우울증은 매우 중요한 현대인들의 질병입니다.
관련하여, 우을증은 개혁교회에서도 계속 논의되는데, 속도가 더딥니다. 여기서 공통적으로 중요한 것은 인간이 '하나님의 형상'을 갖고 있다는 점입니다. 그것의 세부적인 해설은 다를 수 있지만, 큰 틀에서 '하나님의 형상'이 인간에게 내재된 점은 우을증을 '성격, 관계' 등의 주요 키워드로 풀어나갈 수 있도록 통찰력을 제공합니다.
아래의 논문을 잘 참고하여, 많은 분들이 도움을 얻길 바랍니다.^^
Depression_20_docx.docx
0.06MB
이하, 요약입니다.
- 이 문서는 가톨릭 교육 기관에서 일하는 교사와 강사들이 청소년 우울증을 이해하고 대응하는 방법에 대해 논의한다. 의학적/정신과적 접근법과 신학적/영적 이해를 결합하는 것이 가장 효과적이라고 주장한다.
- 청소년 우울증의 현상, 진단 및 원인: 청소년 우울증은 학교, 대학 및 대학에서 성장하는 현상이며, 유전적, 생물학적, 환경적, 심리적 요인들의 조합으로 발생한다. 우울증은 슬픔과 다르게 전체 유기체를 느리게 하며, 자기 혐오, 낮은 자존감, 흥미 상실, 수면 및 식욕 장애, 자살 생각 등의 특징을 가진다. 서구 문화, 소비주의, 사회적 압박, 온라인 관계 등은 우울증의 원인이 될 수 있다.
- 가톨릭 전통에서의 고통과 우울증: 가톨릭 전통은 고통을 부정하거나 무시하지 않고, 그리스도의 구원적 고통과 연결하고, 고통을 겪는 사람들에게 의미와 희망을 제공한다. 고통은 인간의 존재의 필수적인 부분이며, 영적 성장과 성숙에 기여할 수 있다. 가톨릭 교육 기관은 그리스도와 교회의 전통에 뿌리를 둔 신학적 인간학과 철학적 형이상학을 통해 우울증에 대처할 수 있는 기회가 있다. 우울증과 영혼의 어두운 밤은 구별되어야 한다.
- 가톨릭 교육자들의 궁극적인 도전은 학생들이 세상을 우울한 방식이 아니라 신의 아름다움과 영광의 표현으로 경험하고, 그 안에서 행복을 느끼도록 돕는 것이다. 우울증은 최후의 단어가 아니다. 또한, 우울증을 겪는 학생들에게 그들이 혼자가 아니라는 것을 알려주는 것도 중요하다. 우울증은 또한 영적인 관점에서도 이해하고 치료할 수 있는 병이다. 정신적인 훈련, 명상, 기도, 성찬례, 성유병 등은 우울증을 완화할 수 있는 방법이다.
HTML 버전도 첨부합니다.
A Catholic Approach to Youth Depression – implications for those
working in Catholic schools, colleges and universities.
David Torevell, Leeds Trinity University.
Abstract
Youth depression is a growing phenomenon in schools, college and universities, a major
area of pastoral concern which needs addressing, according to many Catholic educators.
This article argues that medical/psychiatric approaches and guidance combined with
theological and spiritual understandings constitute the most effective way forward. It
contends that Catholic educational contexts have a unique opportunity to deal
effectively with this matter by highlighting and drawing from the rich heritage of the
Church. Its distinctive Christian metaphysics and theological anthropology have much to
contribute and can be immensely therapeutic. Such frameworks, however, must only be
considered when, in the professional judgement of the teacher/lecturer, it is wise to
adopt them. The article concludes by suggesting that the vision of the world offered by
Gerald Manley Hopkins (himself a victim of depression) in his poem ‘God’s Grandeur’, is
the ultimate goal Catholic educators might wish to strive for.
Keywords: depression; anxiety; diagnosis; causes; ways forward; Gerard Manley
Hopkins; practitioners; Christian metaphysics; theological anthropology
Introduction
One of the greatest English poets of all time really knew what it felt like to be depressed –
and he put it in captivating, heart-rending verse: ‘No worse, there is none. Pitched past pitch
of grief,/More pangs will, schooled at forepangs, wilder wring.’’ (Reeves 1979, 65). His
‘terrible sonnets’ are some of the greatest, if darkest, testimonies to the condition and they
need to be read by anyone who seeks to understand depression or wishes to help others
who suffer from it (Reeves 1979, xxv; Martin 1991, 381-387).
Bizarrely, you might question, how was this same poet able to communicate, in other
poems, his experience of the world as something ‘charged with the grandeur of God’ which
shines out like ‘shook foil’ and life as beautiful, glorious, and infused with the Holy Spirit?
(Reeves 1979, 18). Hopkins describes this experience in terms of inscape, a belief he
individuated trees, birds, wind or cloud was God’s presence; it glorified and divinised mere
things. I want you to hold Hopkins’ dual experience in mind as you read this article and as I
try to unpack how common depression is, what it is, its possible causes, and how
educational practitioners might assist those battling with it. Keeping Hopkins’ radical mood
swings in mind will help us clarify how it is perfectly possible to move from one mode of
seeing the self and the world to another. It is a human phenomenon.
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*Email: toreved@hope.ac.uk
Thus, my primary aim is to assist teachers and lecturers working in Catholic settings to
understand more deeply and respond more effectively to the phenomenon of depression.
This will entail discussing medical/psychiatric as well as Christian (mainly Catholic)
theological approaches. It does not mean recommending a Christian analysis as the best
methodology in dealing with individual cases of depression. In fact, the most Christian
approach in some cases is not to mention God or religion at all. But what I am suggesting is
that it is important and helpful to know about and appreciate Catholic understandings, so
practitioners will feel more confident in drawing from these when they feel, in their
professional judgement, that it is appropriate to do so and will have a therapeutic effect. The
Catholic Church has a rich tradition in dealing with human suffering, as I shall show. What I
do not attempt to offer are suggestions about appropriate pastoral care aligned to different
age groups.
Educational practitioners are having to deal with increased levels of anxiety, depression and
self-harm in students. Recent research from the University of Liverpool and University
College, London based on a Millenium Cohort Study of 10,000 children, reported that at age
14, 24 per cent of girls and 9 per cent of boys showed signs of depressive symptoms (Patalay
& Fitzsimons 2017). One Family Welfare Agency in an English Borough Council recorded 845
cases of pupil (primary and secondary) referral to their counsellors between September
2016 - September 2017. One assistant headteacher in a Catholic secondary school told me
that rates had considerably ‘gone up over the last three or four years’ and had come to
dominate her role in pastoral care. She referred ‘on average six or seven pupils’ per term to
external agencies. There was regular staff training in mental health issues. Early intervention
was key - risks of not taking action could have enormous consequences. Pupils were given
guidance on internet sites and online counselling services, but she cautioned that the web
could furnish pupils with ‘too much information’. She believed the major causes of
depression were ‘everyday living and the internet’. Dealing with this on a regular basis was
‘a burden’ and she and other staff needed support to carry the weight of responsibility. She
admitted that, although she was a strong person, inevitably sometimes she took the
problem home with her. Her ongoing concern was support for staff dealing with the issue
regularly.
Although stigma is often associated with depression, pupils were often ‘quite open talking
about it’. One of the problems, however, was that they sometimes regarded having
depression as ‘a badge of honour’. Since it was a Catholic school, there was a freedom,
tradition. She told pupils that Jesus had kept going through the difficult times and that
sometimes in life things do go wrong. Prayers were offered around the issue. The
foundation for her concern was the Catholic teaching about respect for life. She believed
schools would have to continue to find ways of addressing and tackling it in the future.
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Depression affected both male and female pupils, all year groups and different levels of
academic ability, cutting across social and economic divides. She believed other secondary
schools were dealing with similar issues of mental health and it was not unusual to find the
problem in primary schools, especially year six.
had been a huge increase in mental health issues over the last three years, including panic
attacks, anxiety, self-harm and depression. This often manifested itself in poor attendance
and the inability ‘to face a lesson.’ The College employed two full-time counsellors and an
educational psychologist one day every fortnight. Eating disorders were also an occurrence
and a separate room had been set aside for students. Gender identity and transgender was
also an issue. Sometimes the more academic students who were perhaps ’perfectionist’
suffered from anxiety. However, he also said that sometimes there was a need ’to
normalise’ the experience of anxiety for some students, reassuring them that it was a
natural reaction to stress, for example, to examinations. Others were more serious and had
to be referred to experts in the field. He claimed that some students regarded depression as
a stigma and were ‘reluctant to admit’ to it.
Staff development addressed these issues. For example, a recent one dealt with suicide and
‘mindfulness coach’ had done a session for students and tutorials addressed mental health
issues. He claimed that the College did a considerable amount about such pastoral issues,
but that a more direct Catholic approach would need to be tackled in the future, especially
issues on a daily basis by a weekly meeting with a senior tutor and the principal. He believed
he was ‘privileged to look after someone else’s kids’ and that he saw his work as ‘part of his
faith journey.’ He always tried to emphasize reconciliation and forgiveness when dealing
with behaviour management issues.
A trained counsellor working in a Church University said that from September 2017 to
January 2018 there had been a 40 per cent increase in the number of students seeking help
with mental health issues. Sadness, she pointed out, was different from depression. In the
former, students were able to get on with their lives in a reasonable manner. With
depression, however, all life was affected. The condition manifested itself in bodily changes,
such as ‘facial expression, bodily gait and posture.’ Sleeping, eating and social life were
disrupted and there was often an inability to concentrate. At times lectures and classes
would be missed. Students became socially withdrawn and, in certain cases, personal
hygiene was an issue. Sometimes students had to be referred for specialist treatment by
external agencies. A weekly meeting took place when students ‘at risk’ would be discussed.
Many problems occurred because, the ‘world takes students away from themselves.’
Facebook contacts were often not substantial relationships and the world presented
students with ‘a happy world with a small h’, meaning that students were often influenced
by superficial understandings of happiness and well-being. Environmental influences played
a large part. Falling out of ‘relationships’ often made students feel rejected. Positive ‘self-
images and self-acceptance’ was frequently an area to be worked on.
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Practices to make students more aware of their own bodies, thoughts and feelings were
introduced. Getting students to recognise and be aware of their own breathing helped and
encouraged students to verbalise what was going on in their bodies. Physical exercise was
also recommended as well as university-wide events such as taking part in mindfulness and
meditation exercises. Guide dogs were also brought into campus as patting, touching and
playing with them helped students to relax. Allowing students to ‘normalise’ their
experience so they felt they were not the only ones going through such experiences was a
vital strategy. Making students aware that sporting and celebrity figures went through
depression was a strategy. It was important to give students a sense of hope. Anti-
Whether religion and God were discussed depended on the student. This counsellor
certainly wouldn’t ask the student ‘Do you believe in God?’ unless the student had broached
the topic herself, because this could ‘send them running.’ However, if the issue were raised,
then discussion could naturally proceed. In those cases where students ‘do not look up to
the sky’, it was helpful to assist them in engaging more fully with their senses, by
encouraging them to see the beauty of nature and creation. She thought that there was a
stigma attached to depression and that it would take some time to change people’s
perception. She got her own strength to deal with the depression of students through her
prayer life, spirituality and by focussing on her own self-care with her clinical supervisor in
regular sessions.
The Phenomenon, Diagnosis and Causes of Depression
Depression is a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon, requiring a host of
perspectives and approaches to understand, address and cure it (Priest 1996; Nairne &
Smith 1998; Rowe 2003). Often, well-intentioned people ask, ‘What are you depressed
about? But depressed people often don’t like this question because if they knew they would
do something about it! As Gonville ffrench-Beytagh, a one-time Dean of the Anglican
Cathedral in Salisbury, Zimbabwe, comments: ‘I get very fed up with doctors who ask me
what I am depressed about because it is my experience that a person in depression is not
depressed about anything. He is just depressed, and it is extremely difficult to describe what
that means’ (2002, 2). One cancer patient who also had depression commented: ‘The
suffering caused by depression was far, far worse’ (quoted in Kheriaty 2012, xviii).
If you are depressed, you are not unusual and not alone (Williams, Richards and Whitton
2002, 33). It has been claimed that 12 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women will suffer
depression. The phenomenon is more common in females than males, although gay men
occurred before the age of 20, about half recall that it began between 20 and 50 years old,
while only 10 per cent state that their first experience happened after 50. At any one time,
five per cent of the population is suffering from depression.
Depression arises from a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and
psychological factors. Some theorists suggest that neurotransmitters - chemicals that brain
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cells use to communicate - are out of balance. There are different types of depression:
major depressive disorder prevents a person from functioning normally to the point where
they are unable to work; dysthymic disorder is a long-term experience over two years, and
prevents normal functioning or wellbeing; minor depression carries the symptoms of
depression for two weeks or longer but does not disable the person completely; cyclothymia
is the name given to short periods of depression which do not normally require treatment;
seasonal affective disorder occurs during winter months when there is less natural sunlight;
existential depression is ignited by a crisis in meaning or purpose (Hermes 2012, 98-99).
The occurrence of depression is not uniform across countries or continents. Rates are
especially high in America and France as well as India. Some of the lowest rates are found in
Taiwan and China (Tacchi and Scott 2017, 28). A survey in 2010, which compared rates of
depression in England, Germany and America, concluded that depression was most
prevalent in the poorest sub-sample and lowest in the wealthiest sub-sample. Depression in
adolescents is often hard to define since this age-range is characterised by mood change,
erratic sleeping patterns and notions of self-esteem. Puberty seems to increase the
likelihood of depression which suggests that hormonal changes might be significant.
Social and environmental impacts on depression should not be underestimated. In a secular
age, students are bombarded with an array of attitudes to life which undermine their
religious sense of well-being. Notions that God is dead and that life comes to an end at
death pervade Western culture. Spiritual values are often eclipsed by secular philosophies
which emphasize the only meaning available is that invented by themselves. Pope John Paul
II, writing in 2003, points out that ‘it is important to become aware of the effect on people
of messages conveyed by the media which exalts consumerism, the immediate satisfaction
of desires and the race for ever greater material well-being’ (quoted in Kheriaty 2012, 34).
Dan Blazer argues that recent historical and cultural shifts from modernity to
postmodernity, where confidence in the power of instrumental reason collapsed, has added
to the occurrence of depression (2005, 114-116, 135-159). The fast pace of life including
craving economic success add to feelings of failure when this doesn’t materialise.
Impoverished personal relationships and virtual relationships on social media decrease
young people’s assurance that there is a strong community that can be relied upon; many
might feel bewildered by social pressures and come to feel that they are lonely in a vast
crowd. Students may get depressed because they have genetic vulnerabilities to it. Issues
such as peer group pressure, relationships, exposure to drugs and alcohol can also be
influencing factors on youth depression.
Key Characteristics of Depression
There is a significant difference between sadness and depression, the former consisting of
an emotional state associated with the loss of something important to the individual.
Depression, on the other hand, involves a slowing down of the entire organism – body, mind
and spirit. The old word for depression is ‘melancholia.’ Medieval physicians believed it was
a result of an abnormal excess of black bile, caused by biological disturbances. It was only at
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the end of the nineteenth century that depression came to be understood more as a
psychological illness. Nowadays a more holistic approach to depression characterises the
field, as emotional, biological, psychological, and social perspectives are equally taken into
account.
Aaron Beck’s research (Beck 1979; Tacchi and Scott 2017, 54-58) demonstrates that 80 per
cent of depressed patients expressed self-dislike and low self-esteem. Feelings like, ‘I’m no
good’ and ‘What’s wrong with me?’ are common (Williams, Teasdale, Segal and Kabat-Zinn,
they achieve so little during the day, self-hatred is aggravated. Many depressed people
recover when they are able to take small, manageable steps to achieve something. On the
emotional level, depressed persons feel low and downcast with little motivation. Bodily
experiences like excessive tiredness contribute to this emotional state. Guilt can also be a
sign of depression. A common emotional reaction is the inability to find joy or satisfaction in
events or people that one would normally do so. Psychiatrists call this anhedonia. Pleasure
in sports, physical activities, recreational pursuits, hobbies or pastimes no longer hold
appeal. As a result, they socially disengage. Another symptom is the inability to focus and to
concentrate and this obviously affects students’ learning adversely.
Depression is not simply an emotional disorder; it affects the body in significant ways. There
is often a disturbance in sleep, either not enough through restlessness or too much due to
bodily feelings of exhaustion and lack of energy. This disruption in the pattern of sleep
affects a person’s circadian rhythm, the biological cycle of sleeping and waking which is
controlled by the hypothalamus, a structure deep within the brain. Sometimes depressed
people find it difficult to get out of bed and when they do, they feel tired. Other bodily
features entail appetite, either not eating enough or eating too much, which result in weight
fluctuations. A further feature is changes in psychomotor movements - persons are usually
slowed down and have few spontaneous movements or they are shifty and restless
(Kheriaty, 2012, 13). They can also feel worse at a particular time of day, usually mornings.
Changes in sensory perception often occur. An individual perceives things and persons in a
negative or threatening way. Mark Wynn’s (2013) study of the senses quotes from William
James’ observations of Tolstoy’s experience of melancholy: ‘Life had been enchanting, it was
now flat sober, more than sober, dead. Things were meaningless whose meaning had
always been self-evident. The questions ‘Why’ and ‘What next’ began to beset him more
and more’ (quoted in Wynn 2013, 16).
Such experiences are rooted in a false interpretation of the world; they are lapses in the way
things really are and are delusional. But they are nevertheless ‘real’ for the melancholic
person. Both Christianity and Buddhism teach that contemplation, mindfulness and
meditation can assist in this regard. Indeed, one successful approach to depression is rooted
in mindfulness practice. The task is to show how depressed thoughts are simply thoughts,
essentially fleeting and transitory and not constituent aspects of being. As Williams et al
suggest: ‘In awareness, we see them immediately for what they actually are: constructions,
mysterious creations of the mind, mental events that may or may not accurately reflect
reality. We come to realize that our thoughts are not facts. Nor are they really “mine” or
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“me” ‘(2007, 104). This can be immensely liberating for students as they come to realize
that such states are temporary and not a constituent part of who they are. Their identity
does not consist in their illness.
From a Christian point of view, one avenue is to suggest that their real identity is bound up
with the imago Dei. The Benedictine monk Cyprian Consiglio claims: ‘The image of God, the
imago Dei that is the very mark of our being … can be covered, tarnished, hidden, but it can
never be destroyed. It is our very nature.’ (2014, 89-90). This is a challenge since depression
obscures young people’s natural sense of liveliness, enthusiasm and positive self-image. But
without a Christian theological anthropology at the fore, which emphasizes God’s loving and
unique relationship to human beings and which professes that they are created in the image
of God, it is difficult to see how students can be effectively assisted. It is a teaching that can
be reiterated in assemblies and discussed during staff development days to discover the
best ways forward.
Suicide
One symptom of depression is the occurrence of thoughts and feelings of death and suicide.
It is not that a person wants to think or feel about these things, but that they simply happen
involuntarily. The ultimate failure to help with cases of depression is when someone takes
her own life. It must be said that this is rare in young people, but it does happen and we
should be aware of the possibility and dangers. In the United States, suicide is the leading
cause of death among young people between 15 and 25. Over half of suicides are catalysed
by alcohol consumption. Kheriaty advisedly warns that ‘talking about suicide should not be
considered “normal” for anyone, including teenagers. Studies have shown that teens who
mention suicide, however, offhandedly, are indeed at higher risk for suicidal behaviour. The
individual who thinks, writes, or makes comments about committing suicide is someone
requiring clinical attention from a skilled psychiatrist or psychologist’ (2012, 91). A safety
plan for someone at risk of suicide can be worked out in conjunction with a doctor or
counsellor. Often a brief telephone conversation can support the person in distress.
Research has shown that the more religiously committed and devout a person, the least
likely they are to commit suicide.
Suicide still carries with it enormous stigma and often people speak of it only when they
have to and then in hushed tones. Of course, life in the Christian tradition is a gift from God
and every person has a unique vocation, but clearly this is not recognised by the one who
considers suicide. What we can say is that they are suffering and need all the help we can
give them in finding a way through their predicament.
The Challenges Ahead
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The ultimate challenge for the practitioner in a Catholic setting is to encourage students to
see the world in spiritual rather than depressive terms - to experience it substantially as the
arena for God’s beauty and glory and to feel at home in it, as Hopkins was able to do.
Wynn’s study of James’ observations of people who have been converted to a religious
worldview reflects this possibility: ‘Not for a moment only, but all day and night, floods of
light and glory seemed to pour through my soul, and oh, how I was changed, and everything
became new. My horses and hogs and even everybody seemed changed’ (Wynn 2013, 19).
This change is also possible for our students.
Another way forward is to help young people realise they are not alone. Sporting and
celebrity figures have all suffered depression as well as some of the greatest religious figures
in history, including Jesus, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Damascene, St Teresa of
Calcutta and Henri Nouwen. Tacchi and Scott (2017, 117) point to a long list of creative
artists, including William Blake, Lord Byron, John Keats, Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, Mary
Shelley, Virginia Woolf, Mozart, Handel and Schumann. Recent neuroscientific research has
shown that religious people who are ill experience less pain when they can connect it with a
the cross is the closest the Gospels come to describing his despair : ‘My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46) he cries out. The psalms, too, offer solace by
reflecting many people’s experiences, for example, psalms 6, 22, 28, 31, 69.
Suffering and Depression in the Catholic Tradition - a way forward ?
The issue of depression relates to the wider field of suffering in the Christian tradition. The
first point to acknowledge is that, mysteriously, students’ sufferings enjoin the redemptive
sufferings of Christ. St. Paul knew this since he writes in Colossians, 1:24: ‘… in my flesh I am
completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church’.
The Catholic Catechism (1994, 1520) teaches that through the grace given, for example, in
the sacrament of the sick, ‘the sick person receives the gift of uniting himself more closely to
Christ’s Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the
Saviour’s redemptive Passion’ (1994, 1521)). This is a remarkable claim to pass on to young
people – that their own suffering becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus and
that their trials bear fruit. Here suffering is given a new meaning and, however much the
Church wishes to eradicate suffering so that young people can enjoy healthy living, it knows
that suffering is an unavoidable dimension of the Christian life. The contemporary
theologian, Dr Brendan Cook, told me: ‘In the Catholic tradition, suffering is able to
(Post)modern society tends to marginalise or ignore suffering as a way of dealing with it.
Conversely, the Catholic tradition offers it a higher meaning and significance. Indeed,
Christ’s compassion goes out to all those who suffer to the extent that he identifies Himself
the sick body, the body of the risen Christ is to be encountered. If teachers or lecturers want
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to know where they might meet Christ, they need look no further than those students who
suffer depression.
The Catholic tradition also offers people with depression an encouragement to look beyond
the self and appreciate the beauty of the created world (Torevell 2007). People who are
depressed sometimes find it difficult literally to look up and so they sink into themselves;
they feel and look low. Many Catholic establishments try to create attractive environments
where students can respond to beauty with delight. Cook pointed out that many Church
universities had their graduation ceremonies in cathedrals which encouraged students, in a
majestic architectural setting, to ‘look up’ to the heavens rather than down, and to thank
God for the blessings they had received.
Suffering: The Buddhist view and the Christian view
The Buddhist religion has a rather different view of suffering. For the Buddhist, a person
suffers because she is not enlightened (Williams undated, 55). Williams makes the claim
that it makes no sense to talk about a fully enlightened person who still suffers. The more
one advances along the Buddhist path, the less one suffers; this is why Buddhists generally
have a problem with the suffering of Jesus. If this man were without sin, he would not suffer
in the way he did. Christianity views this differently. As Williams writes: ‘It is perfectly
possible that in the fallen world in which we now live, individual cases of suffering may be
something if not to be welcomed nevertheless to be accepted – even the right thing – rather
than axiomatically wrong, to be avoided’ (Williams undated, 54). After all, didn’t Jesus ask
his followers to take up their cross and follow Him? Irenaeus (130-202 AD) argues that in the
second stage of creation now taking place, a shift from human animals to ‘Children of God’
occurred due to their free response to suffering. The world is a place of ‘soul-making’ and
creation offers us the possibility of growing morally and spiritually (Hick 1983, 45049).
Grace, too, is offered to assist those who suffer. Suffering is thus embedded into the very
constituency of living the Christian life
Mindfulness
Another way in which schools, colleges or universities might help is through mindfulness
programmes, an extension of cognitive therapy treatment which helps the depressed
person identify and change unhelpful thinking styles and behaviours. Mindfulness cognitive
therapy aims primarily at preventative measures. It focuses on physical sensations and
defines mindfulness as ‘’the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose,
in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they are’ (Williams et al 2007,
47). It entails a shift away from doing towards being. The doing mode of mind is often
preoccupied with thoughts about what is going on that results in us only being vaguely
aware of what is actually happening in the present moment (Williams et al 2012, 61). ‘By
contrast, being mode is characterised by awareness of immediate, sensory experience of
the present’ (Williams et al 2012, 62). It results in a non-conceptual, direct knowing of what
9
is unfolding and can be therapeutic to those students who are experiencing a loss of faith
since it does not rest on explicitly religious foundations. Those working in Catholic settings
can offer insights into what ‘being’ might entail and the possibility of understanding human
being in relation to God’s being. I know of one Catholic Sixth Form College which takes Oscar
Romero’s encouragement to ‘Aspire not to have more, but to be more’ as their central
educative endorsement; the words are emblazoned on the front page of their website.
Anthony Seldon considers the notion of purpose to be important in discussions of joy and
happiness: ‘I believe we all have a duty to find our purpose in life. We were born to fulfil
that purpose, and we were given free-will to make choices so that we can achieve it’ (2015,
237). This reflects the Christian notion that each person has a unique vocation in life, that
only they can discern and foster. However, this is not always easy to absorb when you are a
teenager in a very dark place. ‘I don’t want a highfalutin metaphysical rationale of
depression – I just want to get out of this suffering’ students might exclaim. Educators might
get exacerbated by what they consider to be merely ‘abstract’ frameworks which do little
good in the real world. ‘Just give me advice on how to stop their suffering’, they might
comment. Such responses reflect a natural frustration with illness and pain. On reflection,
however, they know there is never an easy way out of suffering and that philosophical and
theological frameworks can be useful.
Of course, professional help and guidance is often required in some cases. But, as a lifelong
Catholic educator myself, I believe Catholic foundations can assist in the prevention and
cure of depressive moods by offering a Christian metaphysics allied to spiritual practices.
Also, talking freely and confidently in assemblies and tutorials about depression can be a
way of challenging any possible stigma attached to the illness. This is not to draw students’
attention to the joylessness of the world, but to highlight that in this fallen world sometimes
things go wrong. A combination of medical and psychiatric help, complemented by a
theological framework for giving meaning to depression is the one I recommend. Both need
to work together in the best interests of students. If we deny this, then we deny what
Catholic establishments are for, betraying not only parents, but also their sons and
daughters who are in our care. A recent campaign by the Catholic Truth Society focussed on
helping Catholic University chaplains deal with anxiety and depression on University
campuses. The CTS offered them free copies of a number of booklets, including ‘Finding God
Depression and the ‘Dark Night of the Soul.’
Those working in Catholic settings should be aware that depression is somewhat different
from what has been called ‘the dark night of the soul’ (Culligan 2003; Scrutton 2015;). This
latter concept is certainly part of the Catholic tradition, but is distinct from the origins and
characteristics of depression. Its most salient features are a sense of God’s absence, a
feeling of losing anchor points in life, and a recognition of one’s sinfulness and unworthiness
before God (Fairchild, p. 1104). Scrutton rightly points out that ‘in this narrative, a period of
spiritual dryness and sense of abandonment by God is not a permanent devastation but part
10
of a journey towards union with God’ (2015). The notion has a supernatural etiology – God
is thought to be the cause of the experience and it is directed at the person’s salvation, a
sign of their closeness to God (2015, 278). For example, Mother Teresa’s ‘dark night’ was
interpreted by her spiritual advisers as a demonstration of her nearness to God. Depression,
on the other hand, is seen as an illness with pathological roots needing to be treated by
medical and psychiatric means as well as spiritual and religious therapies. It is understood as
an illness which can have potentially transformative effects, depending on the outlook of
the sufferer; Henri Nouwen’s experience reflects this (Nouwen 2009; Ford 1999, 176-187;
Ford 2016); it also takes seriously mental illness as a lived reality. Gerald May has noted the
differences between the ‘dark night’ and depression. The former is not usually associated
with a loss of effectiveness in work and life generally; a sense of humour is often retained;
there is a rightness about one’s awareness of spiritual poverty; there is little evidence of
pleading for help; and the person who assists the person going through a ‘dark night’ is
unlikely to get frustrated or resentful (quoted in Fairchild 1990, 1104)).
Unhelpful Approaches
Unhelpful approaches to depression consist of devaluing the condition and not dealing with
it seriously. Most educators realise that simply saying ‘Pull yourself together’ is an
inadequate response, but perhaps too many regard it as something which will go away, if
not too much fuss is made of it. Of course, we need to be aware of the differences between
temporary sadness/low mood and real depression, but the latter needs to be acknowledged
for what it is and help given.
Some so-called ‘spiritual’ approaches to depression can exacerbate the problem rather than
alleviate it. Williams, Richards and Whitton (2002) argue the following are particularly
unhelpful: 1. Suggesting that Christians should have the joy of the Lord in them and should
never be depressed. 2. Depression is the consequence of demonic activity and needs
deliverance ministry (this is a more evangelical rather than Catholic response). 3. If others
have prayed for healing, then you only need to have enough faith and you will be healed. 4.
Depression means you are not committed enough to God (2002, 120). The danger is that the
condition can be made worse by young people having conversations with those who hold
these views.
Is the Church partly to blame?
Some might argue that ultimately the Church is partly to blame for some occurrences of
depression. Certainly, cultures in the West, and particularly Christian cultures, have had an
ambivalent attitude towards the body. Dom Cyprian Consiglio (2015) argues that if Catholic
establishments are to succeed then they need to take an integrated approach to spirituality
seeing the body, mind and spirit as essentially one. Because of Platonic, Christian and
up that since the body (soma) is unconnected to the soul, it operates as a kind of tomb
11
(sema). The aim is to free the soul from the body so that it can exist uncontaminated and
free. Consiglio shows how this has led Christians to be uptight about anything dealing with
the body ‘and especially a deadly silence around anything dealing with sexuality’ (2015, 8).
He persuasively quotes from Keen who argues that how we view our body will determine
how we are in the world: ‘Our body is our bridge to and model of the world, therefore, ‘how
we are in our body so we will be in the world’ (2015, 12). If the soul lives by completely
denying the body, then its relation to the world is too superficial to cope with the world in
any meaningful way. It is not possible to devalue the body and value the soul. If this occurs,
it ‘sets up a whole counterpart economy of its own based on a law of competition that
devalues and exploits the spirit in turn’ (2015, 14). I mention this in relation to depression
because the illness is often characterised by an imbalance between the body, mind and
spirit. One way forward is to seek a renewed integration of the three. The Benedictine monk
adds that in his boarding school, ‘the disconnect between the chapel and the soccer field
and the gym seemed pretty wide’ (2015, 94) and calls for new connections to be made
between the body, mind and the spirit. Bouts of depression might well occur when the body
or the mind or the spirit operate alone. I am not saying Catholicism is largely to blame for
this, but what I am arguing for is an integration of body, mind and spirit and that Catholic
establishments should encourage this unity. Indeed, Catholicism, as a religion of
embodiment, emphasizes this (Mellor and Shilling 1997). Physical, social, intellectual and
spiritual activities help to re-integrate the body, mind and spirit.
Hermes also argues that, because of high ideals, Christians are particularly prone to
depression: ‘High expectations about how to live reinforce ideals that can be unrealistic’
(2012, 12). Feelings of failure and guilt may ensue which can lead to low self-esteem and
self-doubt. This can be exacerbated by self-righteous people who judge that if the person’s
relationship with God were stronger, they would not feel depressed.
Conclusion
What I have argued for in this article is that the Catholic tradition is an invaluable source
from which to draw in dealing with youth depression. This does not mean ignoring medical
and psychiatric advice or treatment. In fact, the complementarity between the two is often
the most therapeutic. Finally, to return to Hopkins where we first began, we might say that
what Catholicism has to offer students is an invitation to experience the world as a
revelation of God’s generosity and beauty and to feel good in it. All those working in
Catholic establishments are able to point to and give witness to this vision. Depression is
definitely not the last word.
12
Notes
1 Duns Scotus (1265/66-1308) was one of the most important and influential philosophical
theologians of the High Middle Ages. He had considerable impact on Catholic thought. In his
commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, he claims there is an individual nature or
‘thisness’ to all things which makes them unique and distinctive. That the individual thing
exists is a dominating principle of understanding reality. Gerard Manley Hopkins drew from
this philosophy of existence.
2 In February 2018 I interviewed three people working in different age-range Catholic
establishments (11-16, 16-19, post-18) to determine their reaction to students’ anxiety and
depression, and how they were dealing with it.
3 PSME lessons refer to personal, social and moral education. Usually compulsory in Catholic
High schools, they complement Religious Education. Contemporary issues related to these
fields are dealt with in a systematic way, but there is no formal public examination or
qualification at the completion of the course.
4 Sixth Form Colleges cater for 16-19 year old students. After two-year courses, students
either continue with further vocational training or enter Higher Education. Catholic Sixth
Form Colleges are a success story in the UK and are flourishing.
5 Barnado’s is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnado in 1866. The largest
organisation of its kind in Britain, it cares for vulnerable children and young people. Its vision
is to make sure that no child or young person is ever turned away.
6 Under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005, a RC bishop has the right to inspect any
Catholic school/college within his diocese to evaluate the quality of Religious Education and
the Catholic nature of the school/college. The inspections are carried out on a cyclical basis
and their findings constitute a report.
7 GPs stands for general practitioners - doctors who work for the National Health Service in
the UK. They usually work as part of a team which includes nurses, healthcare assistants and
other health providers, such as mental health services and social care services.
8 Todd (2016, 10) writes that among gay men ‘disproportionately high levels of depression,
self-harm and suicide’ exist. ‘It is the irony of ironies that the word we chose for ourselves,
gay, which originally meant jolly, carefree and happy, has come to describe a group of
people who collectively can appear anything but’.
9 Williams, Teasdale, Segal and Kabat-Zinn (2007) give a comprehensive list on p. 23.
10 Professor Katja Wiech of Oxford University recently conducted pain experiments on
Catholics and secularists to determine who experienced pain the more. Catholics felt less
pain when identifying their suffering with a picture of the Virgin Mary. In other words, such
bonding had a therapeutic effect. (Radio World Series. ‘The Anatomy of Pain’. 5.2.18).
13
11 In February 2018 I conducted an interview with Dr. Brendan Cook in which he described
his understanding of the Catholic tradition of suffering. For many years Dr. Cook worked in a
social services department in Lancashire, UK, specialising in mental health. He then
completed a doctorate in apophatic theology and well-being. He continues to work in
healthcare on the Isle of Wight, UK. In 2013 he published Pursuing Eudaimonia: Re-
appropriating the Greek Philosophical Foundations of the Christian Apophatic Tradition,
Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publications,
12 Fr. Ritaccio writes, ‘Above all, it is important to know that your anxiety and depression is
not a mark of failure. On the contrary: God identifies with your condition through the
suffering of his Son Jesus, who endured his cross as a sacrifice for our sins. … You can be
confident in the knowledge that, in your pain, you are very close to the suffering heart of
God’ (2017, 8).
13 This refers to the influence of the French philosopher Rene Descartes and his dualist
notion that the mind is totally separate from the body. He argues that certain knowledge is
achievable only through the workings of the mind.
Notes on Contributor
Dr. David Torevell worked in Catholic High schools and a Catholic Sixth Form College before
entering Higher Education. He previously worked for Liverpool Hope University as an
Associate Professor and is now at Leeds Trinity University. He continues research in the
fields of Catholic education and Catholic theology, maintaining a strong interest in how best
to support Catholic establishments fulfil their mission statements, i.e. to achieve mission
integrity.
References
Beck, A. 1979. Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. London: Penguin Books.
Blazer, D. 2005. The Age of Melancholy: Major Depression and its Social Origin. New York: Routledge.
Catechism of the Catholic Church. 1994. London: Geoffrey Chapman.
Consiglio, C. 2014. Spirit, Soul, Body. Toward an Integrated Christian Spirituality. Collegeville:
Liturgical Press.
Cook,
B. 2013. Pursuing Eudaimonia: Re-appropriating the Greek Philosophical Foundations of the Christian
Apophatic Tradition. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publications.
Culligan, K. 2003. “The Dark Night and Depression.” In Carmelite Prayer : A Tradition for the 21st
Century, edited by K.J. Egan, 119-139. New York: Paulist Press.
Fairchild, R.W. 1990. “Sadness and Depression” In Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling, R. J.
Hunter, 1103-1106. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
ffrench-Beytagh, G. 2002. Facing Depression. Oxford: Will Print.
Ford, M.A. 1999. Wounded Prophet. A Portrait of Henri J.M. Nouwen. London: Darton, Longman and
Todd.
14
Ford, M.A. 2016. Becoming the Presence of God. Contemplative Ministry for Everybody. Dublin: The
Columba Press.
Hermes, K.J. 2012.Surviving Depression. A Catholic Approach. Boston: Pauline Books and Media.
Hick, J. 1983. Philosophy of Religion. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Holy Bible. 1989. New Revised Standard Version. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hopkins, G.M. 1979. ‘God’s Grandeur’ and ‘No Worse, there is None’ In Selected Poems of G.M.
Hopkins, J. Reeves, 18 & 65. London: Heinemann Educational
Books.
James, W.
1911. The Varieties of Religious Experience. A Study in Human Nature. London: Longmans, Green and
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Keen, S.
1970. To a Dancing God.: Notes of a Spiritual Traveller. San Francisco: HarperCollins.
Kheriaty, A. 2012. The Catholic Guide to Depression. N.H. Sophia Institute Press.
Martin, R.B. 1991. Gerard Manley Hopkins. A Very Private Life. London: HarperCollins.
Maunder, L. and Cameron, L. 2013. Depression. An information booklet. Northumberland, Tyne and
Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
May, G. 2003. Care of Mind/Care of Spirit. A Psychiatrist Explores Spiritual Direction. San Francisco:
HarperCollins.
Mellor, A. and Shilling, C. 1997. Re-forming the Body. Religion, Community and Modernity. London:
Sage Publications.
Nairne, K. & Smith, G. 1998. Dealing with depression. London: The Women’s Press.
Nouwen, H.J. 2009. The inner voice of love. A journey through anguish to freedom. London: Darton,
Longman and Todd.
Patalay, P. & Fitzsimons, E. 2017. Mental ill-health among children of the new century: trends across
childhood with a focus on age 14. Centre for Longitudinal Studies: London.
Priest, R. 1996. Anxiety and Depression: a practical guide to recovery. London: Ebury Press.
Reeves, J. 1979. Selected Poems of G.M. Hopkins. London: Heinemann Educational Books.
Rowe, D. 2003. Depression: the way out of your prison. London: Taylor and Francis.
Seldon, A. 2015. Beyond Happiness. GB: Yellow Kite.
Scrutton, A. 2015. “Two Christian Theologies of Depression: An Evaluation and Discussion of Clinical
Implications.” Psychiatry, Philosophy and Psychology 22 (4) : 275-289.
Tacchi. M.J. and Scott, J. 2017. Depression. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Todd, M. 2016. Straight Jacket. How to be Gay and Happy. London: Bantam Press.
Torevell, D. 2007. Liturgy and the Beauty of the Unknown. Another Country. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Williams, C. 2012. Overcoming depression and low mood.: a five areas approach. London:
Hodder Arnold Ed.
Williams, P. Undated. Buddhism from a Catholic Perspective. London :
CTS.
Williams, C. Richards, P. and Whitton, I. 2002. I’m Not Supposed to Feel Like This. A Christian Self-
Help Approach to Depression and Anxiety. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Williams, M. Teasdale, J. Segal, Z and Kabat-Zinn. 2007. The Mindful Way through Depression. New
York: The Guildford Press.
Wynn, M. 2013. Renewing the Senses. A Study of the Philosophy and Theology of the Spiritual Life.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Useful resources
15
Anxiety UK Phone 08444 775 774 www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Saneline Phone 0845 767 www.sane.org.uk
Rethink Mental Health. Phone 0300 5000 www.rethink.org
16
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