An Exploration of Mental Health Literacy Among African American Clergy

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore African American clergy's mental health literacy with older congregants 60 years of age and older. Using a grounded theory approach, we recruited a purposive sample of 9 African American clergy representing diverse ages, denominations, locales, and educational levels. Data was coded and classified according to Kevin's (1976) typology of pastoral counseling and Jorm et al.'s (1997) conceptual model of mental health literacy. Findings from data analysis revealed study respondents were adherents of Kevin's Religious-Community (R-C) model. Additionally, the following themes emerged: loss of cognitive functioning, psychosocial stressors, religiosity, and appreciation for professional assistance, cultural barriers, and key informants/familiarity with formal mental health providers which partially maps onto Jorm et al.'s conceptual model of mental health literacy.