Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Pastoral Perceptions Of Formal Mental Health Training In The Black Church, Monique Bethea-Covington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This purpose of this phenomenological study is to broadly explore the role of the Black Church in providing mental health support by facilitating linkages to professional mental health services by exploring pastoral perceptions of mental health through examination of their experiences with church members. Ten African American pastors of Black Churches in North and South Carolina completed semi-structured, qualitative interviews describing their backgrounds, attitudes, and their mental health experiences within the church. Many of the respondents reported having members of their congregation disclose challenges or difficulties with their mental health. Most of the pastors reported that they understood the need …

The Narrative Matters: Depictions Of Mental Health And Suicide In Fiction, Ashlee Cierra Garcia

Masters Theses

The following thesis submission includes an Artist's Statement that shares the origin and plan for the creative manuscript. A critical paper follows that which discusses the importance of the fiction narrative when discussing sensitive topics such as mental health and suicide. With a focus on the Werther and Papageno Effects, different fiction texts are discussed and analyzed to show the negative effects that can come from a hopeless narrative as well as the positive effects that can come from a hopeful narrative. The creative manuscript that follows is the story of a young man, Jayden Walker, who has his own …

The Communal Table: A Wholistic Perspective On Food And Social Development, Sarah Cook

Masters Theses

In order to address issues of isolation in the wake of a global pandemic, this thesis examines the nature of the connection between food and community through commensality. “Commensality” is defined as the practice of eating together, which has demonstrable health benefits on personal, interpersonal, and psychological levels. Research reveals that, while commensality has been a foundational tenet of society since civilization’s beginnings, instances of commensality appear to be at an all time low for modern Americans. The results are diminished mental health, undeveloped support networks, and missed opportunities for emotional connection. All of these may be thought of as …

Visions Of Aline: A Foreshadow Of The Past, Allison King

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on the first act of a coming-of-age YA novel. Visions of Aline is about a high school senior, Joey Astor. Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia four years ago, he’s been under a grand delusion that he is the school’s most feared bully. Unhappy that Joey is copying him, the real bully, Kaleb Kane, fights back. For four years, Joey and Kaleb have had a bitter and fierce rivalry. With the end of high school near, the two are determined to prove who rightfully deserves the title of the most feared. When Joey’s schizophrenic episodes start to worsen, …

Equipping Military Chaplains With A Framework For Mental Wellness: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Stephanie Okolo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although it is said that the sight of a battlefield after combat can fill princes with a love of peace and haunt them with the horrors of war, the mental health effects of war on soldiers are often frustratingly difficult to comprehend. It is, however, clear that warzones and the general environments in which deployed soldiers work can have negative impacts on their mental health. Military chaplains work closely with deployed soldiers and should be well-equipped with the knowledge to help them understand their mental health needs. It is important that they possess the right skills to do this well. …

Black Mental Health: Unravelling The Stressors And Stigma Surrounding The Mental Health Of Black Men, Joel Isimeme

Masters Theses

Mental health and illness have become increasingly relevant concerns in contemporary society. While the collective conversation around psychological health has begun, within the black community, mental health remains taboo. Mental illness is seldom seen as affecting black people. All individuals, however, are susceptible to mental illness, especially black men of African descent. This thesis, therefore, aims to explore the everyday experiences that adversely affect the mental health of black men. Specifically, it seeks to identify the factors that contribute to this mental ill-health. To this end, it will examine the role of society, religion, and the media in stigmatizing poor …

Spiritually Guided And Bridging The Gap: An Inquisitive Analysis On The Correlation Of Pastoral Counseling And Mental Health, Cynthia E. Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study evaluates the outcomes of pastoral counseling on mental health within a predominantly African American congregation in the southeastern United States. The research study is intended to build a further understanding of the pastor’s role in counseling individuals with mental health conditions, given individuals seek counseling as a treatment option. To evaluate those perceptions, the researcher analyzed data collected from a survey. The outcomes from this qualitative data study suggest that pastoral counseling alone is ineffective given several factors such as individual failure to seek counseling, no suggested mental-health related issues within the sampled population, and ethnicity barriers. …

Developing An At Risk Youth Prevention Model In Local Church, Norman Dwight Vick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Congregations must be spiritually positioned to receive and pass on the Gospel baton to all believers. This work will concentrate on those that are at risk for emotional disorders, particularly at the stage of adolescence. This effort will point to the young with emotive challenges that will assist them in being able to pass on the faith constructively and wholesomely. This dissertation will utilize an analytic approach that consists of multi-components related to mental health classifications and disorder, therefore, Christian leaders should be looking beyond secularism to provide support for adolescents who are at risk. Given the presence of millions …

A Christ-Centered, Attachment Based, Church Program For The Healing Of Father Wounds, Stephen J. Madosky I

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Father wounds have devastated the hearts of men as to make impotent their effectiveness as fathers, leaders, and ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This dissertation used Christ- centered attachment-based theories to develop a church-driven program that includes discipleship disciplines along with counseling techniques to help develop a more secure relational attachment to God and therefore producing psychospiritual benefits, such as a greater love of self, others, and God. This research evaluated the efficacy of the development of this Christ-centered, attachment-based church program for the Healing of Father wounds. This program development looks to secure the participants’ attachment to …

Animal Heads: Exploring Christian Themed Solutions And Mental Health Through Comics, Mariannette Oyola-Perez

Masters Theses

The second leading cause of death for the ages of 10-24 is suicide, a statistic that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows has steadily risen since 1999. Although it is seldom spoken about in mental health circles, an enmity seems to exist between Christianity and modern psychology in regards to mental illness and how it should be treated; this enmity could be preventing helpful Christian-based principles from being shared with the at-risk population while simultaneously excluding Christians from a conversation they need to be a part of.

Interestingly, further research shows that the at-risk demographic overlaps significantly with …

Marks That Last: Package Design To Combat Anticipated Stigma, Zachary Hensley

Masters Theses

The art of tattooing requires meticulous safety measures and certification, consistent precision, an intricate knowledge of the tools being utilized, color theory, design principles, and adaptability. Despite the rigorous artistic and technical requirements, tattooing is often regarded as a service instead of an art form. This thesis seeks to explore some contributing causes as well as some potential solution strategies to combat this problem. This thesis argues that tattoo studios (and other applicable small businesses like salons) can combat social stigma by launching a product line to address a specific social issue. By donating a portion of proceeds from a …

Discipleship Counseling: Developing Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Followers Of Jesus, James Albritton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will look at how professional or lay counseling can increase the effectiveness of making and maturing followers of Jesus. An effective strategy for disciple-making that targets the whole person will be established to help followers of Jesus overcome the emotional pain due to past sin and hurts which have left them ineffective and stagnant in their growth as disciples. Research will be conducted through articles, websites, and books dealing with the subject as well as a survey of at least 50 pastors to determine whether a clear process of disciple-making exists in their church and if any form …