Clergy Reflections on Mental Health

The Necessity of Mental Health Awareness in a Faith Community  -------Kim McCahan Batson   A loving and beloved husband and father, he had recently faced a huge personal crisis and was seeking spiritual guidance from a compassionate clergy with thirty years in the ministry. Two days later, he was dead.  “He told me straight out he was depressed,” recalled the stunned pastor, “I didn’t think I needed to ask if he was considering suicide. I thought if he was able to recognize and admit depression, he was on his way to recovery and would be okay.” At the same time the church rallied around that family with support and love, they also spoke in hushed tones about cause of death – if they mentioned it at all.  And I, who had a depressed husband at home, began a slow quest to empathize with and support people who I knew were living with emotional pain.   My journey was kick-started a few years later by two complementary experiences.  Having recently moved to Chapel Hill, I was secretary at Am