I’ve had a dream for about a decade to get into some of the more nuanced areas of mental health and dove into the intersection of faith and mental health. But at the same time as starting that, I’ve also wanted to do more in mental health research and statistics. So today marks the start of our adventures into that research with regard to faith and mental health within an initial “Get To Know You” survey that you can take here. To sweeten the pot a little, we offer a limited-time promo code to get a free eBook upon completion.
(Note that this survey will remain open, but the promo code will expire on June 22, so go complete it today.)
Why Research?
For those who do not know, I have a background in computer engineering from my undergraduate studies, which deviates pretty heavily from other counseling majors. I geek out about performance outcomes of counseling when measuring success with clients as we continue to evaluate if they are still struggling with depression, trauma, and substance misuse. We even have a research page on our website of the latest information being shared about faith and mental health that we have reviewed ourselves.
The problem is that it’s typically from Lifeway Research or Barna Group, which both produce great information, but neither specializes in mental health research. We want to take the content that is already shared and dive deeper into what is happening at churches, partnerships with mental health professionals, and what the Church is experiencing in this mental health crisis and substance use epidemic.
Why Now?
Research takes time. It involves crafting the questions, combing the data, compiling the results, finding people to complete the survey, and establishing relationships with partnering agencies. You could certainly buy mailing lists, give up a large portion of access to the data or freedom of creating these surveys by partnering with other entities, but we want to do it the right way from the ground up.
The other part is the cost. We are not currently set up as a not-for-profit organization, so mailings, databases, and manpower will all eventually cost money. The cost isn’t excessive, but it’s definitely a barrier to entry.
Why This Survey?
We have wanted to get to know our audience, so this survey is a great starting point for beginning our research. We have some basic questions about you, the reader, and some more details about your role in your church and the resources you offer.
If you are curious about what we find, we will be sharing the results later this summer. Check back to find out more.
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