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01-10-2020 | Original Paper

Attitudes About Mental Illness Among Seminary Students: a Qualitative Analysis

Authors: Laura G. Stull, James Harness, Megan Miller, April Taylor

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 5/2020

Abstract

Tragically, a majority of people with mental illness never seek treatment; however, people may be more likely to seek help from religious clergy than from mental health professionals. In the current study, 25 Protestant seminary students were interviewed. The majority of students considered there to be biological, spiritual, and environmental causes of mental illness and favored psychological, medication, or spiritual treatments. Some participants reported stigma of mental illness, including avoidance and “dangerous” stereotypes. Religious clergy are frontline mental health providers, and their attitudes about mental illness are critical in reducing stigma and increasing treatment seeking among people with mental illness.

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Title: Attitudes About Mental Illness Among Seminary Students: a Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Laura G. Stull
James Harness
Megan Miller
April Taylor
Publication date: 01-10-2020
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 5/2020
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01045-0

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Attitudes About Mental Illness Among Seminary Students: a Qualitative Analysis

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