Between compassion and condemnation: a qualitative study of clergy views on suicide in Northern Ireland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)
227 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The suicide rate in Northern Ireland, particularly among young men has grown rapidly in recent years. A relatively religious society, compared to other UK European regions, a needs assessment of clergy's pastoral response to mental illness and suicide was undertaken as part of the suicide prevention strategy. We carried out in-depth interviews with 37 clergy from a range of Christian denominations. While a compassionate response to suicide by clergy was commonly advocated, made permissible by an attribution to mental illness, there remain some misgivings about a "softer" theological stance towards suicide. This article describes clergy explanatory models of suicide and discusses the issue of cognitive dissonance on this subject. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)65-74
Number of pages10
JournalMental Health, Religion and Culture
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 2011

Keywords

  • suicide
  • religion
  • pastoral care
  • mental illness
  • clergy
  • suicide prevention

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Between compassion and condemnation: a qualitative study of clergy views on suicide in Northern Ireland'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this