Download or read book Exploring Help Seeking in African American Faith Communities written by Tristan Hansell and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Exploring Help seeking Intentions Among Black American Church goers written by Krystelle Jean-Michel and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present study examined the strength of certain help-seeking barriers and predictor variables in predicting the help-seeking intentions of African American churchgoers. Research suggests numerous barriers impede mental health use among African Americans; however, the present study focused on help-seeking attitudes, cultural mistrust, psychological distress, self-stigma, public stigma, and perceived behavioral control. The theory of planned behavior served as a theoretical underpinning, guiding the integration of theory based and culture specific variables in one model. The present sample included 159 Black American churchgoers and attendees. The studys variables were each hypothesized to predict help-seeking intentions among the sample. A bivariate correlation and multivariate analysis of variance provided support in constructing and testing three path models. While the path models demonstrated an overall poor fit of the data, findings from the other statistical tests partially supported the proposed hypotheses. Considering the present study is one of few to investigate the help-seeking intentions of Black American churchgoers, further exploration is warranted, and implications for research and practice are extensive.

Download or read book Exploring the Relationship Between Religious Faith Mental Health Help Seeking Attitudes and Preferences for Counselor Characteristics Among Black American Churchgoers written by Darryl P. Plunkett and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Empirical data has shown that Black American churchgoers have generally higher baseline rates of religious involvement than the general U.S. population, as well as higher rates of religious involvement than most Black Americans (Chatters, Taylor & Lincoln, 1999). Researchers have noted the influence of religion on the help seeking attitudes of Black Americans (Abernethy, Houston, Mimms, & Boyd-Franklin, 2006) and have also identified counselor characteristics preferred by Black Americans when seeking help for mental health problems (Atkinson, Furlong, & Poston, 1986). However, Black American churchgoers are rarely identified as the target population in empirical studies and little is known about the relationships between their religious faith, help seeking attitudes and preferences for counselor characteristics. Researchers have called for expanded studies to examine both the role of religion and the potential of the Black Church to provide mental health services for Black American churchgoers. This study responds to this call by exploring the relationship between Black American churchgoers' religious faith, mental health help seeking attitudes and preferences for counselor characteristics. Participants were Black American churchgoers (N[equals]276) who attended Black churches in two Midwestern states. Participants completed a survey packet that consisted of four instruments: a demographic questionnaire, the Age-Universal Religious Orientation Scale (AUROS) (Gorsuch & Venable, 1983), Fischer and Turner's (1970) Attitude toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS), and a modified version of the Preferences for Counselor Characteristics Scale (Atkinson, Furlong & Poston, 1986). The Bradley-Terry-Luce (BTL) (as cited in McGuire & Davison, 1991) model of weighted least squares regression analysis was used to determine if differences existed in participants' preferences for the following characteristics of a counselor relative to the participants': similar religion, similar attitude and values, more educated, similar personality and older age. Results of the weighted least squares regression analysis indicated that the most salient characteristics of a counselor for participants in this study were similar religion, more educated and similar attitudes and values. Implications for the counseling profession and counselor education training are discussed.

Download or read book Bipolar Faith written by Monica A. Coleman and published by Broadleaf Books . This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overcome with mental anguish, Monica A. Coleman's great-grandfather had his two young sons pull the chair out from beneath him when he hanged himself. That noose remained tied to a rafter in the shed, where it hung above the heads of his eight children who played there for years to come. As it had for generations before her, a heaviness hung over Monica throughout her young life. As an adult, this rising star in the academy saw career successes often fueled by the modulated highs of undiagnosed Bipolar II Disorder, as she hid deep depression that even her doctors skimmed past in disbelief. Serendipitous encounters with Black intellectuals like Henry Louis Gates Jr., Angela Davis, and Renita Weems were countered by long nights of stark loneliness. Only as Coleman began to face her illness was she able to live honestly and faithfully in the world. And in the process, she discovered a new and liberating vision of God. Written in crackling prose, Monica's spiritual autobiography examines her long dance with trauma, depression, and the threat of death in light of the legacies of slavery, war, sharecropping, poverty, and alcoholism that masked her family history of mental illness for generations.

Download or read book Religion in the Lives of African Americans written by Robert Joseph Taylor and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2003-08-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an outstanding book that provides the reader with an in-depth understanding of religion in the lives of African Americans. Both historical and empirical research findings provide a context for understanding religion in the lives of African Americans. Most importantly, this book highlights the role religion plays in affecting emotional and physical health processes and outcomes among African Americans. The contributions of this book to the discussion of religion in the social and behavioral sciences will last for years!" --Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "This is a blockbuster of a book on black religion. Comprehensive, systematic, analytic, and very well written, it sets a new high water mark in the social scientific study of religion and life in the African American Community. It will be especially helpful in the teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses in African American history and culture." --Andrew Billingsley, University of South Carolina The religious faith of African Americans has many avenues of expression. Consequently, there has been a long-standing interest in the nature, patterns, and functions of religion in the lives of this particular ethnic group. African American religious life, in all its forms, is a vibrant, creative, resourceful testament to the power of faith to uplift and sustain in the face of prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion. Religion in the Lives of African Americans: Social, Psychological, and Health Perspectives examines many broad issues including the structure and sociodemographic patterns of religious involvement; the relationship between religion and physical and mental health and well-being; the impact of church support and the use of ministers for personal issues; and the role of religion within specific subgroups of the African American population such as women and the elderly. Authors Robert Joseph Taylor, Linda M. Chatters, and Jeff Levin reflect upon current empirical research and derive conclusions from several wide-ranging national surveys, as well as a focus group study of religion and coping. Features and Benefits: Empirical. Incorporates findings from a total of eight national surveys that contain representative cross-section samples of the adult Black population living in the continental U.S. Additionally, a focus group study conducted by the Program for Research on Black Americans at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, provides a rich source of qualitative information about the nature and functions of religion. Interdisciplinary. Although the primary points of view are sociological and psychological, the perspectives represented by the authors transcend disciplinary bounds. Pedagogical. Includes important data sources, tables, recommendations for further reading and resources, end of chapter summaries, and implications for future research that enhance student comprehension. Recommended for students taking courses in racial and ethnic studies, multicultural and minority studies, black studies, religious studies, psychology, sociology, human development and family studies, gerontology, social work, public health, and nursing.

Download or read book In Search of Wisdom written by Prof. Anne E. Streaty Wimberly and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: edited by Anne E. Streaty Wimberly A guide for pastors, church leaders, and all who help African Americans in their search for a meaningful Christian lifestyle. Forming Christians--leading fallen and flawed human beings into the path of discipleship to a crucified and risen Lord--is one of the central, if not the central, tasks of all Christian churches. It is a difficult enough task anywhere, but for African Americans, beset by racial conflict, personal crises, generational separation, and other concerns, it is especially so. African American churches must work particularly hard to counter the messages their members receive from the dominant and often unfriendly culture. This book employs the biblical text and African tradition to draw on the idea of the search for wisdom as a potent way to help African Americans in their pursuit of genuine Christian discipleship. Wisdom in African American tradition is not simply knowledge; rather, it is those insights, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors,and practices that create and sustain a life of hope and that produce an inherent sense of the worth of one's self. If their members are to engage in the search for wisdom, African American churches must build an intentional ministry of faith formation. Wisdom can be gained, the authors argue, when African Americans listen to the black oral tradition with its proverbial sayings, revered Bible stories, songs, and narratives from the lives of exemplary individuals. The book offers several similar avenues for the search for wisdom, including helpful models of black males mentoring younger black males, as a remedy to the destructive effects that contemporary culture has on this segment of the African American community.

Download or read book Determinants of Minority Mental Health and Wellness written by Sana Loue and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-12-19 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States is experiencing a dramatic shift in demographics, with minorities comprising a rapidly growing proportion of the population. It is anticipated that this will likely lead to substantial changes in previously established values, needs, and priorities of the population, including health and mental health for individuals, families, and society at large. This volume focuses on determinants of minority mental health and wellness. This emphasis necessarily raises the question of just who is a minority and how is minority to be defined. The term has been defined in any number of ways. Wirth (1945, p. 347) offered one of the earliest definitions of minority: We may define a minority as a group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination. The existence of a minority in a society implies the existence of a corresponding dominant group enjoying higher social status and greater privileges.

Download or read book The Color of HOPE written by Pamela Robinson and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a demographic study of the religious landscape in the United States reported that African Americans have the greatest degree of religious belief among all the racial-ethic groups (Pew Research Center 2015). Specifically, 97% of all African Americans reported belief in God, with 83% reporting belief in God with absolute certainty, and 75% of African Americans reported religion was very important in their lives, compared with 53% of people in the general population. While African American families may assist family members faced with psychiatric problems, this data suggests that Black churches are valuable places to implement mental health interventions for their population. Despite high rates of religious attendance and importance, African Americans fail to fully utilize professional mental health services relative to their White counterparts (Hankerson et al. 2011). Factors that contribute to these racial treatment disparities include distrust of providers, limited access to care, financial constraints, high attrition rates, and stigma of mental illness (Hankerson et al., 2015). African Americans who do seek professional treatment are more likely to receive lower-quality care and significantly less likely to receive guideline-concordant care (Gonzalez et al., 2010). Given the enormous individual and societal cost associated with mental disorders (Murray and Lopez 1997), exploring the role of African American faith-based organizations is an essential component of Black mental health.

Download or read book Older Mexican Americans written by Kyriakos S. Markides and published by Center for Mexican American Studies. This book was released on 1983 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health written by Carol S. Aneshensel and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-11-22 with total page 627 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook describes ways in which society shapes the mental health of its members, and shapes the lives of those who have been identified as mentally ill. The text explores the social conditions that lead to behaviors defined as mental illness, and the ways in which the concept of mental illness is socially constructed around those behaviors. The book also reviews research that examines socially conditioned responses to mental illness on the part of individuals and institutions, and ways in which these responses affect persons with mental illness. It evaluates where the field has been, identifies its current location and plots a course for the future.

Download or read book An Exploratory Analysis of Attitudes Toward Religious Help seeking Among African American Christians written by Kimberly Michelle Hardy and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation used an exploratory, cross-sectional research design to: (1) understand African-American Christians attitudes toward religious and professional help-seeking; (2) understand whether or not African-American Christians are seeking help from their church leaders to assist in the amelioration of serious personal and/or mental health issues in lieu of mental health professionals; and (3) understand the dynamics of the religious help-seeking relationship. Using an electronic survey, a sample of 146 self-identified African-American Christians participated in the study. The findings revealed that the sample had favorable attitudes toward professional help-seeking, which contradicts previous literature indicating resistance to seek professional care. Also, the sample held favorable attitudes toward religious help-seeking albeit slightly. Correlation analysis revealed a weak, positive correlation between the religious and professional help-seeking. The Attitude Toward Religious Help-Seeking Scale (ATRHSS) was designed for use in the study as no other instrument was available to measure the attitudes of African-Americans regarding religious help-seeking. The ATRHSS had good internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha of .720. Specifically designed to reveal the attitudes of African-American Christian members of the Black Church, a principle components factor analysis revealed the latent components of Significance of Faith and Pastoral Disapproval as factors associated with an unexpected reservation toward religious help-seeking. This is content not discussed previously in the social work literature. Additionally, the concepts of mistrust (related to the confidential nature of pastoral counseling) and skepticism (related to the pastoral counselors professional ability to render such services) were prevalent among those surveyed. Lastly, when presented with 22 issues which could be the focus of clinical intervention and the choice of professional resource to address them (social worker, counselor, psychologist/psychiatrist, pastoral counselor), social workers were never chosen as the preferred provider. Ultimately the findings suggest two things: (1) that social works wholesale abdication of clinical responsibility for African-Americans in favor of a perceived preference for informal, indigenous sources of support may be inaccurate and (2) that the lack of preference for social work practitioners among respondents necessitates an examination of the professional shortcomings that keep potential clients from seeking out social work services. -- Abstract.

Download or read book Handbook of Religion and Health written by Harold G. Koenig and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023-05-12 with total page 1113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The 2001 edition (1st) was a comprehensive review of history, research, and discussions on religion and health through the year 2000. The Appendix listed 1,200 separate quantitative studies on religion and health each rated in quality on 0-10 scale, followed by about 2,000 references and an extensive index for rapid topic identification. The 2012 edition (2nd) of the Handbook systematically updated the research from 2000 to 2010, with the number of quantitative studies then reaching the thousands. This 2022 edition (3rd) is the most scientifically rigorous addition to date, covering the best research published through 2021 with an emphasis on prospective studies and randomized controlled trials. Beginning with a Foreword by Dr. Howard K. Koh, former US Assistant Secretary for Health for the Department of Health and Human Services, this nearly 600,000-word volume examines almost every aspect of health, reviewing past and more recent research on the relationship between religion and health outcomes. Furthermore, nearly all of its 34 chapters conclude with clinical and community applications making this text relevant to both health care professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, counsellors, psychologists, sociologists, etc.) and clergy (community clergy, chaplains, pastoral counsellors, etc.). The book's extensive Appendix focuses on the best studies, describing each study in a single line, allowing researchers to quickly locate the existing research. It should not be surprising that for Handbook for the past two decades has been the most cited of all references on religion and health"--

Download or read book African American Christians Decision Making to Pursue Or Not Pursue Professional Psychological Help written by Dawn Y. Norman and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of this study was to explore how African American Christians’ have experienced decision making related to seeking counseling and other mental health treatment outside of the church. To this end, this study asked the following research question: What influences African American Christians’ decisions to pursue or not pursue professional psychological help? The impact of culturally related influences on the help seeking decision making of African American Christians was explored and discussed throughout this research study. The research question for this study was addressed through a qualitative interview design. This qualitative design included interviewing a total of 12 African American men and women who identified as Christian and either Baptist or African Methodist Episcopal (AME). For optimal analysis, data were stratified by participants’ age, gender, and denomination. Analysis of the data collected produced several emergent themes. From this study’s emergent themes, it is suggested that the professional psychological help seeking decisions of African American Christians are influenced by their diverse life experiences and cultural influences. Prior research has examined patterns and barriers related to the mental health treatment of African Americans. However, this study is more specific in its exploration of the impact of cultural influences the mental health help seeking decisions of African American Christians.

Download or read book Examining Help Seeking Behaviors Attitudes Toward Mental Health and Religion Among African American Adolescents written by Crystal L. Barksdale and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book What Then Shall We Say to These Things written by Janeé Avent and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "African Americans are often disproportionately represented in vulnerable populations that could likely cause them to be at a greater risk for struggling with anxiety and depression (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001), however, they tend to seek professional counseling at a much lower rate than other racial and ethnic populations and instead turn their spiritual leaders as a resource (Ayalon & Young, 2005). Because of under-utilization of mental health services within the African-American community (Avalon & Young, 2005), more research attention should be directed toward factors that affect the help-seeking behaviors of African Americans (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Generally, the Black Church is considered a less stigmatized method of getting help in the Black community (Andrews, Stefurak, & Mehta, 2010), a solution for many mental health problems (Newhill & Harris, 2007) and pastors are valued as credible sources for assistance with social and psychological problems because of their status as pastor, often regardless of the pastor's educational background, knowledge of mental health issues, and previous experience (Kane & Greene, 2009). There remains much that is unknown about pastoral motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and influence related to mental health needs of their parishioners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the pastors' response to parishioners dealing with anxiety, depression, unemployment, bereavement, and familial concerns; their motivations to encourage or discourage help-seeking outside of the Black Church; their perspectives on secular counseling services in their community; their perspective on spiritual, biological, psychological, and social coping methods; and their beliefs about identifying and responding to maladaptive religious coping strategies. Consensual Qualitative Research was used as the research protocol to collect and analyze the data. Findings from this study suggest that African Americans frequently seek help from their pastors regarding anxiety, depression, bereavement, unemployment, and relationship issues. Further, results from this study also suggest that African American pastors attribute anxiety and depression to social and spiritual spheres of influence and endorse spiritual, social, and integrative coping strategies. Moreover, African American pastors seem to differentiate between adaptive and maladaptive forms of religious coping."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Download or read book A Grounded Theory Exploration of Clergy s Counseling Referral Practices in Black Churches written by Morgan R.C. McCain and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2008) nearly one-third of American adults experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. Of those who experience mental illness only one in three will actually seek professional help (Obasi & Leong, 2009). This number becomes even smaller for people of African descent. African Americans are less likely to seek professional help for their personal problems (Cramer, 1999) because of barriers like inadequate health insurance and stigma. However, there are fewer challenges associated with African Americans seeking help from religious leaders (Chiang, Hunter, & Yeh, 2004). By their involvement in different communities, religious leaders are reasonably respected and trusted by many African Americans (Taylor, Chatters, & Levin, 2004). Therefore, many of their congregants may turn to them for help dealing with their personal issues. Religious leaders are presented with mental health concerns similar to that of counselors (Larson, 1988), but unlike counselors they may not recognize symptoms of serious mental illness (Farrel & Goebert, 2008). Consequentially, in addition to other factors, religious leaders may fail to make counseling referrals when appropriate. The purpose of this study was to explore the referral process religious leaders engage in at Black churches. The Clergy Referral Process Model was developed using the information the participants of this study provided. The themes that make up the Clergy Referral Process Model include: understanding self, discussing mental health, relationship with parishioners, including staff, arranging a meeting, assessing need, spirituality, referring, barriers, and follow-up. The model developed from this study provides a framework for understanding the referral process clergy in Black churches engage and it can be used to encourage clergy to begin making counseling referrals or increase the number of referrals being made.

Download or read book An Exploration of the Attitudes and Expectations of African American Congregants Regarding a Proposed Mental Health Ministry written by Faith C. Brown and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This mixed methods research project explored the attitudes and expectations of African American congregants regarding a proposed mental health ministry in a large urban church in Miami Gardens, Florida. The scale component assessed the mental health literacy levels of congregants. The semi-structured interview revealed congregant needs and ways to address them, as identified by leaders of other ministries based on their interactions with congregants. Relevant themes were stigma surrounding mental health, the desire for spirituality in counseling, and Christ’s concern for humanity’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being. This project collected digital scale surveys from 51 individuals and conducted nine semi-structured interviews with leaders of the church. The major scale findings were a need for education regarding risk factors, self-treatment, and the types of professional help available. Congregants may also benefit from efforts designed to promote recognition and appropriate help-seeking behaviors. The interview findings were: Congregants could benefit from counseling provided by both licensed professional counselors and trained pastoral counselors, and the stigma associated with mental health needs to be addressed, so congregants are comfortable seeking help.