Skip to main content

Community Mental Health Allies: Referral Behavior Among Asian American Immigrant Christian Clergy

Community Mental Health Journal volume 48, pages 107–113 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Asian American Christian faith leaders support and provide an array of services within their communities. However, little is known about their response to congregants’ mental health concerns. This study examined correlates of mental health referral behavior among 103 Asian American Christian clergy in California who completed an anonymous mail survey. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that clergy’s prior mental health education, knowledge of mental illness, education level, time spent providing individual counseling and referral to general practitioners were positively associated with making mental health referrals. Outreach efforts (including mental health education, and mental health referral information) to facilitate clergy’s support of congregants with mental health needs are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Alegria, M., Mulvaney-Day, N., Woo, M., Torres, M., Gao, S., & Oddo, V. (2007). Correlates of past-year mental health service use among Latinos: Results from the National Latino and Asian American Study. American Journal of Public Health, 97(1), 76–83.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alumkal, A. W. (2003). Asian American evangelical churches: Race, ethnicity, and assimilation in the second generation. New York: LFB Scholarly Pub. LLC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, K. S., Park, S. Y., Shin, J., Cho, S., & Park, Y. (2009). Acculturation, discrimination and depressive symptoms among Korean immigrants in New York City. Community Mental Health Journal.

  • Cadge, W., & Ecklund, E. H. (2007). Immigration and religion. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, 359–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalfant, H. P., Heller, P. L., Roberts, A., Briones, D., Aguirre-Hochbaum, S., & Farr, W. (1990). The clergy as a resource for those encountering psychological distress. Review of Religious Research, 31(3), 305–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C. (2006). From filial piety to religious piety: Evangelical Christianity reconstructing Taiwanese immigrant families in the United States. International Migration Review, 40(3), 573–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, N. G., & Kim, J. (2010). Utilization of complementary and alternative medicines for mental health problems among Asian Americans. Community Mental Health Journal, 46, 570–578.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, J. L., & Goebert, D. A. (2008). Collaboration between psychiatrists and clergy in recognizing and treating serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 59(4), 437–440.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrick, C. A., & Brown, H. N. (1998). Underutilization of mental health services by Asian-Americans residing in the United States. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 19(3), 225–240.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, S. I. (1999). Somatisation among Asian refugees and immigrants as a culturally-shaped illness behaviour. Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore, 28(6), 841–845.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kates, N. (2000). Sharing mental health care: Training psychiatry residents to work with primary care physicians. Psychosomatics, 41(1), 53–57.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim-Goh, M. (1993). Conceptualization of mental illness among Korean-American clergymen and implications for mental health service delivery. Community Mental Health Journal, 29(5), 405–412.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korean Christian Press. (2010, January 14). 3,882 Korean Christian Church in the U.S., California was top-ranked. The Korean Christian Press. http://chpress.net/detail.asp?id=5158&cate=search

  • Kung, W. W. (2003). Chinese Americans’ help seeking for emotional distress. Social Service Review, 77(1), 110–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Meyer, O., Zane, N., Cho, Y. I., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2009). Use of specialty mental health services by Asian Americans with psychiatric disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(5), 1000–1005.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H. B., Hanner, J. A., Cho, S. J., Han, H. R., & Kim, M. T. (2008). Improving access to mental health services for Korean American immigrants: Moving toward a community partnership between religious and mental health services. Psychiatry Investigation, 5(1), 14–20.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leeuw, E. D., Hox, J. J., & Dillman, D. A. (2008). International handbook of survey methodology. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leong, F. T., & Lau, A. S. (2001). Barriers to providing effective mental health services to Asian Americans. Mental Health Services Research, 3(4), 201–214.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ley, D. (2008). The immigrant church as an urban service hub. Urban Studies, 45(10), 2057–2074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, K. M., Inui, T. S., Kleinman, A. M., & Womack, W. M. (1982). Sociocultural determinants of the help-seeking behavior of patients with mental illness. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 170(2), 78–85.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mannon, J. D., & Crawford, R. L. (1996). Clergy confidence to counsel and their willingness to refer to mental health professionals. Family Therapy, 23, 213–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathews, M. (2008). Explanatory models for mental illness endorsed by Christian clergymen: The development and use of an instrument in Singapore. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 11(3), 287–300.

  • Mattox, R., & Sullivan, G. (2008). Treatment: “Just what the preacher ordered”. Psychiatric Services, 59(4), 349.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMinn, M. R., Runner, S. J., Fairchild, J. A., Lefler, J. D., & Suntay, R. P. (2005). Factors affecting clergy-psychologist referral patterns. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 33, 299–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meylink, W. D., & Gorsuch, R. L. (1986). New perspectives for clergy-psychologist referrals. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 5, 62–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milstein, G., Manierre, A., Susman, V. L., & Bruce, M. L. (2008). Implementation of a program to improve the continuity of mental health care through Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement (COPE). Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 39(2), 218–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patte, D. (Ed.). (2010). The Cambridge dictionary of Christianity. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Payne, J. S. (2009). Variations in pastors’ perceptions of the etiology of depression by race and religious affiliation. Community Mental Health Journal, 45(5), 355–365.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. (2003). Outline of the final report for the Presiden’ts New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/outline_040303.doc

  • Research Services Presbyterian Church. (2006). Mental illness: The report of the February 2006 Presbyterian Panel Survey. Louisville, KY: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royse, D. (2008). Research methods in social work (5th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. (2004). Faithful generations: Race and new Asian American churches. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, M. S., Chen, J., Gee, G. C., Fabian, C. G., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2010). Discrimination and mental health-related service use in a national study of Asian Americans. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2410–2417.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. J., Ellison, C. G., Chatters, L. M., Levin, J. S., & Lincoln, K. D. (2000). Mental health services in faith communities: The role of clergy in black churches. Social Work, 45(1), 73–87.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winett, R. A., Majors, J. S., & Stewart, G. (1979). Mental health treatment and referral practices of clergy and physician caregivers. Journal of Community Psychology, 7(4), 318–323.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeung, A., Kung, W. W., Chung, H., Rubenstein, G., Roffi, P., Mischoulon, D., et al. (2004). Integrating psychiatry and primary care improves acceptability to mental health services among Chinese Americans. General Hospital Psychiatry, 26(4), 256–260.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Diana Nguyen, Tam Dinh, Cathy Yu Lai, Hannah Nguyen, Susanna Lee, Lucian Song, Shu Ren, Stan Yamada, Vincy Lee, Vicky Yang and Beverly Chen for assistance with data collection, analysis/coding, or comments on previous drafts of manuscripts. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Larson Endowment for Innovative Research and Teaching, the School of Social Work, University of Southern California and from a grant Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Southern California awarded to the first author. Additional research support was provided to the first author by the School of Social Work, University of Southern California.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Bldg, 102C, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-0411, USA

    Ann-Marie Yamada, Karen Kyeunghae Lee & Min Ah Kim

Authors
  1. Ann-Marie Yamada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen Kyeunghae Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Min Ah Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ann-Marie Yamada.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamada, AM., Lee, K.K. & Kim, M.A. Community Mental Health Allies: Referral Behavior Among Asian American Immigrant Christian Clergy. Community Ment Health J 48, 107–113 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9386-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9386-9

Keywords

  • Protestant
  • Catholic
  • Faith-based organizations
  • Pastoral counseling
  • Korean
  • Chinese
  • Vietnamese