A new survey reveals that almost one in four Protestant preachers have experienced mental health issues, with 12 percent admitting that they've been given an official diagnosis, according to Lifeway Research, a faith-based firm.
The survey comes at a time when Christian churches are joining other societal institutions in creating an open dialogue about mental illness, The Blaze reported on Tuesday.
Clinical psychologist Chuck Hannaford, who was one of the experts interviewed in the recent study, said that many of these preachers don't talk about their struggles with parishioners.
Though he doesn't believe preachers need to reveal every personal detail, acknowledging their shared issues might be beneficial.
The results show that one-in-four members of the general public admit to mental health struggles, which is the same as the proportion of pastors admitting it.
While the issue is an uphill battle for many people inside and outside of the church, 66 percent of pastors told Lifeway that they hardly ever speak out about mental health from the pulpit; 33 percent, on the other hand, said they address the issue at least several times per year if not more frequently.
Researchers also found that those suffering from mental illness often seek help from churches, but that faith leaders are in need of additional information in order to manage the issue more effectively, according to Christianity Today.
Struggling churchgoers wish their houses of faith dealt with the issue more regularly; 59 percent of respondents with a mental illness want their church to talk more openly about it, along with 65 percent of their family members.
In fact, 10 percent of the 200 respondents in the Lifeway study with mental illness said they have started going to other churches after one gave them a poor response to mental health issues, and another 13 percent couldn't find an alternative church or stopped going completely.
But the dearth in resources isn't because of a lack of compassion. About 74 percent of pastors say they aren't against getting involved with those suffering from acute mental illnesses, and nearly 60 percent have provided counseling to people who were later diagnosed by a doctor.
