Religion and mental health


Clergy not prepared to meet congregations' mental health needs

Religious people tend to turn to clergy for help and support in times of trouble. 
But when that trouble manifests as a mental health issue, odds are their pastor or rabbi is not well-equipped to respond effectively, said Jared Pingleton, a licensed clinical psychologist.



"They were trained in theology," said Pingleton, clinical director for the American Association of Christian Counselors.
"They're not trained to deal with that 2 o'clock call with a suicidal emergency," Pingleton said. "They're not trained to know how to care or cope with people who are in the throws throes of a serious depression controlled by an addictive substance or behavior or headed to a divorce lawyer." 
That is the reality for the Rev. Jim Hughes, who leads Belle Meade United Methodist Church.


It is not that Hughes doesn't want to help his 400 or so church members, but he knows from 43 years of ministry experience that professional counselors are far more effective than he could ever be at addressing mental health issues. 
"I tend to kind of limit myself to three conversations," Hughes said. "If whatever is going on with somebody can't be really addressed and gotten on a good path, if that can't be done in three, they need to be referred." 
The stakes can be high for how pastors respond, too. An oblique or cursory response can leave someone feeling dismissed, intensifying a person's shame, Pingleton said. And a mental health crisis for someone who is suicidal can be a matter of life and death. 


But strides are being made in the faith community on how to recognize and address mental health needs.   
More and more, seminaries and Bible schools are introducing their students to mental health issues, Pingleton said. Churches, especially large, healthy and progressive congregations, are adding counseling staff to their ministry teams, he said. 
Just 14 percent of churches have a counselor on staff trained in mental illness and 13 percent train leaders to recognize the signs, according to a 2014 LifeWay Research survey of Protestant pastors. Only 27 percent have a plan to assist families affected by mental illness. 
Pastors need to preach about mental health, acknowledging the reality of the issues, Pingleton said. According to the LifeWay Research survey, 49 percent of pastors rarely or never speak about acute mental illness in sermons or large group messages. 


"When there is a sermon about mental and relational health needs, that ends the silence, it eliminates the shame and it erases the stigma," Pingleton said.  
Clergy members also need to build a list of trusted counseling professionals they can refer congregation members to in times of need, Pingleton said. 
"They need to learn the art of making an effective referral," Pingleton said. "You need to make sure the parishioner or congregant isn't offended or feels rejected."
At Belle Meade United Methodist, Hughes has a resource list for moments when needs go beyond his abilities.
The church also opened its doors in the last year to a counseling center led by a licensed clinical pastoral therapist. They see it as a ministry of the church, but it serves the wider community. The first visit is free for church members, and follow-ups are offered on a sliding scale. Hughes has already referred church members to it. 
To offset the financial cost of therapy, the church received a grant to help seniors pay for it. The rent the counseling center pays the church goes into a fund to assist those who need financial help. 


It is not just congregation members seeking help from the Belle Meade church, which is in an affluent part of the city and located on a bus line and major thoroughfare. Hughes receives calls and visits from those experiencing homelessness or those recently released from jail who are in need of help. Mental illness and addiction are present in both populations. 


"Most clergy are not equipped. We might pretend like we are, but we're not," Hughes said. "We need these resources. We need to be able to put people in the right hands." 


Reach Holly Meyer at hmeyer@tennessean.com or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer. 

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