Pastors, Too, Grapple with Thoughts of Suicide, Self-Harm

World Suicide Prevention Day and Suicide Prevention Month serve as crucial reminders of the importance of mental health awareness and support for all individuals, including those in leadership positions within our communities. Among these leaders, pastors hold a unique and often challenging role, bearing the weight of their congregation’s spiritual and emotional needs.

Recent research from Barna sheds light on the mental health challenges pastors face. While most pastors express a desire to improve their mental health, the reality is that a majority of them are still going it alone, at least when it comes to receiving reinforcement from an expert or professional.

Additionally, while pastors are called to guide and support others, they too grapple with mental health issues, including thoughts of self-harm and suicide (read the latest data in the excerpt below).

Henri Nouwen famously characterized the role of a pastor as being a “wounded healer.” This perspective underscores the importance of congregants, church staff and others actively supporting their spiritual leaders. Such care acknowledges that a pastor’s resilience and well-being are fundamental not only to their personal lives but also to the health of the communities they serve.

The following is an excerpt from Barna’s State of Pastors Volume 2, done in partnership with World Vision, Brotherhood Mutual, RightNow Media and World Impact. Order your copy of the full report or subscribe to Barna Access Plus  for unlimited digital access to this research and more.

Nearly One in Five U.S. Pastors Say They Have Contemplated Self-Harm or Suicide in the Past Year

We know that pastors are not exempt from mental illness and challenges. In 2015, 46 percent told us they had experienced depression at some point in their ministry; by late 2020, that percentage had reached 59 percent (keep in mind, these were self-reports, not clinical assessments).

In addition to probing about general perceptions of well-being and mental health, Barna put some heavy personal questions in front of pastors. We wanted to directly ask pastors: Have you considered harming yourself or taking your own life?

Soberingly, nearly one in five Protestant senior pastors in the U.S. (18%) say they have contemplated self-harm or suicide within the past year. These ideations have varied in severity—just 1 percent call them frequent and distressing, while others say these thoughts were fleeting (8%) or not so severe (9%).

As Barna has not asked this particular question of pastors in the past, we cannot speak to whether this percentage is growing, consistent or diminishing over time or with certain events. Still, even one pastor acknowledging thoughts of self-harm or suicide, no matter how lasting or how serious, is grievous to consider. Additionally, we can’t know how many pastors may have struggled with such thoughts but lacked the awareness or the willingness say so in our surveys. Considering the ongoing stigma surrounding mental health, especially in churches and especially for church leaders, we can assume some pastors may have been reluctant to sincerely examine themselves or respond to these deeply personal questions.

The Need for Security & Solidarity
Some correlations in the data help us to think about which pastors are more at risk for mental health challenges or what type of support could be beneficial.

For instance, church leaders being paid full-time are less likely than other pastors to report thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Tangible stability and resources have a natural and practical relationship to one’s well-being and could be indicative of other support systems being in place.

Tellingly, though perhaps unsurprisingly, loneliness and isolation also have a place in this conversation about pastors’ mental health. Nearly all pastors who do not experience feelings of loneliness or isolation (95%) also do not report recent ideations about harming themselves or taking their own lives. Among pastors who feel more alone, however, one in four (26%) says they have faced such dangerous thoughts in the past year. A sense of community, belonging and solidarity may be crucial in offering hope or curbing hopelessness for the pastor.

It’s difficult and disorienting to think about faith leaders—who are familiar with the beliefs, practices and environments that are often linked with greater human flourishing and happiness—finding themselves in these dark places. But there is much to be learned in reckoning honestly with the universality of human fragility, as well as the specific pressures of pastoring.

Resources in Moments of Crisis
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, here are some resources that could offer help and next steps from your phone:

• Dial or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Call 800-662-HELP (4357) to learn more about treatment options through SAMHSA’s National Helpline.
• Text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line