Faith and Mental Health

Dr. Jeanne Robertson, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT

Dr. Jeanne is the Director of St. Paul's Center for Counseling & Education

​What’s the connection between faith and our mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being – our mental health? Since our mental health is inextricably intertwined with our physical and spiritual health, whatever affects one affects all the rest. We’re not separate mind, body, and spirit. Rather we are one being.

We're not separate mind, body, and spirit. Rather, we are one being.

We can think of mental health, just like physical health, on a continuum:

Very healthy -----------------------------------------Average----------------------------------Very unhealthy, disturbed.

Just like physical health, there are many things we can do to improve our mental health.

We can’t always change a physical condition or mental health diagnosis, but we can find ways that help us cope with whatever life presents. Faith just might be the most important coping mechanism we can have.

Coping mechanism are ways to reduce stress and painful and distressing emotions. There are any number of helpful behaviors we can engage in - like exercise or journaling, or taking a bubble bath. These can help us cope, so why might faith be even more important? Because the above don’t impact our foundational beliefs about what life is all about. They can’t generate meaning. They are useful additions to faith, but faith is a foundation upon which to build everything else.

Faith is complete trust in something greater than ourselves. It’s that which we understand God to be. The key here is who or what we believe God to be. To see how faith can help or hinder our mental health and well-being, we have to look at what is believed and how what we believe impacts us.

Faith is a foundation upon which to build everything else. Faith is complete trust in something greater than ourselves.

Healthy understandings of God

There are many ways to understand God. The major world religions have different beliefs and practices, but interestingly, the core of all of them is the belief in a benevolent creator. It is very sad how individuals interpret their religion, act on those beliefs and create horrors in the name of religion. Sometimes it’s even done in the name of Jesus!

Faith can be a source of comfort, emotional support and hope especially in difficult times. Belief in a God who loves us is very powerful and positive. To know we are loved by God can produce a prevailing sense of hope and connection even in times when we might despair.

Faith provides a framework for coping with stress and other difficulties life presents. Beliefs and practices offer a sense of purpose and meaning for our lives which can help us navigate all sorts of challenging or problematic situations.

Faith can generate and nurture resilience is a number of ways. Trust in God instills hope and optimism allowing us to see beyond our present circumstances. Even in deepest grief or mental illness, resilience generated by faith helps us to know that what we are experiencing now will not last, things will improve -- Light will overcome the darkness we are in. Even when situations don’t change (our loved one has died), faith leads us through that darkness when we know that our loving God is there with us. This really helps us cope. (I know this from much personal experience).

Practicing faith can become a strong coping mechanism. Spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, participation in rites or worship services can generate a sense of calm and inner peace, even joy, that reduces stress. It can provide a sense of connection with God and others.
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Faith communities that share a faith in a loving, encouraging, inclusive God can be of enormous benefit to our mental health. A healthy faith community can help us feel safe and loved, as well as give us a sense of belonging. All of this serves to improve the quality of our overall well-being. 

Spiritual practices can provide a sense of connection to God and others. A healthy faith community can help us feel safe and loved, as well as give us a sense of belonging. All of this serves to improve the quality of our well-being.

Unhealthy understandings of God

On the other hand, if we believe in a God of punishment and score keeping, we are likely to be afraid of God and behave in ways we think we “should” to earn points and escape punishment in the hope of going to heaven. This certainly isn’t comforting. It can actually increase stress and anxiety.

If we belong to a faith community that has unhealthy standards we believe we must live up to, shame and guilt are generated instead of a sense of calm and well-being. We feel judged and inadequate rather that accepted.

Exclusion and isolation can result when a faith community stigmatizes or marginalizes people with mental health issues, gender diversity, race or anything other than how the group wants to define itself as good. Instead of a sense of support and belonging, this generates deep distress and can have a devastating impact on mental health. Exclusion is deadly.

A strict adherence to dogma and fundamentalism can stifle critical thinking and individuality. It can create cognitive dissonance or contradictory thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs which can create significant emotional distress. A closed mind is an unhealthy mind.
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Faith-based rejection of mental health support can also be a problem. Some individuals and faith communities believe that faith alone is sufficient to address mental health issues and concerns. This can easily lead to a rejection of psychiatric or professional counseling help, thus hindering access to effective treatment and support. Being told that your faith is inadequate, otherwise you would be healed, has a devastating impact on a person’s mental health. That is religion used as a weapon -- Not faith in a loving God.

Acceptance of mental health treatment is part of faithful living. As Fr. Rob puts it, “Some expressions of faith seem to forget that God works through more than just the institutional Church. God is at work wherever people promote healing. God works through behavioral health professionals, and through medications that help to manage anxiety or other symptoms. A healthy spirituality recognizes that good medical and behavioral health treatments are tools God can use to help restore us in mind, body, and spirit.” 

A healthy spirituality recognizes that good medical and behavioral health treatments are tools God can use to help restore us in mind, body, and spirit.

Communal and individual healing practices

Discovering ways to deepen our faith can improve our relationship with God, with others and with ourselves. Participation in any activities in a loving faith community can be healing. When we find a faith community that encourages and demonstrates these things, we will likely thrive from its support.

What might a healthy faith community look like? Episcopalians are often known as "people of the book," the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). In it are found prayers of every type, and words from scripture upon which to meditate. The vast majority of the language--some 85%--in the Prayer Book is direct quotation from the Bible! There are services or rites for every day, even several times a day. Some are designed for individual or family use, others for corporate worship. The BCP provides a framework for numerous healthy faith practices. It can be a good launching point from which to broaden and expand faith practices. Faith practices help us stay connected to God, to those in our prayers and to ourselves. Healthy connections help the health of a community which in turn helps the health of the individuals in it.

A fundamental belief of a healthy faith community is in our Baptismal Covenant (BCP 304). A key promise is to "respect the dignity of every human being." A healthy faith community tries to do so "with God’s help." This means acceptance of all people no matter who you might be and no matter where you might be on the mental health continuum.

"If it's not about love, it's not about God."
- The Most Rev. Michael Curry

To sum it up, it’s important to know what we believe and examine how it impacts our mental health. What faith communities believe and what they believe about mental health issues is also important. Bishop Michael Curry says, “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.” If our faith is about God who is Love, we are in a very good place to utilize our faith to strength our mental health and support the mental well-being of others.
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Blessings,
Dr. Jeanne