Contact:
Mario Starks
mario@stevefund.org
Washington, DC. – September 19, 2019 – Although religious belief is a cornerstone for roughly 85% of the world’s population, it has never been the most popular subject of study among psychologists.
Historically psychology, religion, and spirituality have often been pitted against each other as mechanisms to address issues of the mind, body, and soul. Sigmund Freud once called religion the “universal obsessional neurosis of humanity.” This view can have sub-optimal consequences, especially for African American, LatinX, and Native Americans who have higher levels of religious and spiritual engagement compared to whites, including among college-age youth.
THE STEVE FUND will hold a symposium dedicated to The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities Supporting Youth of Color on November 5, 2019, 8am-5pm at the historic True Reformer Building (1200 U Street, NW, Washington, DC).
Updated (09/25/19): The Steve Fund is pleased to announce Susan L. Taylor as the official keynote speaker.
This symposium will provide a forum to explore how religion, spirituality and mental health intersect and how this impacts the support of young people of color in different cultural groups and with different identities. This is a subject of great relevance and resonance, but with scant documentation. A diverse group of mental health professionals, religious and spiritual leaders, academics, and youth leaders will come together to discuss pertinent issues, surface opportunities for collaboration and innovation, and share best practices that will positively contribute to the health and well being of young people of color. This is one of a series of convenings that will examine critically important topics in order to provide learning and inform the work of The Steve Fund going forward.
About The Steve Fund
The Steve Fund is the nation’s only organization focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. The Steve Fund works with colleges and universities, non-profits, researchers, mental health experts, families and young people to promote programs and strategies that build understanding and assistance for the mental and emotional health of the nation’s young people of color.
