Mental Health & Religion: When Prayer Isn’t Enough
In Ghana, faith is powerful. The church, mosque, and shrine are sacred spaces where people go to find hope, answers, and healing. But when it comes to mental health, our deep spirituality sometimes collides with painful misunderstanding.
Too often, mental illness is seen as a lack of faith — or a sign of spiritual attack.
Depression? “You’re not praying enough.”
Anxiety? “It’s a demon, fast it away.”
Suicidal thoughts? “You need deliverance.”
And so, people cover their wounds with church clothes. They shout “Hallelujah” on Sunday, but weep silently at home. They are afraid to be honest — afraid they’ll be judged, accused, or ignored. In many pulpits, trauma is rarely mentioned. In counseling rooms, emotions are spiritualized instead of understood. The result? Shame grows in silence.
This mindset is hurting us.
The young woman grieving silently after abuse, but told to “just forgive and move on.”
The young man battling depression, but afraid to speak for fear of being labeled “possessed.”
The pastor, overwhelmed by pressure, but forced to pretend he’s always okay.
Faith is not the enemy of healing — it should be a bridge to it. Yes, prayer brings peace, but that peace is not weakened when we also seek therapy, community support, or medical care.
We serve a God who heals — but also gives us doctors, counselors, and healthy relationships to walk the journey with us.
Dr. David Rex Orgen, Best-Selling Author and International Mental Health Expert, understands this tension deeply. Through InspireMind Global, he is partnering with pastors, imams, and spiritual leaders to create a new narrative — one where the church is not just a place to worship, but a safe space to cry, to be honest, and to heal holistically.
It’s time we taught that being saved doesn’t mean you won’t struggle. And struggling doesn’t mean you’ve failed spiritually — it means you’re human.
📩 Invite InspireMind Global to train your clergy, youth leaders, and fellowship groups on how to support mental health with wisdom, love, and truth.
🌍 Visit: www.inspiremindglobal.com
📧 Email: info@inspiremindglobal.com
Let’s make our churches places where the mind is cared for, the spirit is nourished, and no one has to suffer in silence.
Written by Dr. David Rex Orgen, Best-Selling Author and International Mental Health Expert
4 thoughts on “Mental Health & Religion: When Prayer Isn’t Enough”
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I am very glad inspired mind global has touched on “religion & psychology” this has been on my mind lately. I have seen a lot of conversations and articles on how how academics, grief, socialization, unemployment, etc affects the mind, but I have never come cross a conversation of how religion affects our psychology.
Coincidentally I was discussing this with my sister over the weekend and it’s been on my mind one day ask @Dr. David Rex Orgen about this particular motion because he doubles as a mental health expert and a pastor.
This is the least talked about.
The church and other religious bodies has an integral role to play in shaping the narrative surrounding mental health.Great piece from Dr.Orgen.
Thank you very much Dr for such great insight. I will want to how we can balance faith and psychology.
Sometimes the mind speaks to us but our faith tells us that it’s God. When our minds decision goes right, we attribute it to the voice of God or any supernatural force we believe in and when it goes wrong we now blame the human mind or the devil.
Where do we draw the line between our minds and our faith?
Thank you for opening up this conversation. It is such an important and sensitive topic. I also think it’s important that we keep discussing how mental health can be addressed within religious settings with an opened mind .