The number of people experiencing mental illness in our country has increased significantly over the past 15 years. Although causation may not be completely agreed upon, the data appears solid. This can be seen most clearly in the data tracking suicide. According to the U.S. , the annual rate of suicide has increased by 24% between 1999 to 2014. The tragedy of suicide is typically linked to one of several mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction and bipolar disorder. Data suggests that each of these mental illnesses have also increased during the past 15-20 years.

Why should pastors and Christian leaders be concerned about mental health?

Although research suggests that regular church attendance correlates to higher reported rates of subjective well-being, rates of mental illness experienced by those within the church have increased along with the national averages. These objective data, combined with my conversations with pastors and those working professionally in the Christian community, are the backstory that led to the publication of the Frontlines manuals. Several years ago, I noticed an increase in the number of pastors and Christian organizations asking me to speak to their staff and lay leadership about identifying and triaging mental health issues within their communities. Additionally, I noticed that the severity of the anecdotal stories being shared with me during these trainings were also increasing--particularly among teens and younger adults.

A New Resource for Churches

Over the past several years a colleague of mine from Rosemead School of Psychology has been graciously teaching an annual Mental Health First Aid certification course to my pastoral care and counseling students. My students enjoyed the training and found the content helpful in assessing and triaging people in their ministries who were suffering with mental health issues. Their only complaint was that the training manual was purely secular in nature. After listening to their co