Boniuk Institute researchers explored the extent to which views on the relationship between science and religion shape explanations for and understanding of mental health problems, and the extent to which such views help explain racial-ethnic differences in perceptions of the causes of mental health conditions.
Although the researchers found that nearly half of respondents affirmed some combination of biological and social explanations for mental health conditions, 16% did not agree with either cause. White respondents were more likely than Black, Hispanic, and other-race respondents, who tend to be disproportionately religious, to endorse "chemical imbalance' as an explanation for mental health problems. Black respondents were more likely than white respondents to affirm religious explanations, namely that mental health conditions can be a result of a test from God or a form of possession by evil spirits. The belief that people trust too much in science and not enough in religious faith helps explain, in part, the support Black adults show for religious explanations of mental health conditions.
So, how can religious leaders and front-line mental health care workers use this information to promote better mental health among their constituents?
Institute research suggests that increased collaboration between religion and science can effectively address health equity issues and promote healing without undermining individuals' perceived veracity of religious explanations for mental health. First, teaching that religion and science can be collaborative, which was associated in this study with identifying mental health issues as being a product of multiple causes, might be one means through which pastors and other clergy can help their congregants be open to a variety of treatment options. A collaborative view of religion and science may also lessen certain types of stigmas if mental illness is seen as having multiple causes rather than a single cause (e.g., lack of faith).
Second, the fact that 16% of respondents did not espouse agreement with any biological or social explanation for mental illness suggests a lack of knowledge about what causes people to struggle with their mental health, indicating there is a need for further education of psychological health in clinical settings.
This research was supported by a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust (TRT-2019-10205) and administered through The Issachar Fund (TIF025A), led by Principal Investigator Elaine Howard Ecklund and Co-Principal Investigator Andrea K. Henderson.