Edward Polson
Biographic Data
| ID | 1190723 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Edward Polson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Edward |
| FAMILY NAME | Polson |
| SIGNATURE | POLSON E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Baylor University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2997-8155 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 30 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 68 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 30 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of mental health educators: A national study
Currently, little is known about the religious and spiritual (RS) beliefs and practices of faculty in graduate mental health training programs. Here, we analyze data from a recent survey of 1,956 faculty in accredited counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work programs across the U.S. to provide the first national assessment of RS beliefs and practices of faculty in these disciplines. Results indicate that many hold RS b…
Addressing Spirituality and Religion in Mental Health Graduate Coursework: An Interdisciplinary Survey of Faculty Infusion Strategies in the United States
Accreditation and ethical standards across the professions of counseling, marriage and family therapy (MFT), psychology, and social work include spirituality and/or religion (S/R) as core areas of multicultural diversity that will ideally be addressed in training and clinical practice. However, many graduate programs face logistic challenges for equipping students with basic attitudes, knowledge, and skills to attend to patients’ S/R. The purpose…
Revalidating the religious/spiritually integrated practice assessment scale for educators across four mental health disciplines
This paper describes the validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale for Educators (RSIPAS-EDU) with a diverse sample of faculty in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and psychology. Full-time faculty at accredited graduate schools across disciplines were invited to participate in an online survey that included the RSIPAS-EDU, and 1,742 completed it. Results support the RSIPAS-EDU as a reliable …
Perceived benefit or burden? How positive and negative spiritual/religious coping impacts family caregivers of people with dementia
Spiritual/religious coping can be a significant resource for individuals and families who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Little is known, however, about how different forms of spiritual/religious coping impact caregivers’ experiences of burden and benefit. This study examines the relationship between positive and negative spiritual/religious coping and caregiver burden and benefit among a sample of caregivers of people with dementia. F…
Helpful and Harmful Approaches to Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Mental Health Care: A National Survey of Current Clients’ Experiences in the United States
Current Mental Health Clients’ Religious/Spiritual Beliefs and Practices: A National Survey
This article describes the results of a cross-sectional survey of current mental health clients’ religious/spiritual beliefs and practices, as well as how clients perceive such practices as influencing their mental health. A total of 989 self-identified mental health clients across the United States completed an anonymous online survey in 2018. This survey included several items and instruments to measure clients’ religious affiliation, religious…
Spiritual and religious competency training for mental health care professionals: How much is enough
Spirituality and religion (R/S) are important aspects of diversity and functioning for most people, and training in these areas for mental health professionals is needed. But how much training is enough? This paper proposes R/S training guidelines that can be used to inform coursework, practicum/internship didactic training, and supervision
Insights From a CSWE Summit for Critical Conversations on Religion, Faith, and Spirituality in Social Work Education
The role of religion and spirituality within social work education has varied throughout the profession’s history, with recent research calling for increased attention to this area of diversity. In response, the Council on Social Work Education hosted and sponsored the 2021 Summit for Critical Conversations on Religion, Faith, and Spirituality in Social Work Education and Practice, with each of the coauthors serving as presenters and facilitators…
The Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale for Educators: A National Survey of Social Work Faculty
Although there has been increased attention to religion and spirituality (RS) over the past few decades in social work, little is understood about the delivery of this content within the social work curriculum and social work educators’ views and behaviors regarding training students on this area of practice. The current study attempts to address this by (a) describing the development and validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practic…
Religion and Spirituality in MSW Programs’ Implicit and Explicit Curricula: A National Survey of Faculty
Although there has been increased attention to religion and spirituality (RS) in social work and related helping professions over the last few decades, less attention has been given to whether, where, and how RS content is delivered within Master of Social Work (MSW) programs’ implicit and explicit curricula. The present study included the results from 781 full-time MSW faculty surveyed across the United States to better understand (a) how RS is …
The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of MSW faculty: A national survey
There is growing recognition that integrating clients’ religion and spirituality (RS) in mental health practice can contribute to positive outcomes. Given that intrinsic religiosity predicts faculty attitudes/behaviors regarding training students on such integration within social work education, it is worth understanding their RS beliefs and practices. Thus, our current national study describes the RS beliefs and practices of 807 MSW faculty in a…
Examining the influence of colleges’ and universities’ religious affiliation on graduate social work education in the United States
Throughout social work’s history, scholars have debated the impact religiously affiliated colleges and universities have on social work education. Some have viewed religious affiliation as an asset contributing to training in values and ethics, while others question whether institutions’ religious commitments conflict with professional values. To date, no national study has examined the perceived influence that institutions’ religious affiliation…
Streams in the desert: Exploring religion and spirituality among incarcerated women with lengthy sentences
A large body of research examines the effects of religion and spirituality on criminality and recidivism in the United States. The goal of much of this work has been to determine the effectiveness of various rehabilitation models with a majority of studies focusing on male offenders’ experiences. There is a dearth of research exploring women and crime and even less examining the life experiences of women serving lengthy sentences. In this paper, …
Good Neighbor House: Reimagining Settlement Houses for 21st Century Communities
Scholars have documented many challenges facing communities in the 21st century including increasing inter-group conflict, declining levels of social trust, growing skepticism of institutions, and diminishing public resources. Such challenges threaten to weaken social ties and undermine relationships at the local level. We contend there is a significant opportunity and a need for the development of innovative models of community practice which em…
The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of MSW program leaders across the United States
This paper describes a national survey of Master of Social Work (MSW) program leaders’ religious and spiritual beliefs and practices across the United States. Of the 257 eligible MSW programs primary contacts, 119 (46.8%) responded to the survey, with 90 completing the items related to religion and spirituality (RS). Specifically, those RS items assessed participants’ religious affiliation, intrinsic religiosity, frequency of religious service at…
Exploring the social justice beliefs of Baptist Christians
Social justice is a core value of the social work profession; in recent years it has also has become a topic of debate in many Christian denominations. Yet, researchers know little about how Christian laypersons conceptualize and engage the topic of social justice. In this qualitative study, we explore the beliefs of Baptist Christians in one Texas community in order to better understand how people of faith conceptualize and engage issues of soci…
The Bridging Activity of Multiracial Congregations
The growing diversity of U.S. communities has led scholars to explore how racial/ethnic diversity effects social capital, civic engagement, and social trust. Less is known about the relationship between diversity and the work of community-based organizations (CBOs). In this study, we examine how the racial/ethnic composition of one ubiquitous type of CBO, religious congregations, is related to measures of organizational bridging social capital. A…
Worshiping across the Color Line: The Influence of Congregational Composition on Whites' Friendship Networks and Racial Attitudes
Religious participation has reinforced the color line in American society for generations. Despite rising racial and ethnic diversity across U.S. communities, most Americans continue to belong to congregations composed primarily of others from their own racial/ethnic groups. Yet recent scholarship suggests that the presence of multiple racial or ethnic groups in the same congregation is increasing. The authors examine how the racial/ethnic compos…
An Examination of the Relationship between Characteristics of Sect-Like Religiosity and Community Volunteering among U.S. Churchgoers
Previous research indicates a robust relationship between religious participation and volunteering. However, religion is a multidimensional phenomenon and relatively few studies have examined the effects that different types of religiosity have on the likelihood of volunteering. In this article I extend our understanding of the link between religion and volunteering by examining the effect that several characteristics associated with sect-like re…
Religious Environments and the Distribution of Anti-Poverty Nonprofit Organizations
Previous scholarship highlights the effect that religious environments have on community-level outcomes such as neighborhood stability, economic development, and crime. In the present study, I extend work on the contextual effects of religion by examining how the religious composition of U.S. counties is related to the distribution of anti-poverty nonprofit organizations. Anti-poverty nonprofits represent an important source of support for commun…
The Religiosity and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices of Clinical Social Workers: A National Survey
This article describes the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices among a national sample of 426 licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). Given the significant role LCSWs' intrinsic religiosity plays in whether or not they consider clients' religion and spirituality (RS) as it relates to practice, it is critical that the profession best understands current LCSWs' religious and spiritual beliefs, and in what ways these mirror or contrast t…
The Religious and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices among Practitioners across Five Helping Professions
Helping professionals' religious and spiritual beliefs and practices have been reported as important components in the consideration of clients' religion/spirituality (RS) in mental and behavioral health treatment. However, no study to date has simultaneously examined and compared five helping professions' RS beliefs and practices, including psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and marriage and family therapists. The current study i…
Baby Boomers as Congregational Volunteers in Community Ministry
Religious congregations are a significant setting for volunteerism in the United States, and increasing rates of volunteerism correlate with age. Because of their prolonged health and increased longevity, the large boomer generation represents a potentially significant volunteer resource for congregations. But current research on boomers and congregational life provides little information about this age cohort for engaging them in community minis…
The colors of fear: A multilevel analysis of fear of crime across Houston area neighborhoods
Research on fear of crime has revealed the impact that neighborhoods' racial composition has on individuals' perceptions of fear and safety. Yet, few studies have examined how between-neighborhood variation in diversity, as distinct from minority concentration, influences residents' perceptions. Using multilevel regression and drawing on data gathered from a sample of residents in the Greater Houston Area, we examine the between-neighborhood effe…
Putting Civic Participation in Context: Examining the Effects of Congregational Structure and Culture
Research indicates that participation in organized religion is related to higher levels of civic engagement. It is often theorized that social connections developed in congregations facilitate this increased involvement in civic life. Yet, despite interest in the link between religion and civic engagement, few studies have explored the effects that varying congregational contexts have on attenders' civic behavior. In an era when both religious cu…
Recovering the Lost: Remeasuring U.S. Religious Affiliation
Over the past several decades, survey research has found a growing percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation. In this article, we introduce a modified religious traditions (RELTRAD) typology to measure religious affiliation. The approach benefits from a more detailed data collection and coding scheme of religious tradition based upon religious family, denomination, and congregation. Using new national survey data from the Baylor R…
Putting Civic Participation in Context: Examining the Effects of Congregational Structure and Culture
Research indicates that participation in organized religion is related to higher levels of civic engagement. It is often theorized that social connections developed in congregations facilitate this increased involvement in civic life. Yet, despite interest in the link between religion and civic engagement, few studies have explored the effects that varying congregational contexts have on attenders' civic behavior. In an era when both religious cu…
Worshiping across the Color Line: The Influence of Congregational Composition on Whites' Friendship Networks and Racial Attitudes
Religious participation has reinforced the color line in American society for generations. Despite rising racial and ethnic diversity across U.S. communities, most Americans continue to belong to congregations composed primarily of others from their own racial/ethnic groups. Yet recent scholarship suggests that the presence of multiple racial or ethnic groups in the same congregation is increasing. The authors examine how the racial/ethnic compos…
The Religiosity and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices of Clinical Social Workers: A National Survey
This article describes the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices among a national sample of 426 licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). Given the significant role LCSWs' intrinsic religiosity plays in whether or not they consider clients' religion and spirituality (RS) as it relates to practice, it is critical that the profession best understands current LCSWs' religious and spiritual beliefs, and in what ways these mirror or contrast t…
The Inter-Organizational Ties That Bind: Exploring the Contributions of Agency-Congregation Relationships
Journal Article The Inter-Organizational Ties That Bind: Exploring the Contributions of Agency-Congregation Relationships Get access Edward C. Polson Edward C. Polson Baylor University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Sociology of Religion, Volume 69, Issue 1, Spring 2008, Pages 45–65, https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/69.1.45 Published: 01 March 2008
An Examination of the Relationship between Characteristics of Sect-Like Religiosity and Community Volunteering among U.S. Churchgoers
Previous research indicates a robust relationship between religious participation and volunteering. However, religion is a multidimensional phenomenon and relatively few studies have examined the effects that different types of religiosity have on the likelihood of volunteering. In this article I extend our understanding of the link between religion and volunteering by examining the effect that several characteristics associated with sect-like re…
Being Prepared and Staying Connected: Scouting's Influence on Social Capital and Community Involvement
Objectives In recent years, scholars have become concerned about the effects that declining levels of social capital are having on community life in the United States. Data suggest that Americans are less likely to interact with neighbors and less likely to participate in community groups than they were in the past. Nevertheless, researchers have found that participation in some types of organizations has a positive impact on social capital and c…
Structured Voluntary Youth Activities and Positive Outcomes in Adulthood: An Exploratory Study of Involvement in Scouting and Subjective Well-Being
This study explores whether youth involvement in Scouting has positive consequences later in life. We examine whether the number of years of participation in Scouting is positively associated with human and social capital and recreational lifestyles in adulthood, and whether these are linked to subjective well-being: relational, emotional, and physical health. To explore this potential relationship, we estimated a structural equation model, analy…
Current Mental Health Clients’ Religious/Spiritual Beliefs and Practices: A National Survey
This article describes the results of a cross-sectional survey of current mental health clients’ religious/spiritual beliefs and practices, as well as how clients perceive such practices as influencing their mental health. A total of 989 self-identified mental health clients across the United States completed an anonymous online survey in 2018. This survey included several items and instruments to measure clients’ religious affiliation, religious…
Spiritual and religious competency training for mental health care professionals: How much is enough
Spirituality and religion (R/S) are important aspects of diversity and functioning for most people, and training in these areas for mental health professionals is needed. But how much training is enough? This paper proposes R/S training guidelines that can be used to inform coursework, practicum/internship didactic training, and supervision
Baby Boomers as Congregational Volunteers in Community Ministry
Religious congregations are a significant setting for volunteerism in the United States, and increasing rates of volunteerism correlate with age. Because of their prolonged health and increased longevity, the large boomer generation represents a potentially significant volunteer resource for congregations. But current research on boomers and congregational life provides little information about this age cohort for engaging them in community minis…
Recovering the Lost: Remeasuring U.S. Religious Affiliation
Over the past several decades, survey research has found a growing percentage of Americans claiming no religious affiliation. In this article, we introduce a modified religious traditions (RELTRAD) typology to measure religious affiliation. The approach benefits from a more detailed data collection and coding scheme of religious tradition based upon religious family, denomination, and congregation. Using new national survey data from the Baylor R…
The Inter-Organizational Ties That Bind: Exploring the Contributions of Agency-Congregation Relationships
Journal Article The Inter-Organizational Ties That Bind: Exploring the Contributions of Agency-Congregation Relationships Get access Edward C. Polson Edward C. Polson Baylor University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Sociology of Religion, Volume 69, Issue 1, Spring 2008, Pages 45–65, https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/69.1.45 Published: 01 March 2008
Being Prepared and Staying Connected: Scouting's Influence on Social Capital and Community Involvement
Objectives In recent years, scholars have become concerned about the effects that declining levels of social capital are having on community life in the United States. Data suggest that Americans are less likely to interact with neighbors and less likely to participate in community groups than they were in the past. Nevertheless, researchers have found that participation in some types of organizations has a positive impact on social capital and c…
Structured Voluntary Youth Activities and Positive Outcomes in Adulthood: An Exploratory Study of Involvement in Scouting and Subjective Well-Being
This study explores whether youth involvement in Scouting has positive consequences later in life. We examine whether the number of years of participation in Scouting is positively associated with human and social capital and recreational lifestyles in adulthood, and whether these are linked to subjective well-being: relational, emotional, and physical health. To explore this potential relationship, we estimated a structural equation model, analy…
Social Diversity and Civic Engagement: The Effects of Ethnic and Social Heterogeneity on the Community Involvement of American Congregations
A growing body of research has been devoted to examining the community service activities of congregations. Yet there is much we still do not know about factors that affect variation in levels of congregational community service. One area that deserves attention is the relationship between congregational services and increasing levels of diversity in the United States. Are homogeneous or diverse congregations more or less likely to provide servic…
The colors of fear: A multilevel analysis of fear of crime across Houston area neighborhoods
Research on fear of crime has revealed the impact that neighborhoods' racial composition has on individuals' perceptions of fear and safety. Yet, few studies have examined how between-neighborhood variation in diversity, as distinct from minority concentration, influences residents' perceptions. Using multilevel regression and drawing on data gathered from a sample of residents in the Greater Houston Area, we examine the between-neighborhood effe…
Putting Civic Participation in Context: Examining the Effects of Congregational Structure and Culture
Research indicates that participation in organized religion is related to higher levels of civic engagement. It is often theorized that social connections developed in congregations facilitate this increased involvement in civic life. Yet, despite interest in the link between religion and civic engagement, few studies have explored the effects that varying congregational contexts have on attenders' civic behavior. In an era when both religious cu…
Religious Environments and the Distribution of Anti-Poverty Nonprofit Organizations
Previous scholarship highlights the effect that religious environments have on community-level outcomes such as neighborhood stability, economic development, and crime. In the present study, I extend work on the contextual effects of religion by examining how the religious composition of U.S. counties is related to the distribution of anti-poverty nonprofit organizations. Anti-poverty nonprofits represent an important source of support for commun…
The Religiosity and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices of Clinical Social Workers: A National Survey
This article describes the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices among a national sample of 426 licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). Given the significant role LCSWs' intrinsic religiosity plays in whether or not they consider clients' religion and spirituality (RS) as it relates to practice, it is critical that the profession best understands current LCSWs' religious and spiritual beliefs, and in what ways these mirror or contrast t…
The Religious and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices among Practitioners across Five Helping Professions
Helping professionals' religious and spiritual beliefs and practices have been reported as important components in the consideration of clients' religion/spirituality (RS) in mental and behavioral health treatment. However, no study to date has simultaneously examined and compared five helping professions' RS beliefs and practices, including psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and marriage and family therapists. The current study i…
Baby Boomers as Congregational Volunteers in Community Ministry
Religious congregations are a significant setting for volunteerism in the United States, and increasing rates of volunteerism correlate with age. Because of their prolonged health and increased longevity, the large boomer generation represents a potentially significant volunteer resource for congregations. But current research on boomers and congregational life provides little information about this age cohort for engaging them in community minis…
An Examination of the Relationship between Characteristics of Sect-Like Religiosity and Community Volunteering among U.S. Churchgoers
Previous research indicates a robust relationship between religious participation and volunteering. However, religion is a multidimensional phenomenon and relatively few studies have examined the effects that different types of religiosity have on the likelihood of volunteering. In this article I extend our understanding of the link between religion and volunteering by examining the effect that several characteristics associated with sect-like re…
Exploring the social justice beliefs of Baptist Christians
Social justice is a core value of the social work profession; in recent years it has also has become a topic of debate in many Christian denominations. Yet, researchers know little about how Christian laypersons conceptualize and engage the topic of social justice. In this qualitative study, we explore the beliefs of Baptist Christians in one Texas community in order to better understand how people of faith conceptualize and engage issues of soci…
The Bridging Activity of Multiracial Congregations
The growing diversity of U.S. communities has led scholars to explore how racial/ethnic diversity effects social capital, civic engagement, and social trust. Less is known about the relationship between diversity and the work of community-based organizations (CBOs). In this study, we examine how the racial/ethnic composition of one ubiquitous type of CBO, religious congregations, is related to measures of organizational bridging social capital. A…
Worshiping across the Color Line: The Influence of Congregational Composition on Whites' Friendship Networks and Racial Attitudes
Religious participation has reinforced the color line in American society for generations. Despite rising racial and ethnic diversity across U.S. communities, most Americans continue to belong to congregations composed primarily of others from their own racial/ethnic groups. Yet recent scholarship suggests that the presence of multiple racial or ethnic groups in the same congregation is increasing. The authors examine how the racial/ethnic compos…
Good Neighbor House: Reimagining Settlement Houses for 21st Century Communities
Scholars have documented many challenges facing communities in the 21st century including increasing inter-group conflict, declining levels of social trust, growing skepticism of institutions, and diminishing public resources. Such challenges threaten to weaken social ties and undermine relationships at the local level. We contend there is a significant opportunity and a need for the development of innovative models of community practice which em…
The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of MSW program leaders across the United States
This paper describes a national survey of Master of Social Work (MSW) program leaders’ religious and spiritual beliefs and practices across the United States. Of the 257 eligible MSW programs primary contacts, 119 (46.8%) responded to the survey, with 90 completing the items related to religion and spirituality (RS). Specifically, those RS items assessed participants’ religious affiliation, intrinsic religiosity, frequency of religious service at…
Streams in the desert: Exploring religion and spirituality among incarcerated women with lengthy sentences
A large body of research examines the effects of religion and spirituality on criminality and recidivism in the United States. The goal of much of this work has been to determine the effectiveness of various rehabilitation models with a majority of studies focusing on male offenders’ experiences. There is a dearth of research exploring women and crime and even less examining the life experiences of women serving lengthy sentences. In this paper, …
Insights From a CSWE Summit for Critical Conversations on Religion, Faith, and Spirituality in Social Work Education
The role of religion and spirituality within social work education has varied throughout the profession’s history, with recent research calling for increased attention to this area of diversity. In response, the Council on Social Work Education hosted and sponsored the 2021 Summit for Critical Conversations on Religion, Faith, and Spirituality in Social Work Education and Practice, with each of the coauthors serving as presenters and facilitators…
The Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale for Educators: A National Survey of Social Work Faculty
Although there has been increased attention to religion and spirituality (RS) over the past few decades in social work, little is understood about the delivery of this content within the social work curriculum and social work educators’ views and behaviors regarding training students on this area of practice. The current study attempts to address this by (a) describing the development and validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practic…
Religion and Spirituality in MSW Programs’ Implicit and Explicit Curricula: A National Survey of Faculty
Although there has been increased attention to religion and spirituality (RS) in social work and related helping professions over the last few decades, less attention has been given to whether, where, and how RS content is delivered within Master of Social Work (MSW) programs’ implicit and explicit curricula. The present study included the results from 781 full-time MSW faculty surveyed across the United States to better understand (a) how RS is …
The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of MSW faculty: A national survey
There is growing recognition that integrating clients’ religion and spirituality (RS) in mental health practice can contribute to positive outcomes. Given that intrinsic religiosity predicts faculty attitudes/behaviors regarding training students on such integration within social work education, it is worth understanding their RS beliefs and practices. Thus, our current national study describes the RS beliefs and practices of 807 MSW faculty in a…
Examining the influence of colleges’ and universities’ religious affiliation on graduate social work education in the United States
Throughout social work’s history, scholars have debated the impact religiously affiliated colleges and universities have on social work education. Some have viewed religious affiliation as an asset contributing to training in values and ethics, while others question whether institutions’ religious commitments conflict with professional values. To date, no national study has examined the perceived influence that institutions’ religious affiliation…
Perceived benefit or burden? How positive and negative spiritual/religious coping impacts family caregivers of people with dementia
Spiritual/religious coping can be a significant resource for individuals and families who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Little is known, however, about how different forms of spiritual/religious coping impact caregivers’ experiences of burden and benefit. This study examines the relationship between positive and negative spiritual/religious coping and caregiver burden and benefit among a sample of caregivers of people with dementia. F…
Helpful and Harmful Approaches to Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Mental Health Care: A National Survey of Current Clients’ Experiences in the United States
Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (24 works) · Psychology (22 works) · Sociology (22 works) · Religion, Society, and Development (20 works) · Political science (16 works) · Medicine (15 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Spirituality (15 works) · Alternative medicine (11 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (9 works)