Real-world evidence for clergy well-being: developing a culturally grounded self-screening tool to promote sustainable mental health outcomes

Introduction: Clergy well-being (CWB), encompassing subjective, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, is critical for sustaining work-related psychological health (WPH). However, dominant well-being models are largely grounded in Western individualistic assumptions and lack cultural sensitivity to collectivist contexts such as Chinese-speaking communities. Despite facing distinct vocational and spiritual stressors, clergy remain underrepresented in occupational health psychology research. This study aimed to develop and validate a culturally grounded self-screening tool for CWB and to examine a dual-spectrum model of WPH among Chinese clergy. Methods: A mixed-method design was conducted in Taiwan across two studies. Study 1 involved item development, expert content validation, and exploratory factor analysis with 150 clergy. Study 2 included confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance testing, and structural equation modeling with 437 clergy to validate the factor structure and examine the predictive relationships between CWB dimensions (subjective, psychological, spiritual well-being) and WPH outcomes (engagement, stability, fatigue, burnout). Results: The final 34-item scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and construct validity. Analyses supported a three-factor structure of CWB and a four-factor structure of WPH. Subjective well-being showed the strongest and most consistent associations with engagement, stability, fatigue, and burnout. Psychological well-being significantly reduced fatigue and enhanced stability, whereas spiritual well-being primarily predicted engagement and stability. Gender measurement invariance was established. Discussion: This study provides a culturally sensitive and psychometrically validated self-screening instrument for assessing clergy well-being and work-related psychological health in Chinese contexts. By integrating collectivist cultural values and spiritual dimensions into occupational health psychology, the findings advance culturally inclusive well-being theory and inform targeted interventions. The accompanying online self-assessment tool enhances practical applicability and supports ongoing well-being monitoring.