Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families

by Robert H. Albers (editor), William H. Meller (Editor), Steven D. Thurber (Editor)

Those who are afflicted as well as those who are adversely affected by mental illness often live lives of "quiet desperation" without recourse to appropriate assistance. Most caregivers confronted with these illnesses in the work of ministry have had no training or accurate information about mental illnesses, so frequently they do nothing, resulting in further harm and damage. Others may operate out of a theological system that does not adequately account for the nature, severity, or treatment of these illnesses. In Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families, Second Edition, psychiatrists and pastoral theologians come together in an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort to ensure accuracy of information concerning the medical dimensions of mental illness, interpret these illnesses from a faith perspective, and make suggestions relative to effective ministry. Readers will learn how science and a faith tradition can not only co-exist but work in tandem to alleviate the pain of the afflicted and affected.

Genres: Mental Health, Counselling, Psychology

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2012

Reviews

[Andrew Montgomery]

This book helped me go a little bit deeper in my understanding of mental illnesses. I think it would be a great introductory read for anyone who wants to learn more about the most common mental illnesses (and autism, which is included in this book for some reason) and how to best engage people who have a mental illness. Due to the edited nature of the book, some chapters were more helpful than others, but I didn't finish any chapter and think it was a waste of time to have read it, which would be a great thing for many other books to strive for.

I especially appreciated the collaborative nature of the book. Each chapter began with an introduction to a particular mental illness, written by a psychiatrist or psychologist. The second half of the chapter was written by a chaplain or spiritual care giver of some other variety and focused on how to best provide emotional and spiritual care to someone who has that particular mental illness. Studies continue to show that the quality of healthcare improves the more spiritual care is integrated into the system, and collaborative efforts like this promote that movement.

Unlike the last book on spiritual care and mental illness, this book offered informed, serious, and helpful suggestions for how to provide spiritual support to someone with mental illness. I do think it would be more helpful for ministers or people who have little experience in providing spiritual care. A chaplain should already know the skills and suggestions offered in the pastoral care sections of the book, and I found myself learning a lot more in the first section of each chapter. But, this book was written more for ministers than it was chaplains (hence the title), so I can't fault the book for that.

[John Crowe]

This is a unique book on this important subject with input from both mental health professionals and clergy.