The Mental Health and Conceptions of Mental Health Among Clergy in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

ABOUT THE LECTURE
In many sub-Saharan African countries, churches are central community organizations. However, we know little about these congregations and the people who lead them. Pastors in the DRC carry a heavy caregiving burden due to chronic insecurity, frequent terrorist activities by local militias, high rates of trauma, and very few mental health services. We know from research in the United States that clergy often suffer from elevated rates of depression. David Eagle will discuss a survey of 100 pastors from Beni, a small city of 400,000 people in North Kivu province, which aims to establish the incidence of depression, anxiety and trauma-related symptoms among pastors. In addition, he will cover his team's efforts to establish how pastors conceive of the source and optimal treatment for mental illness with the goal of establishing programs that help pastors provide improved care. Finally, he will describe the difficulties and opportunities of doing research in the Eastern DRC.

Lunch will be provided. This event is part of Think Global, a weekly lecture series at the Duke Global Health Institute.