INTRODUCTION
Spirituality and religion are important aspects of the lives of many Americans. They have a protective effect on mental health and well-being. In most communities, faith leaders serve in positions of authority and are often called upon to address family and community needs. Partnering with faith leaders to increase mental health understanding increases reach into diverse and underserved communities. Faith leaders must recognize the nuanced needs of high-risk populations and may face challenges evolving to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of demographics and identities, including youth and individuals who identify as LGBTQI+.
An increase in demand for social services has expanded the role of faith leaders, which provides opportunities to engage in positive reforms related to mental health. This includes expanded education, resource development, and dissemination in key mental health areas impacting communities. While supporting their congregations, faith leaders must also take steps to protect their own mental health. Faith leaders who are knowledgeable in mental health concerns can provide compassionate faith-based support, informed referrals to behavioral health and crisis services such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and assistance in post-crisis recovery, and they can increase awareness within the broader community. In this way, faith-based organizations can have an important role in both preventing behavioral health crises and in offering supports for people who have experienced these types of crises. This paper explores the many ways in which faith-based partners are critical in the crisis service continuum. It also describes successful partnerships within diverse faith communities that touch on mental health, including through education, care navigation assistance, program and care implementation, and efforts to establish methods of program and service evaluation.
Highlights
- Religion is either very important or somewhat important in the lives of 66% of US adults.
- Religion and spirituality offer a protective factor against mental health conditions and suicidality.
- Faith leaders are more often approached about mental health concerns in racial/ethnic diverse communities, including Black/African ancestry, Alaska Native, and American Indian communities, and in rural areas where fewer resources exist.
- Faith leaders hold positions of power and influence in their communities and are well-positioned to engage in stigma-free initiatives and mental health advocacy.
- Faith leaders may require additional training to fully support historically underserved and atrisk groups, such as youth and individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other identities (LGBTQI+). Faith leaders are well positioned to—and should—engage intersectional identities.
Key Elements of Intersectionality
Including Faith Leaders in Efforts to Increase Access to Services
Historically, churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship have acted as centers of engagement for BIPOC and other certain minoritized or underserved communities. In a racially segregated America, churches provided a safe place to commune for Civil Rights activities and to support economically depressed members of the community. More recently, many centers of worship found themselves again called upon to act as pillars of support for their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people required support for basic needs like food and housing costs.
Surveys have shown that as many as one quarter of people seeking treatment for a mental health condition contact their faith leader first for advice. This number may be further elevated in rural and African American communities, where faith leaders are often the first point of contact in an emergency.35 In this way, faith-based communities can facilitate more widespread access to mental health services for people of all identities, races, religions, and ethnicities.