Faith-based communities could play a bigger role in mental health care by equipping religious leaders with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, according to research presented at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 39th Annual Conference (APNA 2025), held from October 15 to 18, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The study highlights how MHFA programs can help pastors and other faith leaders recognize and respond to mental health challenges. “I have found that there is a lot of stigma in the church associated with mental illness,” said Tracy Webster-Cooley, DNP, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, as well as a certified MHFA researcher. “We need to be educating those individuals about mental health, because there are a lot of individuals that come into the church, they get prayer for their circumstances, and then get sent right back out.”

Dr Webster-Cooley found that belonging to a faith-based community lowered the likelihood of seeking secular therapies, with most people in need opting to find support through their religion. However, turning to a community rooted in faith while having depressive feelings or other mental health concerns can, as a result, shape perceptions and coping behaviors, which are limited without complementary psychiatric health care.

MHFA, which has shown improved patient engagement in military and youth populations, can have a place within religious communities to “bridge gaps” in mental health services, said Dr Webster-Cooley.

The study included 32 members from faith-based groups. A majority of those who participated were members rather than in leadership positions. Each survey respondent was asked 14 questions that evaluated mental health literacy, misconceptions, and attitudes, as well as asked about the role of religion in providing mental health support.

The results revealed that integrated care can be utilized in these faith-based spaces by encouraging a balanced use of both professional and spiritual resources. It is also important, Dr Webster-Cooley added, to tailor MHFA content to meet the needs of this community by making training faith-informed to raise engagement and mental health outcomes.

“I’m so passionate about this project and inspiring individuals in the church to get the training, so they can identify someone who is in a mental health crisis and be able to provide them with the resources and help them on their journey,” she said.