Effects of African American Clergy’s Mental Health Education and Training on the Promotion of Mental Health Services for Their Congregants
Date of Conferral
11-2-2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
John Deaton
Abstract
Overcoming mental health stigma among religious communities involves investigating the beliefs and attitudes of clergy to uncover their education in mental health and their experiences administering to the mental health needs of their congregants. Understanding what kind of knowledge of mental health African American clergy have is fundamental to understanding what roles can be created in partnership with their church to offer support for reducing mental health stigma. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to describe how African American clergy access and use mental health care education when counseling congregants. The framework underpinning the study was social representation theory combined with the theory of planned behavior, social learning theory, and the health belief model. Nine participants completed one-on-one semi structured interviews. Interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. Findings showed three key themes (a) access to mental health education via supporting the congregation, (b) understanding of mental health care education via the role of the pastor, and (c) challenges to mental health care via the use of mental health care education. Findings may be used to improve for positive social change through access to mental health resources for African American clergy and congregant members.
Recommended Citation
Adams Collier, Anese Linda, "Effects of African American Clergy’s Mental Health Education and Training on the Promotion of Mental Health Services for Their Congregants" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15051.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15051
