From The Orange County Register
By Deepa Bharath / Staff Writer
Kay Warren calls mental illness “the no-casserole illness.”
“When I was diagnosed with cancer, people took turns to bring in casseroles and help us out,” she said.
But, when it comes to mental illness, a sense of discomfort takes over, said the wife of Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren and the church’s co-founder.
The couple lost their youngest son, Matthew, to mental illness. On April 5, 2013, the 27-year-old shot himself with a gun he had bought off the Internet. Since then, the Warrens have become vocal advocates for the mentally ill.
Speaking to a group of health care providers and community leaders during the Orange County Forum at the Hilton Irvine Tuesday, Kay Warren said faith groups should mobilize, collaborate and play a part in empowering those living with mental illnesses in their own congregations or communities.
Warren said the biggest challenge is to fight the stigma associated with mental illness.
“When people tell me they have depression or bipolar disorder, they whisper it in my ear,” she said. “I wish there would be a day soon when people can say those things out loud, like they talk today about any other disease such as diabetes or high blood pressure.”
The first step for the faith community is to become aware of the reality that is mental illness, Warren said.
“When Matthew was diagnosed with depression at age 7, we had no idea,” she said. “We were so ignorant, we didn’t even know children could be depressed. We thought it was an adult problem.”
Faith communities can play a significant role because people with mental illness tend to reach out to their pastor, priest, rabbi or imam before they go to a physician, Warren said.
“We also know that churches and other faith groups have a built-in ready-made group of volunteers who are eager to help,” she said. “We need to make use of this tremendous resource.”
The faith community’s involvement can go a long way toward changing the perception of mental illness, said Dr. Heather Huszti, chief psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
“The conversation we’re having now is groundbreaking,” she said. “But we have a long way to go. With the large involvement of the faith community in Orange County, they can become an invaluable partner on this critical issue.”
Former State Sen. Darrell Steinberg, who wrote Proposition 63 to levy a 1 percent income tax on Californians earning $1 million or more per year to pay for mental health services, also emphasized the role of the faith community in dealing with mental illness.
“Our churches, temples and synagogues are places where people congregate and feel welcome,” he said. “It is important that the faith community take a proactive role in countering the mental health crisis. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s not a class, race, gender or geographic issue.”
Mental illness transcends all of those boundaries, Steinberg said.
Warren said Saddleback Church has started a mental health ministry on its campus with the goal of reducing the stigma of mental illness and helping those who are affected and their families.
“But the progress has been very, very slow,” she said. “Getting rid of the stigma is going to be the biggest challenge.”
Warren said she and her husband are taking the next step to educate the faith community about the problem with The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church, Oct. 7-9, at Saddleback Church. The event will include speakers such as U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Bishop Kevin Vann, training seminars, educational sessions and networking.
Warren said the program will hopefully put faith groups on the path to becoming strong sources of support for those struggling with mental illness.
“We can’t fight this battle alone,” she said. “All of us – mental health providers, government agencies, leaders and faith groups – need to work together as a community.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or dbharath@ocregister.com
