Faith Communities

BRING YOUR FAITH INTO HARMONY

Religion gives people something to believe in, provides a sense of structure and typically offers a group of people to connect with over similar beliefs. Research suggests that religiosity reduces suicide rates, alcoholism and drug use. Here are some of religion’s main mental health benefits:

Community initiates social connections with other members, creates a sense of belonging to a group, and offers trustworthy and safe social engagement.
Ritual helps people to cope with difficult life situations, provides structure, regularity and predictability, and allows for time to rest as well as holidays and other special times of the year.
Teachings provide guidelines to live by, demonstrate compassion, forgiveness and gratitude, and identify life lessons, even from challenging situations.

FOSTERING A COMMUNITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Educate your communities and congregations.

Promote awareness about mental health issues, invite mental health experts to speak with your congregation, share facts and common myths about mental health, support the development of a trauma-informed community, and organize additional opportunities for members of your congregation and community to have conversations about mental health.

Identify opportunities to support people with mental illnesses.

Consider offering your organization’s meeting spaces for community conversations and support groups focused on addressing mental health, and plan and facilitate a community conversation using SAMHSA’s Toolkit for Community Conversations About Mental Health.

Connect individuals and families.

Learn the basic signs of mental illness and other facts about mental health to encourage those in need to seek help. Remind others that people can and do recover from mental health challenges and that help is available and effective. Train key community members and develop relationships with local mental health service providers, as well as other family and youth organizations.

Promote acceptance of those with mental health issues.

Talk about your own mental health openly and be an example of making mental wellness a priority. Be inclusive and foster opportunities to build connections with individuals and families dealing with mental health challenges. Create safe and supportive environments for people to openly talk about mental health, stress, trauma, and related issues.

Source: mentalhealth.gov