What factors influence an older adult’s decision to seek mental health counseling from a religious leader or from a medical doctor? More than 300 residents 65 and older living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) in St. Louis were surveyed about their decision-making processes regarding seeking mental health help.
Historically, people in the U.S. have sought mental health counseling from clergy at high rates. In 1981, it was estimated that 40% of all people who sought help for personal problems turned to religious leaders. In 2003, researchers found that 24% of the U.S. population sought help from clergy members, whereas only 17% sought help from psychiatrists and 23% from general medical practitioners.
Researchers found that older adults were very likely to seek help from a religious leader at some point in their lives. Not surprisingly, religiosity was an important factor in their decision-making. People who regularly attended religious services and had higher levels of intrinsic religious beliefs were much more likely to seek help from clergy than from medical sources. Furthermore, the more frequent one attended services, the less likely one sought help from medical sources.
These findings indicate that health care providers who work with older adults in the community might seek partnerships with local clergy offering mental health counseling.
Source: Pickard J. and Tang, F. 2009. Older adults seeking mental health counseling in a NORC. Research on Aging 31:638-660.