Supporting Mental Health Better in Faith Spaces

by Holly Madden

I write these words, not only as a Mental Health Professional that has supported hundreds of people who have experienced religious trauma while navigating the struggles of mental health experiences, but also as someone who battles mental illness and has experienced invalidation and harm in many faith spaces because of those experiences.

The Church collectively is known for invalidating, dismissing, and writing of mental health experiences as sin, a stance that has isolated and harmed so many people who showed up for the longing to find community, support, solidarity, and kindness.

We are sitting on top of decades of pioneering research that continues to attempt to understand the mental health on our bodies and our brains on a cellular level. We have discovered that there are genetic links to some mental health disorders. We have discovered that the environment and the pace and pressure of our society can be triggers for mental health manifestations. We have discovered that trauma leads many to experience mental health symptoms, often because of the nervous system’s protective mechanisms to prioritize survival. We have also discovered strong correlations between our growing technology use and mental illness, the chemicals and pollution in our air, food and every day items and mental illness. In so many ways, our growing mental health crisis is a direct result of human action on one another and on this one planet we all collectively call home. It’s a collective blame, and thus, a collective responsibility to mend, heal and change.

Faith spaces that deny climate change, that justify genocide, that defend abusers, and that operate under patriarchy are directly adding to the growing mental health crisis.

Faith spaces that acknowledge the harm but remain complacent are adding to the growing the mental health crisis.

But there is so much hope for change in the church, and we must cling to that hope while being part of the movement of churches that are working toward healing.

So how do faith spaces do a better job of supporting mental health? Some tips are below.