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Mental Disorders in the Family
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
DBPC 300: Child and Family Development
Theological and Psychological Analysis of Mental Health in the Nuclear Family
Early on in life, children learn how to adjust their individual demeanors in order to
function cohesively alongside their siblings and parents. In the same way that children learn
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what makes their parents happy and how to conduct themselves within the family unit, parents
must continuously adjust their behaviors to accommodate their ever-changing and growing
child. In a perfect environment, barring any significant roadblock, families learn to live together
in a way that is both functional and fulfilling for each member of the family. However, what
happens when a member of the family suffers from their own internal roadblock? What if that
roadblock comes in the form of anxiety, OCD, depression, or panic disorder? What if the family
member that is afflicted is a child? Although the average person tends to equate mental
disorders with adults who have experienced life’s stresses, evidence shows that “half of all
lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age fourteen” (Clinton & Trent, 2009). This shows that
children have just as high of a chance of suffering from mental illness during their adolescent
phase as adults do. When afflicted with a mental illness, neither children nor parents are
capable of truly being themselves. It is the responsibility of the family to understand and support
one another in the face of mental illness. This understanding is stronger when supported by
scripture and a deep connection with God.
However, it is negligent to assume that mental illness can be cured by religion alone.
Unfortunately, the mindset that accompanies many Christians is the idea that being afflicted with
a mental disorder must equate to a weak connection with their faith. This is a toxic stigma that
has deeply affected Christians suffering from mental health disorders, leaving them to feel as
though their mental health issues must mean that they are not a “good” Christian or that they
are somehow less Christian than others that do not suffer from mental disorders. Mental health
disorders are not a sign that one is suffering in their faith because mental health is dependent
upon physiological factors. In fact, when considering mental illness, there is no “cure”, but rather
a variety of support and coping mechanisms that come in the form of religious beliefs and
therapeutic techniques. When the daily demands of life such as school and work create added
stress, it can feel overwhelming and impossible to overcome. However, it is possible for a family
to combat the effects of mental disorders by leaning upon one another when life’s burdens seem
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daunting and enormous. Ultimately, mental health disorders have many theological and
psychological implications and can infiltrate a family unit to the detriment of its members.
However, with the appropriate support and understanding based in psychology and theology, a
family can work together in order to combat the effects of mental disorders.
Psychological Perspective
When people suffer from a mental health disorder, they often turn to psychological
support in the form of therapy and therapeutic techniques. While it may not be enough, it is
important to understand the psychological implications of mental illness within a family unit and
to apply the techniques that are recommended by mental health experts.
A suggested approach to mental illness within families is FFP, or Family-Focused
Practice, which emphasizes the need to address the entire family in order to best lessen the
effects of a member suffering from mental illness (Tuck, et al.). Family-Focused Practice
involves a range of techniques from individual and family-focused therapy to “family care
planning and goals setting” (Tuck, et al., 2022, p 2). This concept may seem slightly vague and
ill-defined because it is. There is a significant “lack of definitional clarity”, which brings up the
issue of implementation (Tuck, et al., 2022, p 2). How can a technique be widely used or
considered successful if it lacks a clearly defined approach? While many experts in the field
acknowledge that a whole-family approach is necessary, there are others who claim that
including family members into their client’s therapy sessions is out of their purview. The fact that
this approach comes highly recognized as a way to target families suffering from mental illness,
yet many providers fail to agree on what all FFP encompasses (or whether or not they should
even be required to include family members into therapy sessions) creates a barrier for
psychologists and their clients.
A different psychological approach focuses solely on the client’s issues and aims to
guide the client in a way that decreases the effect their mental illness may have on the family.
This may be done in the form of counseling a mother who suffers from severe anxiety in an
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attempt to provide her with coping strategies that decrease the likelihood that the anxiety will
affect her children and spouse. Furthermore, this single client approach can decrease the
crossover that exists between a client’s behavior related to their mental illness and their
homelife. This is a targeted approach to the individual suffering from mental illness in hopes that
the crossover would create an opportunity for healing and growth, which can happen when a
client begins to pass on the healing process and coping strategies to other members of the
family, thus acting as a liaison of sorts between their learned psychological coping strategies
and the family unit (Vahedi, et al., 2019).
Both of these approaches are valid and aim to reframe the brain’s thought process while
providing individuals with strategies to help them combat the effects of their mental illness.
Theological Perspective
From a strictly theological perspective, there is a dangerous stigma that God is the sole
answer to mental illness. This is a stigma that has burdened Christians for centuries. There are
theologians who actively support the idea that a “lack of faith, selfishness, sin, and demonic
influence” are the prominent causes of mental illness and that one can heal themselves by
strengthening their relationship with God and turning away from sin (Watts, 2018, p 5). This is a
potentially damaging concept because it leads those suffering from mental illness to place the
blame on themselves instead of the contributing biological factors.
However, in recent decades, the focus has shifted to a scripture-based approach to
mental health. In this way, faith is combined with the study of the scripture, a deeper connection
with the holy spirit, and coping strategies that are based in theology. Study of the scripture can
be an invaluable tool to fight the battle of mental illness. In fact, the Bible provides examples of
God’s people suffering from mental illness. King David suffered from extreme anxiety and
depression, yet God never left his side (New King James Version, Psalm 6:5-7). By studying
scripture and evaluating these examples from the Bible, an individual can develop a greater
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understanding of God’s support and unconditional love. It is widely recognized by theologians
that “the Bible offers a rich resource for those suffering mental illness” (Holdsworth, 2022, p 3).
Another theological approach is to merge both science and theology in order to combat
the effects of mental illness. One theological concept of mental illness is that mental health
issues offer Christians a valuable opportunity to “realign how they lead their lives” (Watts, 2018,
p 10). In other words, Christians are to utilize their mental disorders as an opportunity for
learning, development, and growth. In this way, suffering from a mental disorder can potentially
strengthen an individual and their family unit. Ultimately, this approach is one of deep reflection
for the individual that can lead to growth and healing, which would positively impact a family
suffering from the effects of mental disorders.
Points that are Complementary Between Perspectives
To add onto the concept of joining science and theology, there are areas between the
two perspectives that complement one another quite nicely. While the psychological and
theological perspectives may not align perfectly, there are clear areas of compatibility. One
major area where the two perspectives complement one another is in the emphasis on the
importance of self-reflection. Both perspectives acknowledge the need for an afflicted individual
to be able to lean inwards for healing. While psychology focuses on the mental load of life and
the tangible stresses that occur within the home and workplace, theology recognizes the need
for a deeper understanding of oneself in relation to their connection with scripture and God.
Both acknowledge the importance of healing from the inside out. Furthermore, at the point
where these two perspectives merge together, there is a clearly defined dependence of
psychological health on an individual’s spiritual health. Both psychologist and theologist widely
confirm that “religious devotion has been linked to greater life satisfaction and improved
psychological health” (Glenn, 2020, p 1). This suggests that even when a psychologist fails to
integrate religion into therapy, they tend to recognize the benefits of a deep spiritual relationship
for their client. Both psychology and theology support the fact that an individual with a strong
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sense of what they believe in on a spiritual level is more likely to maintain a higher sense of self,
thus leading to a more successful outcome for their mental health journey. Ultimately, the best
approach to combat the effects of mental disorders within a family unit is one where psychology
and theology are combined and utilized in a complementary way.
Points of Tension Between Perspectives
While there is a significant crossover between theology and psychology, not all experts
agree on the compatibility of the two perspectives. There are those who wholeheartedly believe
that science and theology are contradictory in nature. A major point of tension comes from the
fact that mental illness is deeply spiritual. From a strictly psychological perspective, religion is
irrelevant in practice, and there are those who believe that religious beliefs have no place in
psychological practices. In contrast, from a strictly theological perspective, an individual’s mental
health disorder is a direct result of their poor spiritual relationship with God. When viewed in
isolation, the two perspectives are separated by this barrier.
Another area of tension between the two perspectives is that of internal versus external
coping strategies. From a psychological perspective, healing comes from a mixture of
psychological coping strategies and internal self-healing. In contrast, from a theological
perspective, healing comes from an individual’s internal connection to God and the holy spirit.
Psychology places emphasis on the importance of both inner and outer work (which may or may
not include an individual’s connection to their faith), whereas theology tends to place emphasis
on the importance of faith alone.
In regards to the effect that mental illness has within a family unit, psychology implies
that the issues of the individual are both internalized and externalized, which transfers onto
family members creating negative effects (Speyer, 2022). An appropriate approach to combat
this would be for the individual suffering from mental illness to do the internal therapy and
implement the strategies into the family unit to lessen the external effects on the family. In
contrast, a strictly theological viewpoint suggests that the issue is solely internal and that a
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faith-based approach to healing is the answer to “curing” mental illness, therefore strengthening
the family unit by default. In other words, psychology promotes healing from both the inside and
the outside, often including family members in the therapeutic process. In contrast, theology
promotes the idea that healing can only be done by the individual on a spiritual level and is a
direct result of a person’s relationship with God and the holy spirit.
Conclusion
In summary, when mental illness infiltrates a family, it can come with great cost to a
family unit. Whether it be depression, extreme anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, etc…, the entire
family must adapt in order to lessen the effects of mental illness. Traditional approaches created
a divide between theology and psychology, resulting in the false idea that the two perspectives
cannot co-exist. However, although there are significant differences between the two
perspectives, there are equally significant areas where they complement one another. The best
approach to combat the effects of mental illness within the family unit is to combine the two
perspectives, viewing neither one in isolation.
Ultimately, the combined theological and psychological perspectives of mental illness
within the family can help mitigate the negative effects that accompany these disorders. By
combining therapeutic techniques based on a psychological approach with a deep-seeded
understanding of God and the scripture, a family can mitigate the effects of mental illness. In
summary, the two perspectives must be combined in a way that presents the best possible
outcome for a family suffering from the effects of mental disorders.
References
Clinton, T., & Trent, J. (2009). The quick-reference guide to marriage and family
Counseling. Baker
Glenn, C. L. . (2020). Relationship of mental health to religiosity. McGill Journal of
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Medicine, 3(2).https://doi.org/10.26443/mjm.v3i2.540
Holdsworth, J. (2022). The Bible and mental health: Towards a biblical theology of
mental health, Rural Theology, 20:1, 67-68,
https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2036467
New king James Version (NKJV) - biblegateway.com. (n.d.).
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible/
Speyer, L., Hall, H., Hang, Y., & Murray, A. (2022, January 24). Within
‐family relations of mental health ... - wiley online library. ACAMH.
https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpp.13572
Tuck, M., et al. “A balancing act: A systematic review and metasynthesis of family-focused
practice in adult mental health services.” Clinical Child and Family Psychology
Review., vol. 26, no. 1, 2023, pp. 190–211, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00418-z.
Vahedi, A., Krug, I., Westrupp, E. Crossover of parents' work-family conflict to family
functioning and child mental health, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,
Volume 62, 2019, Pages 38-49, ISSN 0193-3973,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.01.001.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397318301321).
Watts, F. (2018, May 15). Theology and science of mental health and well-being.
Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/zygo.12412
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