Who People Talk to When They're Struggling
20 days ago
- Americans often suffer in silence, lacking a spouse, close friend, or co-worker to confide in during tough times.
- Spouses/partners are the most common confidants for mental health struggles across all religious groups, with LDS members at nearly 90% comfort.
- Evangelicals are an exception: 56% feel comfortable talking to their pastor, slightly more than to a therapist (51%).
- Frequent church attendance increases comfort with clergy but has little effect on comfort with therapists for most groups.
- Republicans are significantly more comfortable talking to clergy but significantly less comfortable with therapists, even after controlling for religiosity.
- Age, gender, and race also influence comfort levels: older individuals are more open to both counselors and clergy; men are slightly less comfortable with therapists.
- The data highlight social atomization and political sorting, where who Americans trust depends on their politics, education, and religious attendance.