Unique contributions of churches and clergy to community mental health

Haugk, Kenneth C.

doi:10.1007/bf01435734

Cited by 33 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Sometimes the clergy are referred to as ''gatekeepers'' for the mental health services, meaning that they are frontline workers who assess the needs of the person in crisis before referring on to the appropriate services. However, some studies have questioned the role of the clergy as ''gatekeepers'' (Chalfont et al, 1990;Haugk, 1976;Mollica, Streels, Boscarino, & Redlich, 1986) because despite being aware of the services available very few clergy ever refer on to mental health services (approximately 10%, Mollica et al, 1986). Many authors have called for more collaboration between the church and mental health services (Chadda et al, 2001;Cinnirella & Loewenthal, 1999;Leavey, 2008;Oppenheimer et al, 2004;VandeCreek, 1997;Weaver et al, 1996Weaver et al, , 2003 but this does not appear to be progressing.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

To what extent are the Christian clergy acting as frontline mental health workers? A study from the North of England

Wood

Watson

Hayter

2011

Mental Health, Religion & Culture

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The Church has always been associated with care of the sick; this continues today many clergy see people with mental health issues. Studies outside the United Kingdom have shown that when people with mental health issues visit clergy for help they often do this before, or instead of, seeing health professionals. This study surveyed Christian clergy and asked about the frequency with which clergy saw people with mental health problems, if they referred onto healthcare professionals, what outcomes they expected and their attitudes to mental health. It was concluded that the clergy did see people with mental health problems but the frequency varied amongst individuals and this was not dependent on denomination. These findings agreed with other studies that a very high percentage of British clergy do refer on, unlike North American clergy and this was not related to denomination.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

To what extent are the Christian clergy acting as frontline mental health workers? A study from the North of England

Wood

Watson

Hayter

2011

Mental Health, Religion & Culture

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“…The potential role of congregations in promoting health and reducing health disparities has been of persistent interest to public health professionals and policymakers over the last three decades [3–6]. Congregations are often the last institutions to leave distressed neighborhoods, thereby shouldering much of the burden of caring for community needs [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Congregations’ Involvement in HIV: A Case Study Approach

et al. 2010

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Comparative case studies were used to explore religious congregations' HIV involvement, including types and extent of activities, interaction with external organizations or individuals, and how activities were initiated and have changed over time. The cases included 14 congregations in Los Angeles County representing diverse faith traditions and races-ethnicities. Activities fell into three broad categories: (1) prevention and education; (2) care and support; and (3) awareness and advocacy. Congregations that engaged early in the epidemic focused on care and support while those that became involved later focused on prevention and education. Most congregations interacted with external organizations or individuals to conduct their HIV activities, but promoting abstinence and teaching about condoms were conducted without external involvement.Correspondence to: Kathryn Pitkin Derose, derose@rand.org. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript AIDS Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 August 1. Opportunities exist for congregations to help address a variety of HIV-related needs. However, activities that are mission-congruent, such as providing pastoral care for people with HIV, raising HIV awareness, and promoting HIV testing, appear easier for congregations to undertake than activities aimed at harm reduction.

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“…The potential role of religious congregations in promoting health and reducing health disparities has been of ongoing interest to public health professionals and policymakers (Haugk 1976; Koenig 2003; Lasater et al 1986; Olson et al 1988). Congregations historically have provided an important web of social support in many communities, as well as access to resources such as food, health care, education, and job opportunities (Chaves and Tsitsos 2001; Cnaan 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitators and Barriers to HIV Activities in Religious Congregations: Perspectives of Clergy and Lay Leaders from a Diverse Urban Sample

et al. 2013

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This paper examines facilitators and barriers to HIV activities within religious congregations, the relative internal or external sources of these influences, and suggestive differences across congregational types. Results are based on in-depth interviews with clergy and lay leaders (n = 57) from 14 congregations in Los Angeles County, California, purposively selected to reflect diversity in racial-ethnic composition, denomination, size, and HIV activity level. Many common facilitators and barriers were related to norms and attitudes, only a few of which appeared overtly associated with theological orientations. Clergy support was a facilitator particularly prevalent among congregations having higher HIV activity levels, indicating its importance in sustaining and expanding HIV programs. Resource issues were also prominent, with material resource barriers more frequently mentioned by smaller congregations and human resource barriers more among larger congregations. Organizational structure issues were mostly centered on external linkages with various social service, public health, and faith-based entities. Analysis of internal versus external sources highlights the roles of different stakeholders within and outside congregations in promoting HIV activities. Potential differences across congregational types represent fruitful areas for future research.

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Unique contributions of churches and clergy to community mental health

Cited by 33 publications

References 14 publications

To what extent are the Christian clergy acting as frontline mental health workers? A study from the North of England

To what extent are the Christian clergy acting as frontline mental health workers? A study from the North of England

Religious Congregations’ Involvement in HIV: A Case Study Approach

Facilitators and Barriers to HIV Activities in Religious Congregations: Perspectives of Clergy and Lay Leaders from a Diverse Urban Sample

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