Beyond access: Church participation and the empowerment of people in mental health recovery

Abstract

Belonging to a church community benefits individuals with mental health challenges because it provides not only spiritual support but also social cohesion. However, the benefits for individuals in mental health recovery remain largely unexplored. Therefore, establishing whether they attend church and understanding their experiences of participation are important. Three focus group sessions with 17 participants who were in mental health recovery were conducted in this study in which the participants discussed their churchgoing experiences. Utilizing the conceptual lens of the access, participation, and empowerment model alongside thematic analysis, we discovered that while these individuals were welcomed into formal gatherings, they sometimes felt excluded when joining informal gatherings. They were often relegated to basic roles, leading to their limited participation in other church activities. Their churchgoing experiences appeared to inhibit their ability to express their authentic selves, suggesting that they encountered disempowerment rather than empowerment. Although these instances of exclusion were subtle and not readily identifiable, they warrant the attention of church leaders, mental health practitioners, and researchers.