Developing a Christ-Centered Mental Health Training for Black Pastors: A Pilot Study

African Americans experience disparities in mental disease burden and mental health outcomes, yet they are less likely to engage in formal treatment than non-Hispanic whites and prefer help from clergy and informal supports instead. However, clergy often feel ill-equipped to address the mental health problems brought to them by congregants. This study applies social action theory (SAT) to the development and piloting of the Christ-Centered Mental Health Training Program, a novel faith-based mental health program focusing on group, congregation, and community-level change, by increasing mental health awareness and reducing stigma among African American pastors and their staffs to equip them to promote the positive mental health of their congregations. The community engagement and social innovation (CESI) model guided program development. A pilot study was conducted with eleven English-speaking African American congregation leaders to identify whether training curriculum objectives were met. Pre- and posttest surveys evaluated general mental health knowledge, knowledge of mental health in the Bible, ability to identify signs and symptoms of mental illness, and skills to refer to professional help, revealing self-reported gains across all objectives. Implications for future research suggest the need for further development and evaluation of church-based mental health promotion interventions for African Americans.