Jump directly to the Content

Preventing Suicide

An interview with Karen Mason
Preventing Suicide

Suicide has been of heartbreaking prominence in the recent news cycle. But of course it's a perennial issue, and one fraught with misconception, pain, and anxiety on the part of many Christians and their leaders.

I caught up with expert Karen Mason, Associate Professor of Counseling and Psychology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and author of Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors to ask a few key questions for how Christian leaders can practically—and skillfully—respond to the special needs surrounding suicide.

What are the biggest misconceptions surrounding suicide in church culture?

Well, one misconception is that real Christians don't become suicidal. Of course only God knows if a person is a Christian, but I've worked with a number of suicidal people who cope with their suicidal thinking with the help of their Christian faith.

Many prominent Christians have written about their suicidal thinking—like John Donne, ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
How My Calling Discovered Me
How My Calling Discovered Me
I am at my best when I have the courage to clear the clutter away and remember the purity of my original calling.
From the Magazine
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Controversy over Bibles in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Germany reveal the divide between the sacred and the relatable.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close