By Rev. Alexandra Parisher *

According to the Centers for Disease Control [1], “more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with mental illness” and “over 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life, have had a serious debilitating mental illness”.

What these facts reveal is that 20% of the human population in the United States has experienced the weight of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or the countless other forms of mental disorders; meaning, it is likely that you or someone close to you has been directly impacted by the pervasive presence of mental illness. And yet, in the church, we so often fail to adequately address the importance of mental health. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month; a month dedicated to shining light on the challenges many face every single day. But what exactly is mental illness? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mental illness describes any condition that disrupts one’s ability to think, feel, and act in their daily life. NAMI specifies that mental illness is not the result of one isolated event; rather, research suggests multiple linking causes [2] – “genetics, environment and lifestyle influence”.

In addition to the statistics above, here are a few more facts to keep in mind:

• “about 1 in 25 U.S. adults live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression [3]”.
• only “47.2% of U.S. adults with mental illness received treatment in 2021 [4]”.
• “65.4% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness received treatment in 2021 [5]”.
• “50.6% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 with a mental health disorder received treatment in 2016 [6]”.
• “The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years [7]”.

While these statistics help provide a general frame to glimpse the ongoing struggle with mental illness that we face, they are also incomplete. Indeed, these statistics only count those who have been diagnosed; the reality is, many people go years before receiving a proper diagnosis, and some never do. Furthermore, these statistics make it seem as though the whole U.S. population is evenly affected by mental illness. While mental illness does not discriminate, it does affect individuals differently and is often exacerbated by other social injustices like racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and class struggles. For instance, “Black people with mental health conditions, particularly schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and other psychoses are more likely to be incarcerated than other races [8]”. Additionally, within the U.S., people experience mental health in diverse ways, often due to cultural differences, discrimination, stigma/bias, and lack of access to affordable care. For example, “only one in

three African Americans who need mental health care receive it [9]”. These disparities highlight that statistics alone can never fully account for the complexity of mental health conditions. Nevertheless, they help illuminate the importance of these issues, and provide insight into why the church should address mental health.

Historically, the church has not only participated in the stigmatization of mental disorders, but it has also perpetuated ongoing harm toward those living with mental illness. For example, in the times the church has spoken about mental illness, it has preached mental illness theologically as a form of demon possession or an expression of sin. However, more often than not, the church simply said nothing. The church has remained silent on the importance of mental health, despite the prominence of mental illness – even within the church’s walls. 

But what does the Bible say? The Bible says that each and every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), thus, having inherent dignity and worth found in their Creator. Romans 8:38 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God – no physical or mental affliction – and rather than seeing mental illness as demonic or sinful, the overarching witness of Scripture has revealed that God is always at work healing the sick, restoring the broken, and reconciling the outcast. Matthew 9:35 tells us that Jesus heals every disease and every illness. Jesus is a holistic healer, meeting our every need: physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. Just as He heals the hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5; Matt 9; Luke 8), the church should not be a space of condemnation or silence, it should abide in the hope Christ gives us – the one who heals, restores, and reconciles.

The United Methodist Church affirms in our Social Principles that no person should be stigmatized for the state of their mental health. Thus, the church has worked to “foster policies that promote compassion, advocate access to care and eradicate stigma [10]”. The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church has three resolutions that address mental health: 

1. The Church and People with Intellectual, Physical, Psychological, and/or Neurological Disabilities calls United Methodists to “accept, include, receive the gifts of, and respond to the concerns of those persons with intellectual, physical, psychological, and/or neurological disabilities, including their families” through increased accessibility, awareness, adequate resources, affirmative action and advocacy within the church and society. 
2. Ministries in Mental Health calls for commitment “to learning more about the causes of mental illnesses; advocating for compassion and generosity in the treatment of mental illnesses; and prayerfully leading our congregations to be in ministry, demonstrating that the church, as the body of Christ, can work to provide the means of the grace that leads to wholeness and healing for all”. 
3. Healing of Post-Abortion Stress urges churches “to make available contact information for counseling agencies that offer programs to address post-abortion stress for all seeking help”. 

Resolutions and the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church challenge church leaders and congregations to advocate for those with mental illness; yet many continue to remain silent on the issue. As Christians, we have a responsibility to speak up and speak out about mental health disparities and work to eradicate the stigma that is perpetuating society and our congregations today.

So, what do we do?

1. Make space to speak about mental health in worship, meetings, Bible studies, etc.
2. Pastorally speak against the stigma surrounding mental illness as sin and recognize how Jesus works through a variety of modalities – therapy, medication, community, etc.
3. Be intentional about how you speak about mental health because language is important. For example, always use a person-first language i.e. “people with mental illnesses” vs. “the mentally ill”.
4. Always recognize the person outside of their mental illness, it is not their identity – “she is diagnosed bipolar II” vs. “she is bipolar”. 
5. Avoid using stigmatizing language – “you’re so crazy” – and using mental illnesses as adjectives – “the weather is so bipolar today”.
6. Be aware of your own biases and how one treats one with a mental vs. a physical illness.
7. Avoid saying things like, “have you tried to pray more about it?” While prayer is powerful and important this can be harmful as you often wouldn’t say this to someone struggling with a physical ailment and it suggests that the one battling a mental illness has a faith issue; rather, than one of genetics and environmental causes.
8. Educate yourself on the prevalence of mental illness, warning signs and steps to take when one is struggling.
9. Become aware of local resources – hospitals, behavioral health centers, therapists, crisis lines (988), etc.
10. Learn to recognize when someone’s presenting concerns are outside your scope of practice and need to seek outside professional care.
11. Always recognize the dignity and worth of every individual. When conversing with someone battling a mental illness, listen empathetically, to hear and not just to respond.
12. Always recognize the ways one can contribute to the betterment of society. Even those with mental illnesses have gifts and graces from God.
13. Recognize how the “-ism’s” and other systemic issues can contribute to mental illness.
14. Educate yourself on policies that affect those with mental illnesses and contact your local representatives when needed.
15. Overall, care for your flock, as Galatians 6:2 says, to bear one another’s burdens as your own.
16. Care for yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup. 

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, let us recommit ourselves to the work of compassion and justice in our communities. May we be agents of healing and hope, extending God’s love to all who are struggling with mental health challenges.

Download and share the Social Principles Mental Health Faith and Fact Card.
View the Mental Health Awareness Month Worship Resources.

*Rev. Alexandra Parisher is pastor of Chagrin Falls UMC in the Northern Waters District of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Footnotes:

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
[2] https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-conditions/
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
[4] [5] [6] [7] https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/
[8] [9] https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/bc6ae47f-b0aa-4418-b045-952ede06757f/Mental-Health-Facts-for-African-Americans.pdf
[10] https://www.umcjustice.org/what-we-care-about/health-and-wholeness/mental-health#:~:text=First%20and%20foremost
%2C%20the%20United,(Social%20Principles%2C%20%C2%B6162