CHRIST-CENTERED MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANUAL

Abstract

The literature of this study found that stigma is the fourth most significant barrier to African American church members seeking help. Faith-based mental health programs reduce stigma and increase help-seeking, according to research. A conceptual framework of community-based participatory research, the community engagement and social innovation model, informed by sociological imagination, biopsychosocial-spiritual, and empowerment theory, was used to understand the barriers of mental health stigma and propose the created “Christ-Centered Mental Health Training and Development” manual as an intervention to increase mental health awareness and reducing stigma among African American pastors and their staff. A pilot study was conducted of eleven English-speaking clergy leaders, including three male pastors and eight female evangelists. Pre- and post-test surveys evaluated the effectiveness of the mental health awareness training curriculum. Pre- and post-test surveys were evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. Qualtrics were used to compute a statistical analysis of quantitative data. Pilot study results revealed areas of increased knowledge after the pilot project of the training curriculum. Pastors wanted to increase their knowledge and develop partnerships with mental health professionals. Implications for future research suggest the need for more evaluation and the development of interventions in broader demographic areas.