What Actually Reduces Mental Health Stigma in the Church? A Pastor's & Church Guide
Why does mental health stigma persist in the church despite years of awareness efforts? Research points to a clear answer: campaigns change minds but not cultures. Let’s break down a simple, proven process — rooted in story, dignity, and practical action — that helps churches move beyond stigma into real, ongoing mental health, actionable, supportive growth to transform lives.
When I've been asked about mental health stigma, I often respond by saying ...
“Stigma is a dignity issue, not a campaign issue ... and it’s easier than we think to ‘break the stigma.’ We have to rethink our methods.”
What 70 Years of Stigma Research Actually Tells Us
Years ago, after extensively looking at the mental health/illness stigma studies (dating back to the 1950s), it is no wonder society and the church have struggled trying to “break the stigma.”
Here's the snapshot from the mental health stigma studies.
Why Anti-Stigma Campaigns Haven't Worked
> Anti-stigma campaigns using mental health statistics and scientific terms and labels helped people understand the necessity of mental health professional care, but made it a "them" or "otherness" issue. Some studies revealed the campaigns had no effect and even increased stigma. In other words, the studies suggest that the campaigns have moved heads, not hearts.
> Overall, the campaigns overwhelm people with no way to help ... reinforcing the idea that "they" need doctors, not me/us to help. (1)
The Real Solution: Build a Culture, Not a Campaign
Researchers point back to the solution proposed by one of the original findings:
“Stigma is fundamentally a social phenomenon rooted in social relationships and shaped by the culture and structure of society. If stigma emanates from social relationships, the solution to understanding and changing must similarly be embedded in changing social relationships and the structures that change them.”
Every culture has its own unique language for social relationships ... thus, "breaking stigma" is in building a dignity-rich, mental health Cultural Narrative.
Here are three simple ways to “break” stigma, and then later, how to “build” a stigma-free environment. Building Awareness to Action.
1. Relate — Lead With Stories, Not Statistics
Jesus taught with parables, analogies, metaphors, and hyperboles to convey the deep reality of his love, life, and Kingdom. Our brains are hardwired to respond to stories, so lead with stories, NOT statistics.
2. Resonate — Normalize Mental Health as a Human — and Biblical — Experience
Use the stories to normalize it as a human experience, whether that be personally, with others, or heroes of the faith throughout history.
Utilize stories and use the language that is described in the Bible (it’s often more relational vs. technical or institutional). I have a worksheet I would give pastors with various Scriptures, and how they are described in the Bible, because Scripture is not shy about the pain, struggle, and challenge of human life and faith in God’s goodness. The Bible is honest with despair, grief, anxiousness, doubt, and wrestling with God’s faithfulness; even Jesus grieved.
I have so much I can explain on this topic, and this gets deep into theological topics such as theodicy and God’s impassibility vs. passibility. However, I like to keep it simple because Scripture doesn’t bypass pain, which means God doesn’t bypass our pain either, nor even His own grief. When you look at Jesus on the cross — you’ll see how God really feels about you and me … all of us in our pains and for us to have life, no matter what we’ve been through or struggling with.
3. Realize — Make the Statistics Personal to Your Community
Use statistics at the end, but personalize the statistics to your community ... using "our, we, and us" language. For example,
"Statistically speaking, did you know that up to half of the youth in our community, and even in our own church, are dealing with clinical levels of anxiety with no real help and support? This means that many are suffering alone with no help from our church … unless we do something different and more practical."
The key point: How Awareness Naturally Builds Into Action
From a research standpoint, building a relatable story resonating and realizing the impact within our community naturally leads to everyone looking for creative SOLUTIONS — Awareness organically building into action.
Building cultural solutions (action) with a real example!
1. A Culture Strategy Requires a Practical Action Plan
The church culture starts to change, reducing mental health stigma, when there is a practical action plan for providing ongoing "growth support," and the senior leadership is involved with stories that reinforce the mental health strategy plan.
Without the above ... all the awareness from the pulpit, seminars, and workshops doesn't move the needle, or if they do, it is very slow.
This is not just my personal experience with over 14 years working with Grace Alliance in this space, but also on the research of cultural change within businesses and organizations. (3)
2. Churches Need a New Model of Ongoing Care and Support (an eco-system of care and supportive growth)
A new model for ongoing care and growth support has to be understood from the pulpit to the pew. This is where our free groups for individuals and families (and other similar options) have met the needs of hundreds of churches, ministries, and programs serving their communities.
I have a lot of experience in this — I’ve seen a lot of great educational (awareness) efforts (and I’m so blessed and thankful to see it); however, people, even in pain, want supportive growth (yes, growth, not just support). They want to still be discipled “in Christ.” You should read the hundreds of comments people leave when they download our resources … some share years of dealing with mental anguish, all kinds of challenges, but they still want Jesus in their journey. Now, we’re seeing a new influx of professional therapists and certified mental health coaches downloading our resources to utilize with their clients who want Jesus as a part of their growth and healing.
If that’s you, whether for your personal mental health journey or as a family member who feels at a loss with your loved one’s journey … Jesus has not forgotten you. He has not forgotten your story. Keep saying His name — Jesus (if that’s all you can do, it is enough, He knows your story, Romans 8:27-29).
3. Why Senior Leadership Must Be Part of the Story
The research is very clear ... in all cases of culture change, the senior or executive leadership has to be part of the story. (4)
The stories create a cultural impact and spread like wildfire (more than any sermon). If the leadership just talks about it, but doesn’t act on it with ACTION, it will often fall flat.
Here's a real example of a church that first started to implement groups:
A large North Texas church (15K+ members) didn’t really have a sermon series on mental health, but the leadership had the heart to start actionable mental health support in their church. With recruited lay-leaders championing the charge, the church promoted a Sunday afternoon mental health workshop. They would discuss in general, and then how they would start and implement our Grace Groups. However, the attendees were surprised to see their senior pastor at the workshop, greeting everyone and giving a heartfelt 2-3 minute opening welcome. All the attendees felt "seen" and gave their senior pastor a thunderous applause.
It doesn't stop there ... here's another story from this same senior pastor.
A mother and father, who were in distress, asked to meet with the senior pastor and elders for prayer. After ending with meaningful prayer and recognizing that their situation involved mental health challenges, the senior pastor walked the couple across the huge church campus to one of our Family Grace groups already in progress. The senior pastor said, "I think this is where you both need to be."
Surprised, the couple was moved to tears when they discovered that a Christian mental health group for families existed and met in their church. The couple joined, and the Family Grace group provided ongoing pastoral care and growth support.
Actions Change Church Culture — Impacts the Community
I could go on with other stories with other amazing churches that have changed the culture of their church (and their community, even multiplying our Grace Groups to other churches and programs in their city).
As you can see, this example and story above is what spreads more than a sermon! These are the types of stories that escape beyond the sanctuary walls into the church halls and spread into the community. This is what moves people to remember … actions change culture … and this type of culture creates a new eco-system care where lives are transformed.
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There's more to it all with other creative techniques and ideas, but at least you see the cultural narrative and action needed.
What do you think? Share this with others and start a new ACTION-oriented conversation.
FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT: See our free helpful videos for church leaders — to move from Awareness to Action.
Joe Padilla | Grace Alliance
(1) See this research for a good summary of mental health stigma.
(2) Goffman Erving. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall; 1963.
(3) Jay Barney, Presidential Professor of Strategic Management, Lassonde Chair of Social Entrepreneurship, Academic Co-Chair for the Center for Business Health and Prosperity within the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Coauthor, The Secret of Culture Change: How to Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization.
(4) Ibid.
