64 - Switching the Narrative: Pastor’s Beliefs and Reasonings

Description/Abstract/Artist Statement

Although many African Americans experience mental health/addiction (MH/A), only 39% of the population seek professional treatment (Singh, 2023). Several significant barriers contribute to their ability to seek treatment such as insurance coverage limitations, readily accessible transportation, poverty, cultural misrepresentation, distrust of treatment providers, and the scarcity of ethnic matching. Many African Americans feel more comfortable relying on the Black Church and pastors for support. However, many pastors are not prepared to support the MH/A needs of their parishioners thus leaving those who seek help without the proper MH/A care they need. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions held by African American pastors on preparedness based on experience and theological beliefs to address MH/A issues within the Black Church. This current study also sought to understand how pastoral views can influence potential collaboration with MH/A professionals and how to develop directions for potential collaborations. Using a narrative approach, I analyzed three interviews conducted by Tarver and her colleagues (2021) that ranged from 20-60 minutes with three of the pastors in their respective churches. The African American pastors were stationed in the Hampton Roads Area, had pastored for at least five years, and were at least 50 years of age or older. The pastors were recruited for the original study using snowball sampling. Results from this current study revealed that pastors’ MH/A experiences and theological beliefs did not lead to a greater perception of preparedness in addressing MH/A issues among their parishioners. Additionally, pastors’ views of potential collaboration with MH/A professionals were ambiguous or conditional. The results suggest that pastors would benefit from more training on how to address MH/A issues and greater knowledge of and accessibility to resources for their parishioners, requiring MH/A providers to integrate more holistic approaches to treatment.

Presenting Author Name/s

Dejaune Thompson

Faculty Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Shuntay Z. Tarver, Dr. Sheriyse Williams

Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department

McNair Scholars Program, Old Dominion University; Patricia & Douglas Perry Honors College, Old Dominion University

College Affiliation

College of Sciences

Presentation Type

Poster

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

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64 - Switching the Narrative: Pastor’s Beliefs and Reasonings

Although many African Americans experience mental health/addiction (MH/A), only 39% of the population seek professional treatment (Singh, 2023). Several significant barriers contribute to their ability to seek treatment such as insurance coverage limitations, readily accessible transportation, poverty, cultural misrepresentation, distrust of treatment providers, and the scarcity of ethnic matching. Many African Americans feel more comfortable relying on the Black Church and pastors for support. However, many pastors are not prepared to support the MH/A needs of their parishioners thus leaving those who seek help without the proper MH/A care they need. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions held by African American pastors on preparedness based on experience and theological beliefs to address MH/A issues within the Black Church. This current study also sought to understand how pastoral views can influence potential collaboration with MH/A professionals and how to develop directions for potential collaborations. Using a narrative approach, I analyzed three interviews conducted by Tarver and her colleagues (2021) that ranged from 20-60 minutes with three of the pastors in their respective churches. The African American pastors were stationed in the Hampton Roads Area, had pastored for at least five years, and were at least 50 years of age or older. The pastors were recruited for the original study using snowball sampling. Results from this current study revealed that pastors’ MH/A experiences and theological beliefs did not lead to a greater perception of preparedness in addressing MH/A issues among their parishioners. Additionally, pastors’ views of potential collaboration with MH/A professionals were ambiguous or conditional. The results suggest that pastors would benefit from more training on how to address MH/A issues and greater knowledge of and accessibility to resources for their parishioners, requiring MH/A providers to integrate more holistic approaches to treatment.