Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Katie Askren
Keywords
Religion, Black community, mental health, mental health stigma.
Disciplines
Counseling | Religion
Recommended Citation
Tillman, CaTisha, "Barriers and Bridges to Mental Health: A Quantitative Study of Religious Commitment, Mental Health Stigma, and Help-Seeking Attitudes in the Black Community" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8191.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8191
Abstract
Mental health is a silent killer in the Black community. The Black community prefers to seek mental health support from their pastors, friends, families, and church members rather than from a professional counselor. This mistrust is seated in a deeply rooted history of transgenerational trauma towards the medical and mental health care system. Stemming from the enslavement of the Black community to the present day, with systemic racism, disparities in mental health care, limited educational resources, and socioeconomic disadvantages. The following research examined how religious commitment affects mental health stigma, help-seeking attitudes, church-based relational support, and perceived barriers to mental health services toward receiving professional mental health services in the Black community. Through the investigation of these factors, as well as cultural mistrust, the study provides insight into mental health care within the Black community.
