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Working with Christian Children and Families

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Christianity and Psychiatry

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Abstract

Child and adolescent psychiatrists should aim to support the holistic wellness of the youth and families under their care. A comprehensive grasp of all biological, social, and psychological factors is an important component in that process. Within that framework, cultural issues, including race/ethnicity, language, and religious or spiritual beliefs may play a significant role in the emotional and behavioral health of individuals seeking psychiatric care. The spiritual and religious beliefs of children and their families often inform their worldview, values, relationships, and behavior. In this chapter, we delineate the Christian worldview as it relates to children, the family, and child development; provide a summary of relevant literature regarding the intersection of Christian faith and child psychiatry; highlight the impact of Christian faith on a child’s or family’s view of child psychiatry; describe the impact of denominational and cultural differences in the expression of Christian faith and family dynamics; present an approach to assessment and treatment planning for Christian youth and families; and provide clinical case examples and practical clinical pearls for the integration of Christian faith and psychiatric care. In summary, the mental health practitioner will serve Christian families and youth well by exhibiting an empathic, attentive, and unbiased stance; providing youth- and family-centered care; recognizing the potentially important role of faith in child development, clinical presentation, and response to treatment; encouraging the positive benefits of Christian faith on strength-building, recovery, and resilience; and facilitating effective integration of spiritual and religious beliefs and practices with traditional, evidence-based psychiatric treatment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Julie Mary Sadhu

  2. Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL, USA

    Joshua Williams

  3. Children’s Services for Community Behavioral Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Mia Everett

Authors
  1. Julie Mary Sadhu
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  2. Joshua Williams
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  3. Mia Everett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie Mary Sadhu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    John R. Peteet

  2. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    H. Steven Moffic

  3. Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Strand, London, UK

    Ahmed Hankir

  4. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

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Sadhu, J.M., Williams, J., Everett, M. (2021). Working with Christian Children and Families. In: Peteet, J.R., Moffic, H.S., Hankir, A., Koenig, H.G. (eds) Christianity and Psychiatry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80854-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80854-9_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80853-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80854-9

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