December 2008 - mental illness and church

(NaturalNews) A recent Baylor University study of church members who sought
help for a diagnosed mental health problem found the illness was denied or
dismissed by a third of the pastors. The church members were instead told
that the issue was spiritual in nature.

This study surveyed 293 individuals who approached their pastors for
assistance with their own or a family member's mental health problems. These
illnesses had been previously diagnosed by licensed mental health
professionals as serious disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder. In 32 percent of the cases the pastor claimed there was no mental
illness.

The lead researcher, Matthew Stanford, professor of psychology and
neuroscience at Baylor University in Texas, was quoted on
www.livescience.com as saying, "The results are troubling because it
suggests individuals in the local church are either denying or dismissing a
somewhat high percentage of mental health diagnosis. Those whose mental
illness is dismissed by clergy are not only being told they don't have a
mental illness, they are also being told they need to stop taking their
medication. That can be a very dangerous thing."

Untreated, mental health problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
tend to increase in severity.

The research, published in the journal Mental Health, Religion and Culture ,
was limited to Christian churches. It found that women were more likely to
have their mental health symptoms dismissed by clergy than men.

A follow-up study indicated that dismissal or denial of mental illness was
more prevalent in conservative churches, less so in liberal churches.

The study's implications are troubling, since clergy are often the first
person their parishioners seek out for a wide range of problems. People are
more likely to turn to clergy, not mental health professionals, particularly
when experiencing psychological distress. In fact, it's a cultural norm to
do so in many parts of the country.

Numerous studies conducted in the past have shown that nearly half of people
with mental health symptoms seek help from clergy at some point. The
National Institute of Mental Health reported in 1993 that individuals with
disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders requested assistance from clergy more often than from
psychologists and psychiatrists combined.

Pastoral education in mental health is on the rise, particularly in
mainstream denominations. Research shows that when members of the clergy
have up-to-date mental health training and are aware of the services
available in the community, appropriate referrals increase. Collaborative
efforts between clergy and mental health professionals are the focus, making
spiritual as well as mental health a top priority.

About the author

Laura Weldon is a writer with a book called Free Range Learning coming out
in 2008. She lives on an organic farm and believes in bliss.

Editor's Note:

This article is obviously meant to alarm readers into thinking that God, the Bible and church are not sufficient resources for handling mental health issues; we need the services of the schooled and trained mental health profession instead. Tragically, many pastors believe this, as this article response attests:

"2/3 of Christian pastors buy into psychiatry and refer their members to psychiatrists. That's what I got out of the article, and I wouldn't doubt it.

"We left churches almost 4 years ago because they were encouraging drug use and labeling at alrming rates. We did shop around, questioning about 35 pastors in all, but it was eerily familiar at each congregation. We didn't find one single church where the pastor dared to dismiss or condemn psychiatry. Specifically, they were advising parents to dope their kids up for hyperactivity "disorder" and they were advising women to dope themselves for unhappiness.

"In this case, I consider the cup to be 2/3 empty. Don't those pastors know what psychiatrists think of belief in angels and demons, talking to an invisible guy, etc.?"