Spiritual needs: Gender differences among professional spiritual care providers

The current study explored gender differences regarding spirituality by comparing the relative frequency with which male (n = 85) and female (n = 103) professional chaplains experience various facets of the spiritual experience. The women in the sample reported experiencing five of the seven spiritual constructs examined significantly more often than men, including the need for (1) belonging, (2) meaning, (3) hope, (4) beauty, and (5) acceptance of death. No significant gender differences were found for spiritual needs related to morality concerns or religious practices.