Date

7-22-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Richard Green

Keywords

suicide, suicide prevention, suicide intervention, suicide stigma

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of people with suicidal behavior seeking help from an Evangelical Church. The theories that guided this study were Kelman’s social influence theory and Kelly and Thibaut’s interdependence theory. The social influence theory explains the influence the church may have over an individual, and the interdependence theory describes how church leadership impacts interactions with church members who have suicidal behaviors. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of participants. The interviews were recorded to help with accuracy and transcribed. Participants reviewed the transcriptions for accuracy. Then the researcher went through the transcripts several times to develop codes, and several other times to search for common themes. Three major themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) participants found reasons to live, which gave them hope, (b) the church can address aspects that secular counseling neglects, and (c) perceived barriers to seeking help for suicidal behaviors within the Evangelical Church. Within the third major theme, two subthemes emerged: members not having experience or knowledge of mental health, and feelings of judgment.

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