Mental health stigma in the church: what it looks like and what helps

Jordan Snook named this site after Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” because he believed it could “give hope to those who feel alone.” He also saw that silence in the church can deepen that loneliness. “By not talking about mental health,” he wrote in 2020, “we are only adding to the divide that we already had with each other.” This guide looks at what stigma around mental illness looks like in churches, what research shows, and what pastors and members can do about it.

If you or someone in your church is thinking about suicide, go to Get help now, or call or text 988.

What does mental health stigma look like in church?

Stigma in church is rarely cruel on purpose. More often it’s quiet:

• Silence. Prayer requests for surgery and cancer, but never for depression, anxiety or addiction.
• Spiritual shortcuts. “Just pray more.” “Have more faith.” “Give it to God.” Said kindly, these can still tell someone their illness is a spiritual failure.
• Suspicion of treatment. The idea that counseling is worldly, or that a believer shouldn’t need medicine.
• Fading away. People who struggle often stop coming, and nobody calls.
• Fear of being “found out.” Pastors and leaders, too, may hide their own struggles because they’re expected to be strong.

None of this matches the Jesus of the Gospels, who drew near to the hurting, or a church told to:

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (WEB)

What does research say about churches and mental illness?

Lifeway Research, a Christian research firm, has surveyed Americans, pastors and churchgoers about mental illness several times.

Many Christians believe faith alone should be enough. In a September 2013 phone survey of 1,001 Americans, 35% agreed that Bible study and prayer alone could overcome serious mental illness. Among evangelical, fundamentalist or born-again Christians, it was 48%, compared with 27% of other Americans. Half of adults aged 18 to 29 agreed. The same survey found 54% of Americans said churches should do more to prevent suicide.

Pastors rarely talked about it, and families wanted them to. A 2014 Lifeway Research study found that about two in three Protestant senior pastors spoke to their congregation about mental illness once a year or less. Yet 65% of family members of people with mental illness, and 59% of people with mental illness themselves, wanted their church to talk about it openly. Most pastors (68%) said their church kept a list of local mental health resources, but only 28% of families knew about it. Only 27% of churches had a plan to help families affected by mental illness, and 10% of people with mental illness said they had changed churches because of how their church responded.

Churches felt ready for suicide, but often didn’t know. Lifeway’s 2017 study of pastors and churchgoers found 80% of pastors said their church was equipped to help someone threatening suicide, but only 30% strongly agreed. Only 41% had formal training in suicide prevention, and 46% had a procedure to follow. Among churchgoers who had lost a close friend or family member to suicide, only 4% said church leaders had known about their loved one’s struggles.

Things are changing. In a 2021 survey reported in 2022, 43% of Protestant pastors said they spoke about mental illness several times a year or more, up from 33% in 2014. Those who rarely or never mentioned it fell from 49% to 37%. And 26% of pastors said they had struggled with mental illness themselves, with 17% diagnosed, up from 12% in 2014. Lifeway noted that more pastors appear to be seeking professional help.

Why is mental illness hard to talk about at church?

Some reasons are common everywhere: fear, not knowing what to say, and the worry that others will judge you. Jordan described it as a subject “shrouded in mystery.” In church, there can be an extra layer, a fear that struggling means you aren’t trusting God enough. But the Bible is honest about despair. The psalms are full of laments, and the Sermon on the Mount begins by calling the poor in spirit blessed. A church that can sing a lament can make room for someone who is living one.

What can pastors do?

SAMHSA encourages faith leaders to educate their congregations, provide space for peer-led groups, learn the basic signs of mental illness so they can encourage people to get help, and “be inclusive.” In practice:

• Say the words from the pulpit. Name depression, anxiety and suicide a few times a year. If you’ve struggled yourself and feel safe sharing, your story may open more doors than any sermon.
• Pray for mental illness the same way you pray for physical illness. Out loud, by name, without shame.
• Make the resource list visible. Put 988, local counselors and support groups in the bulletin, on the website and in the restrooms, not only in an office file.
• Have a plan. Decide in advance what staff and volunteers will do if someone mentions suicide: ask directly, stay with them, and connect them to 988 or 911.
• Train leaders. Help youth leaders, small-group leaders and deacons recognize warning signs and know what to say.
• Refer and partner. Pastoral care and professional treatment are partners. Build relationships with Christian and other licensed counselors you can refer to.

What can church members do?

You don’t need a title to make a difference.

• Notice who’s missing, and reach out without guilt-tripping: “We miss you. Can I bring dinner this week?”
• Listen more than you advise. See how to start a conversation about mental health.
• Do practical things: meals, rides to appointments, childcare, a walk.
• Watch your words. Avoid “just pray more” or “you have so much to be thankful for.”
• Stay. Mental illness can last a long time. Being there month after month is a gift.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.” — Romans 12:15 (WEB)

Where can I learn more?

• Understanding depression and understanding anxiety
• How to help a friend who is struggling
• Warning signs of suicide
• After a suicide loss, including how churches can care for families
• Talking to your parents about mental health, for teens in your youth group
• Our frequently asked questions