The Church's Pastoral Care for Families Living with Someone with Mental Illness

Abstract

This study aims to examine the Church's pastoral care for families living with individuals suffering from mental disorders (hereinafter referred to as "patients"). The research focuses on the Church's holistic role in providing support to families who share a home with a patient. The study seeks to make a theological contribution to the development of Church pastoral care practices, specifically regarding families living with patients. A qualitative method was employed, utilizing a case study approach focused on the Polan family, who live with three patients in Simatibung village. The findings reveal that the patients' familiesparticularly those living in the same householdare the most significantly affected by the patient's condition and the stigma associated with mental disorders. However, families generally do not prepare themselves to act as caregivers, resulting in limited knowledge and experience. These limitations cause stigma to heavily influence the family's reactions toward the patient. Feelings of shame, distress, and confusion leave families feeling powerless and vulnerable to both internal and external conflicts. Consequently, there is a clear need for families living with patients to receive pastoral care from the Church to sustain and foster hope. Church pastoral care provides a space for families to gain an accurate understanding of mental disorders, guiding them to seek appropriate psychiatric treatment for the patient. The presence of a pastoral caregiver is invaluable to these families, empowering them to take the right steps regarding the patient's treatment.