ABSTRACT
This is the first of two chapters in the Minister’s Guide to Psychological Disorders and Treatments devoted to the most prevalent psychiatric disorders that the minister may encounter in the congregation. The authors offer a detailed summary of the following disorder categories: Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and somatic symptom disorders. For each of the major psychological disorders in each category, the authors provide a presenting complaints section, which provides several examples of how this class of disorders might look in everyday life. In other words, they describe how the minister might first become aware that a parishioner is suffering from a disorder of this type. Next, they summarize the common features and symptoms of this class of disorder. They then offer short descriptions of the different subtypes of the disorder, including the main symptoms and indicated treatments. For each disorder subtype, they have included key indicators, which highlight the most important diagnostic criteria. This chapter should be indispensable to clergy in better understanding how parishioners with various psychological disorders might present and what symptoms might be evident in their behavior and personal experience.
