Broaching Mental Health Conversations In Church: Why and How?
With increased recognition of the prevalence of mental health problems in society, Dr T Ayodele Ajayi argues that more churches need to start initiating public discussion of the topic
Black church communities can be uncomfortable around disclosures about mental health problems, and sometimes inadvertently make unhealthy assumptions that are damaging. There is, however, sound scriptural grounds to believe God cares about our souls – the seat of our emotions, will and intellect – as much as He does our spirits and bodies. Three John 2 alludes to God’s interest in our whole being: ‘I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, just as you are progressing spiritually’ (NIVUK).
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that one person out of every eight in the world is living with a mental health condition. If the church population is representative of our community, the chances are that mental health conditions are common. Some figures suggest that half of these conditions are already present by the time a person is 15 years old, and three quarters by their mid-20s.
More recently, an Office of Health Improvement and Disparities survey revealed that nearly half (49%) of adults and over half (52%) of Black adults in England said the COVID-19 pandemic had had a negative impact on their mental well-being.
This is why it is so important for churches, and church leaders in particular, to initiate open dialogue about emotional health.
Talk about mental health from the pulpit
On a personal note, as a psychiatrist who has the privilege of being a youth pastor with a growing social network teeming with Christian young adults and their parents, I know believers are keen to discuss mental health. There are unresolved issues of anxiety, depression, identity, self-esteem, loneliness, sexuality, pornography, and social media dilemmas that they wish were openly addressed from the pulpit.
A common question I encounter is: “How and where does my Christian faith feature in my emotional health in the 21st century?”
So how might we as church leaders respond? Believers – young adults in particular – are looking for a collaborative approach from leadership. They want to be heard and involved in formulating strategies and solutions in tackling this issue. As a church leader, a good starting point might be to create a focus group in your congregation to brainstorm and highlight some of the challenges congregants are facing with mental health.
The pivotal point in the church I attend and serve in, came one Sunday, when the young adults decided to use their dedicated quarterly session to speak about mental health. Church leadership recognised the need to have another session, led by the young adults, which culminated in a formal church strategy to address mental health difficulties. Involving in-house mental health professionals is always beneficial. As a result of these conversations, we successfully arranged for our entire volunteer team and leadership team to receive safeguarding training and attend a full day of training dedicated to mental health awareness, delivered by myself and a couple of psychiatrist colleagues.
Incorporating personal experiences of mental health challenges and/or mental health self-care strategies in sermons can be a powerful way to normalise conversations and remove stigma. On occasions, I have shared freely from the pulpit my journey of overcoming imposter syndrome. I also frequently talk about proven mental health tips, along with scripturally-sound and evidence-based thinking strategies I use to challenge toxic thinking in supporting my own mental health.
Be Informed
Church leaders need to be better informed. Broaching the tricky issues of mental health is best when leaders are well-equipped, with a deeper understanding of the different types of mental health issues they may encounter in their congregation. The Royal College of Psychiatrists (rcpsych.ac.uk) and Mental Health Foundation (mentalhealthfoundation.org.uk) are credible information sources.
A supportive and non-judgemental approach – one that does not dismiss people with mental illness as sinful or weak-willed – is key. Encouraging listeners that obtaining professional help is not contrary to faith can be liberating. Alluding to Bible characters, such as David and Elijah, who clearly demonstrated mental health distress, can be a helpful means of normalising the dialogue.
God really does care about our well-being and we need to ensure that, for our congregants who are under increasing pressure in this area, we do not avoid the conversation. If there is somewhere these conversations can be held with empathy and compassion, in the solution-focused style it requires, the Church is perfectly placed.
Tripart Care delivers evidenced-based, scripturally-sound mental health awareness training to church communities and Christian charities
Email: tripartcare@gmail.com
