The Role of Religious Congregations in the Mental Health Care System

This dissertation examines congregations' sponsorship of social services for people living with mental disorders. Using data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. congregations, the 2000 US Census, and the 2006 General Social Survey, I address three research questions: What proportion of congregations sponsor services for people living with mental disorders?; How do congregational characteristics affect the likelihood that congregations sponsor these services?; How do neighborhood characteristics and community assessments affect the likelihood that congregations sponsor these services?; Does being a member of a congregation that sponsors these services affect their members' support for government spending on mental health care? The findings indicate that 8% of congregations sponsor services for people living with mental disorders and that religious ideology affects whether congregations sponsor these services. Congregations located in neighborhoods with disadvantaged populations are more likely to sponsor services if they conduct a needs assessment study of their communities while congregations in neighborhoods with advantaged populations are less likely to sponsor services for people living with mental disorders if they conduct a needs assessment study of their communities. Belonging to congregations that sponsor services for people living with mental disorders does not have a direct effect on their members' support for government funding of mental health care. It does, however, have indirect effects. People who belong to congregations that sponsor services for people living with mental disorders and who pray frequently are less likely to support increased government spending on mental health care.