Concerning the Importance of God
for
Mental Health
Religious Faith and Its Relationship to Long-Term
Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes
Marcia A. Murphy
Our response or lack of response to the big and deeper questions influence the trajectory of our daily lives such as, how we think, feel, and act. It affects the way we treat others and even how we treat ourselves. It determines our goals and ambitions or lack thereof. How we deal with stress and life’s challenges is directly an outcome of our view of the big picture, whether we are resilient or crumble under pressure. What is the importance of God in all this, and how does it influence our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes? In this book I offer a glimpse of my view of the big picture and what I believe may be helpful for our mental health.
The book opens with my personal encounter with the Lord which leads into others’ experience of God. A major section explores the influence of long-term Christian faith on character development. I interview several people who did mission work internationally:
DR(S) LYNN & SHARON FOGLEMAN
Lynn and Sharon Fogleman, both physicians, have done medical missionary work in the US and several countries in Africa. We hear of the type of things they have done in service of others in the name of Christ.
DR CECILIA NORRIS (GUATEMALA)
Another example is one of Dr. Cecilia Norris, who has gone to Guatemala several times; she shares her experience as a medical missionary, what she learned, and how she felt she increased in wisdom as a result of this experience.
BECKA SIMPSON (HAITI)
Becka Simpson, a retired social worker, shares her experience in Haiti. She explains how her perspective on life was changed as a result of this work.
There are also other people who responded to my questionnaires. I found that the priorities of these participants and what they value most in life had developed over a course of many years. People who responded in my research are examples of those who did well with their choices and who produced fruitful and meaningful lives. What can we learn from them, their examples? And what can the field of psychiatry learn from them to improve the therapeutic process for their patients, many of whom struggle with addictions or other negative behaviors, and suicidal thoughts?
In this book I share what I learned as a psychiatric patient who was earlier, almost destroyed by psychosis. With the help of counselors, physicians, and a faith community, a broken life, shattered to pieces at one point, became somewhat rebuilt, and restored. Sure, I can’t say I have a perfect life right now, but it is one filled with meaningful work and new friendships. To develop my theme I also give a glimpse of other people’s lives, people who participated in interviews.
I believe that modern-day psychiatric care needs to go deeper, psychologically, and spiritually. Patients need to be able to share more of their lives, what they do day-to-day and how they think about life circumstances—share their thoughts and feelings about what they value, long for, and strive for, that gives their life meaning. The importance of belief in God cannot be overstated for our long-term development. Our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes will depend on it. This book addresses meaningful topics that touch upon what makes life worth living. And as for the general reader who may have picked up this book out of curiosity, perhaps there are insights which can enrich and improve the very quality of our day-to-day existence.
From Preface