression. The research followed the precepts of an exploratory study, through a bibliographical research. The data were collected in 20 materials between articles, books, and theses that developed studies on the subject. It has been found that religious leaders may be prone to depression because of the overwork that a pastor ends up assuming: producing sermons, counseling, visiting members, birthdays, wakes, weddings, meetings, and baptisms, not to mention personal demands and family, in this mix of emotions involved, and with all these tasks, generate stress and emotional disorganization, bringing negative consequences to the life of the ministers of faith. Greater clarification, coping with prejudice and, in many cases, specialized monitoring for the maintenance of mental health are necessary.