Qualitative Research Article Summary

Evangelical Christian Undergraduate Attitudes toward Depression’s Etiology and Treatment: A Qualitative Study

Objective: Little is known about how participation in campus religious organizations affects undergraduates’ willingness to engage mental health services. This study explores evangelical Christian students’ views regarding the etiology and treatment of depression.

Participants: Members of two evangelical Christian organizations at a research university were recruited in January 2014.

Methods: Participants completed semi-structured interviews exploring their views on depression and a modified grounded theory approach was used to analyze interview transcripts.

Results: Participants perceived their fellowships as generally supportive places to discuss mental health concerns. Students expressed eclectic understandings of depression that balanced theological, social, and neurobiological accounts. They often preferred counselors of the same faith and articulated ambivalence about the use of antidepressants.

Conclusions: Evangelical student organizations can provide substantial emotional support for student members. Participants in these organizations conceptualize depression using multiple etiological narratives, often prefer counselors who share their faith, and may be ambivalent about using

In an ethnographic study of one evangelical student group at a university in the northeastern United States, Wilkins argued that the group created a strong social pressure to appear happy and to hide negative emotions.15 Students in Wilkins’ study articulated the belief that happiness was a sign of “God’s work in their hearts.”15,p.283 This research suggests that for at least some students in evangelical campus organizations, seeking help for “feeling down” could threaten their sense of group belonging and, possibly, challenge their religious faith as