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Principles and Practice in Educating Christians About Mental Health: A Primer

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Christianity and Psychiatry

Abstract

There is a growing recognition of the presence and prevalence of mental health issues in Christian communities, and their impacts on affected individuals, families, and congregations. This has encouraged collaborations and partnerships between mental health professionals and faith communities, including mental health education for faith communities by mental health professionals. In this chapter, Christian clergy and psychiatrists have outlined rationales, guiding principles, and practical examples of mental health education in diverse settings. Psychiatrists can educate the public by repurposing their current clinical skills and expertise. Office skills establishing the therapeutic relationship and educating patients to deeper levels of understanding can be translated for use within a psychiatric education event. Educational and sociological concepts of epistemic “levelism” and “contextualization” can be understood within the clinical model and can be reinterpreted toward teaching. The psychoanalytic, theological, and sociological concepts of intersubjectivity and “third” process can help translate psychotherapeutic concepts for Christian audiences. Examples of promoting spiritual integration while educating the Christian public are discussed. Useful resources (especially those available free of charge) for such mental health educational endeavors are highlighted. The issues of cultural sensitivity and competency, training programs, as well as ethical considerations in conducting such endeavors are also discussed. The ultimate goal of the authors is to empower readers to embark on their own mental health educational endeavors.

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Author notes

  1. Wai Lun Alan Fung, Mena Mirhom, Tom Okamoto and Victor A. Shepherd contributed equally to this chapter.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tyndale University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Wai Lun Alan Fung & Victor A. Shepherd

  2. Mount Sinai Hospital Wellness Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Wai Lun Alan Fung

  3. University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Wai Lun Alan Fung

  4. Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mena Mirhom

  5. UC Irvine Medical School, Santa Ana, CA, USA

    Tom Okamoto

  6. Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Victor A. Shepherd

Authors
  1. Wai Lun Alan Fung
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  2. Mena Mirhom
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  3. Tom Okamoto
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  4. Victor A. Shepherd
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wai Lun Alan Fung .

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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Fung, W.L.A., Mirhom, M., Okamoto, T., Shepherd, V.A. (2021). Principles and Practice in Educating Christians About Mental Health: A Primer. 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_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80854-9_16

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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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