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Tag Archives: mental illness
Is “Special Needs” Acceptable People First Language?
I think there’s considerable risk that kids who become aware of being served through a “special needs ministry” would feel hurt and offended. I think there’s a minimal risk that parents who are currently outside the church might avoid involving kids in a “special needs ministry” because of assumptions their child would be treated differently. But why should the church run the risk of using language that might present an additional barrier to families of kids with disabilities connecting with their larger family in Christ through the local church? Continue reading
Hot Topics: What’s Causing the Epidemic of Mental Illness in Kids?
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I frequently encounter parents and skeptics who freely share their opinions that much of the reported crisis in children’s mental health is fabricated…a marketing scheme of the pharmaceutical industry, a consequence of poor parenting or misplaced priorities on the part of families.
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May Series…Hot Topics in Children’s Mental Health
If kids and teens affected by mental illness and their families are to be successfully welcomed and fully included in our churches, the church will need to make great strides in its’ understanding of mental illness. That’s where I hope we can help.
May is designated as National Mental Health Month, and the week of May 6-12 is officially designated as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. In order to promote better understanding of common mental disorders in children and teens and the challenges faced their families, we’ll spend the month looking in depth at some of the more controversial topics in the field of child and adolescent mental health.
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Demon or Disorder? Attitudes Toward Mental Illness in the Church
15% of adults who sought help from their church for a mental illness for themselves or a family member reported a weakening of faith as a result of their interaction, and for 13%, their interaction resulted in the end of their involvement with their faith. Continue reading
Posted in Leadership
Tagged church, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Matthew Stanford, mental illness
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What Pastors Believe About Mental Illness
I would think that churches inclined to view depression or other mental disorders as conditions associated with a lack of faith in God would be most committed to efforts to reach and build relationships with persons suffering from these conditions. After all, to fail to do so would be analogous to building a hospital and subsequently deciding to do as little as possible to let sick people know that the hospital was open. Continue reading
Are Churches Blind to Mental Illness?
The most obvious take-home points from the study seemed to be that families in which someone was struggling with a mental illness were very desirous of support from their local churches, but members not exposed to mental health issues were basically oblivious to their needs and the presence of mental illness appears to be an impediment to church attendance and regular prayer. Continue reading
Posted in Controversies, Families
Tagged church, Key Ministry, mental illness, prayer
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What Can the Church Do to Help Families of Kids With Mental Illnesses?
What would you like to see the church do to better serve families of kids with mental illnesses? Aware of any innovative strategies employed by churches or small group within churches that have helped to demonstrate the love of Christ while meeting immediate needs? Please post comments and links below. Continue reading
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