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Revealing a tension between the medical model of depression and the very different language of theology, this book explores how religious people and communities understand severe sadness, their coping mechanisms and their help-seeking behaviours. Drawing from her study of practicing Catholics, contemplative monks and nuns, priests and laypeople studying theology, the author describes how symptoms that might otherwise be described as pathological and meet diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder are considered by some religious individuals to be normal and valued experiences. She explains how sadness fits into the 'Dark Night of the Soul' narrative - an active transformation of emotional distress into an essential ingredient for self-reflection and spiritual growth - and how sadness with a recognised cause is seen to 'make sense', whereas sadness without a cause may be seen to warrant psychiatric consultation. The author also discusses the role of the clergy in cases of sadness and depression and their collaboration with medical professionals. This is an insightful read for anyone with an interest in theology or mental health, including clergy, psychiatrists and psychologists.
List of contents
Acknowledgments. Foreword. Preface. Part I. Setting the literary and historical contexts. 1. Depression and the medicalization of sadness: conceptualisation and help-seeking. 2. The role of the clergy in the management of sadness and depression, and their collaboration with mental health professionals. 3. Sketches on the Catholic Church and monasticism. Part II. Unfolding the narratives of sadness and spiritual growth. 4. The participants and their ways of life. 5. Conceptualisation of sadness, depression and the Dark Night of the Soul. 6. Coping and help-seeking for sadness and depression. 7. The role of the clergy in the care of sadness and depression, and their collaboration with mental health professionals. Part III. Stepping beyond the monastries' and parishes' walls. 8. The medicalization of sadness and the Dark Night of the Soul. 9. Religious coping with sadness and depression. 10. The clergy's role in assisting those suffering from sadness and depression. 11. A framework to differentiate normal sadness from depression. References. Appendix 1. Ethical Considerations. Appendix 2. Limitations of the study. Appendix 3. Finding the questions to get the answers. Appendix 4. List of tables and figures. Appendix 5. Summary of findings: main themes and sub-themes extracted from the participants' interviews.
About the author
Glòria Durà-Vilà. Foreword by Professor Roland Littlewood.
