Blog Post #3 ( What are the benefits that Christianity can have on teenage mental health?)

Hello everyone, Welcome to my third blog post! In this blog post I’m going to be going to break down my inquiry question into 3 sub-questions. TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, Depression, Substance Abuse.

I will first review existing studies and articles that discuss how religion, Christianity, helps improve emotional well-being by lowering stress and providing support. Next, I will explore Christian practices, such as prayer, attending church, and Bible study. Finally, I will look for real-life stories and testimonies from Christian organizations or mental health professionals that show how faith has positively impacted the mental health of teens. These steps will provide me with a better overall understanding of how Christianity can help struggling teens. 

Stress is a part of life, especially with school, assignments, and relationships. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but there are ways to manage it with help from your faith. Taking care of your body also helps. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying active can make a difference in how you handle stress. And having supportive friends and family around can help aswell (1). Often times if you are struggling with anything, you can go have a conversation with the pastor at a local church and they will probably be open to giving some advice (2). Tim Tebow, a former professional football player, manages stress by focusing on what he can control and trusting God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense(1). Having that sort of safety net for our lives helps so many people focus on what’s important, the present. Managing stress isn’t about getting rid of it, but about responding to it in a healthy way. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can face stress with strength, wisdom, and grace. By trusting in God’s plan, taking time to rest, being kind to yourself, and seeing challenges as opportunities to grow, you can find peace in stressful moments and become the resilient person God intended you to be(1). People cope with stress in different ways, and some approaches are more helpful than others. Some good ways to cope are seeking support from God, using religious practices during difficult times, practicing forgiveness, turning to a faith community like church for help, and viewing stress as part of a bigger purpose. These methods can help people handle tough situations more effectively(5).

Looking into how practicing Christianity(specifically prayer), affects people, I’ve discovered some very interesting results. Prayer is one of the most powerful elements of christianity, it’s similar to meditation(1). It’s a way for many people to organize their thoughts and take a break from the craziness of the world (2). MRI results show that talking to God affects the brain in a way that’s similar to talking to a friend(3). Prayer is how Christians connect and communicate with God, it’s a comforting way to sort through your feelings, which will more often than not be effective in reducing stress, anxious thoughts and depression (2). A Stanford anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann says “Prayer is a lot like cognitive behavioural therapy,It’s a way you attend to your own inner experience, let go of distracting thoughts and focus on more positive thoughts. By expressing gratitude, you shift attention from the way that things are going wrong to the ways they are going right.”I think this perfectly demonstrates how Christianity can change your mindset in proactive ways (3). Studies have shown time and again, Christians are reported feeling better and healthier, those who pray more often typically have less challenges with their mental health(3). Prayer will remain one of the key components of religion and one of the best methods for stress release.

The testimony I will be looking into is the one of Jay Lowder, Jay Lowder’s story is about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. At one point, things got so bad that he was about to end his life when his roommate unexpectedly came home, which made him pause and wonder if God was trying to stop him. Later, his mother encouraged him to attend a preacher’s meeting. That’s where he heard the gospel in a way that deeply moved him, and he decided to give his life to Jesus (4). Although he continued to make mistakes, Jay eventually felt a change inside when he realized how wrong his actions were. He began helping others facing similar struggles, sharing his story of hope and redemption. He became a preacher, traveling to inspire others with the message that God can transform lives, even from the darkest places (4). Jay’s testimony goes to show that Christianity really can improve your life and mental health in drastic ways. His mental health improved extraordinarily after turning to God, he transformed from suicidal to helping and preaching to people around the world about how he turned his life around with God.

1.Colorado Christian University. (n.d.). Manage stress in a healthy way. CCU Online. https://www.ccu.edu/blogs/cags/category/devotionals/manage-stress-in-a-healthy-way/#:~:text=By%20acknowledging%20your%20limits%20and,when%20you%20cannot%20see%20it.

2. BBC. (2024, May 13). Worship and festivals – Practices in Christianity – GCSE Religious Studies Revision – AQA – BBC Bitesize. BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/znqck2p/revision/1

3. Feder, S. F. (2020, November 13). Deep faith beneficial to health. Stanford University. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2020/11/deep-faith-beneficial-health

4. Hailes, S. (n.d.). From attempted suicide to saving souls. Premier Christianity. https://www.premierchristianity.com/testimonies/from-attempted-suicide-to-saving-souls/13955.article

5. Pargament, K., I. (2013, March 22). What role do religion and spirituality play in mental health? https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2013/03/religion-spirituality

Thank you for reading!