People Of Faith
How should I live? How do I know what’s right? What does it all mean? Questions like these are common among people seeking the help of a mental health professional. They are the very same questions often whispered, sung and prayed in houses of worship and in sacred moments of spiritual practice. Religious life and mental health care often intersect at the pivotal and stressful moments of human life.
Leaders
It is so important that faith leaders be very familiar with the mental health resources available in their communities. An informed pastor, rabbi, imam or other leader not only will know when to refer to someone a mental health professional, but also will have several specific ideas of who to call when that time comes. A religious leader serious about mental health advocacy is almost certain to be part of actual life-saving interventions.
Community Members
Of course, the ability to help navigate others to mental health services is not limited to clergy and religious leadership. All members of a community can be advocates. Houses of worship and prayer are often centers of trust in their neighborhoods. Any given person could be the one in the building, part of a prayer group, or coordinating the activity when it becomes clear that someone present needs to see a mental health professional. We all can listen, we all can care, and we all can make a difference. More practically, we all can refer.
Taking Action
Since its founding, the Living Well Network has worked with local faith communities to spread the word about mental health care and accessing resources. There are many ways that religious life can be lighthouses in the storm of mental illness, including:
- Organizing health fairs and awareness events
- Founding faith-based counseling centers
- Offerings and fundraising for mental health charities and education
- Focusing sermons or meditations on mental health issues
- Hosting community groups and 12-step meetings
- Distributing literature from local resource centers
Centers of religious life have a tremendous platform to help raise the profile of mental health needs and solutions in their communities.
Self-Care for the Religious Leader
It is essential that religious leaders also take care of their own mental health. Putting others’ needs before their own is all in a day’s work for a religious leader. However, over time, that practice can interfere with healthy functioning. In order to be the best you can be for your family, house of worship and community, leaders must make time for self-care.
According to Carey Nieuwhof, pastor, blogger and author, these 10 habits can increase self-care and healthy functioning:
- Daily spiritual reflection
- Exercise
- A healthy diet
- Proper sleep
- Intentional white space in your calendar
- Healthy friendships
- Health spending and saving
- Hobbies
- Family time
- Coaching and counseling
Resources
Below you’ll find some key resources to help link the important mission of religious life with the need for mental health care and education:
- Nami.org blog: The Mental Health Benefits Of Religion & Spirituality
- Nami.org blog: A Sermon of Truth about Depression
- American Psychiatric Association Foundation: Mental Health | A Guide for Faith Leaders
- Faith & Leadership newsletter: A church invests in mental health in response to parishioners' suffering
- Suicide Prevention Competencies for Faith Leaders: Supporting Life Before, During, and After a Suicidal Crisis
