As the stigma against mental health diminishes, so has the stigma against
seeking treatment for mental health related concerns. With younger
generations being more outspoken on different forms of social media
about their own experiences with mental health and seeking counseling,
in many populations counseling is encouraged. Although counseling is
becoming more openly accepted and talked about (and in some senses
more openly accepted) it is still not accessible to all. A field that is
growing right alongside counseling and mental health treatment is the
self-help industry, a field that has the potential to have a very profound
impact on someone’s mental health and the potential to be seen as a
form of mental health treatment, at a drastically lower cost than therapy.
Due to the widespread instant and affordable access to self-help material,
it is important to look not only at the effectiveness at self-help from a
psychology and research perspective but as a Christian it is important to
look at self-help from a Christian worldview perspective. Johnson (2010)
details five views on what it looks like to be a Christian in the field of
Psychology, and the Integration View (which centers on advancing
psychological research from a Christian worldview perspective) is a great
foundation for exploring and researching self-help as a mental health
treatment option from a Christian worldview perspective.
,
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five Views (2nd ed.).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 9780830828487.
