NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A third of Americans – and nearly half of evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians – believe prayer and Bible study alone can overcome serious mental illness, according to a recent survey by Nashville-based LifeWay Research.
The survey also found most Americans (68 percent) would feel welcome in church if they were mentally ill. Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said Christians care about those affected by mental illness.
He’s glad churches are seen as a welcome place for those with depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.But he worries some Christians see mental illness as a character flaw rather than a medical condition. Christians will go to the doctor if they break their leg, he said. But some may try to pray away serious mental illness.
“They forget that the key part of mental illness is the word ‘illness,’” he said. “In a typical evangelical church, half the people believe mental illness can be solved by prayer and Bible study alone.”
LifeWay Research asked four questions about mental illness as part of a telephone survey of 1,001 Americans conducted Sept. 6-10, 2013. Thirty-five percent agree with the statement, “With just Bible study and prayer, ALONE, people with serious mental illness like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia could overcome mental illness.”
Fifty percent of those 18-29 years old say prayer and Bible study could overcome mental illness. That number falls to less than 30 percent for those 55-64.
Evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians (48 percent) agree prayer can overcome mental illness. Only 27 percent of other Americans agree.
Among other findings:
Just over half (51 percent) say someone close to them has experienced mental illness. That number drops to 37 percent for those over 65.
Fifty-four percent of Americans say churches should do more to prevent suicide. That number jumps to 64 percent among evangelical, fundamentalist or born-again Christians.
Americans who never attend church services are the least likely to agree that churches welcome those with mental illness. Those who attend weekly see churches as welcoming.
Tim Clinton, president of the Forest, Va.-based American Association of Christians Counselors, said spirituality can play a crucial role in treating mental illness.
He called it “soul care.”
Clinton hopes more churches will become open to talking about mental illness. That means taking a holistic approach that deals with spiritual, emotional and physical concerns.
That can involve counseling, medication, as well as prayer and Bible study.
“Churches need to be biblical communities of healing, “ he said.
High-Resolution Research Graphs and Charts
Methodology: LifeWay Research asked these questions about mental illness as part of an omnibus telephone survey conducted Sept. 6-10, 2013, among a random sample of Americans representative of the U.S. population of adults. Responses were weighted by age, gender, education, race/Hispanic ethnicity, region, and CBSA market size. Interviews were conducted in either Spanish or English. Both listed and unlisted numbers were called, and approximately 20 percent of the sample was reached by cell phone. The sample size of 1,001 provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.1 percentage points.
Latest News From Heartfelt Counseling Ministries
News flash, Boca Raton Florida,
Steve and Robyn Bloem, co-authors of Broken Minds Hope for Healing If You Feel Like You're Losing It are conducting a seminar at their own church, Boca Glades Baptist on Saturday February 22,2014. Registration begins at 9:30 am. and the seminar starts at 10:00 am. The seminar is Whispers in the Foyer, An Honest Look at the Christian and Mental Illness. http://sbloemreflections.blogspot.com/2013/10/news-flash-boca-raton-florida-popular.html
For more information or to register, please email us at bloemsteve@yahoo.com or call our new phone number. 561-909-9109.
I don't want to go back to my church. I believe the people there love me but a lot of them gossip about others. I don't want to be their next topic of choice.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI understand why you would feel this way. No one wants to be object of gossip. Yet it is a deed of the flesh and Christians fall into this type of sin. Have you told the people that in the church that love you about the gossip you are hearing? You need a friend not a critic. You could recommend our book, Broken Minds Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're Losing It? Many have been helped by testimony of the horrors of mental illness and how God helped us get the right treatment.
We will be praying for you!
http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Minds-Healing-Youre-Losing/dp/0825421187