Overview
An epidemic of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues has reached a crisis point today. The vast majority of those looking for mental health help cannot get it. Among the 40 million American adults with clinically-significant anxiety alone, 25 million – more than the population of Florida – are not getting help for their pain.** In large part because they cannot find a mental health professional with capacity to see them or afford their services.
Thankfully, there are solutions! Two seem particularly important:
A big-picture solution: We believe the church can step into this gap and become the place that proclaims, “If you have a need, come here.”
An individual solution: We believe certain simple actions can be transformative (or even preventative!) for many suffering individuals – including while they are waiting for care.
Both solutions are likely to be “high leverage” – in other words, targeted efforts in these areas could have a truly large-scale impact. So we are researching and pursuing how to implement these solutions. Some of this will be done in partnership with other groups, ministries, and businesses. This is likely to be five year project – but it is worth it.
See below for more about us, about these research efforts (which all come under the heading of what we are calling The Hope Project), and about how you can get involved.
About Jeff & Shaunti
We are social researchers and best-selling authors, who came to this work via graduate degrees from Harvard and time in New York – Shaunti an analyst on Wall Street, Jeff as an attorney at a large corporate law firm. For twenty years, we and our research team have leveraged that analytical background to conduct rigorous, nationally representative studies and write books that uncover and share the crucial factors that help organizations be more effective, and help people thrive in their lives and relationships.
We have worked with multiple ministry and business partners over the years to advance these findings in the popular market and help people’s lives, marriages and families. Many of these partners are now part of the effort to address this mental health need.
In addition to our own The Hope Project research with churches and individuals, we are currently working in partnership with one wide-ranging project that includes multiple Christian universities, church leaders, businesses, foundations, and others. One key part of this group’s broad vision is implementing research, evaluation, and initiatives to eventually have mental health help (counselors, lay counselors, coaches, specialized peer groups, community initiatives, and so on) be a part of every local church.
In a time when anxiety, depression, and trauma are impacting so many lives, The Hope Project is asking a different question:
What can we learn from people who are thriving—who live with peace and joy even in the midst of real hardship?
We’re studying the habits of emotionally resilient people to uncover the small, practical actions that help strengthen mental and emotional health. Even as a stopgap while waiting for counseling, these simple choices can make a real difference.
The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). Our goal is to identify and quantify those “secrets”—the everyday patterns that lead to unexpected peace.
Most studies focus on problems. Ours begins with solutions—by learning from those who have walked through pain and come out stronger, even when their circumstances haven’t changed.
This research also explores a powerful truth: following Jesus often leads to greater emotional health.
That doesn’t mean Christians never struggle—Jesus actually promised we would (John 16:33). And learning to “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6) is a lifelong process.
But we believe this study can demonstrate something deeply needed in today’s world: that walking with Christ can change how we experience hardship—and how we heal.
We’re preparing a large, nationally representative survey to bring this research to life. But we also need help to make it happen.
You probably know someone who needs this kind of hope. Will you help make this vision a reality?
Too many people are hurting. But the wisdom of those who have found true hope could help those who need it most.
As mentioned, we believe the church has a vital role to play, and can be a high-leverage solution to the mental health crisis. Indeed, many thousands of church leaders want to do something to help but aren’t sure what. Or they may feel unqualified to tackle the problem. Yet every day, they know the pain is there in their congregations. Consider my recent conversation with the associate pastor of a large church:
Me: “When someone in your church has an area of need or pain around depression, marriage problems, anxiety, or any other mental health issue, what is the process for them getting help or care?”
Him: “We have more needs than we can meet right now, so we are trying to figure out other programs. We triage the needs. Where we don’t have the bandwidth, we refer out. We have a great network, a large network of counselors to send them to.”
Me: “Do the counselors you are referring out to, have room to take new clients?”
Him: “No. Which is why we are trying to figure out other programs. We just don’t know what to do.”
So what can the church do? Well, many churches around the country have indeed figured out models that work! One is a simple but thriving model of enlisting laypeople to walk alongside those with basic emotional and mental health needs, thereby freeing up overburdened pastors and mental health professionals for the more complex cases.
You can see the pilot site (a full launch will occur in September 2025) at TheChurchCares.com. In 2023 and 2024 we also conducted a major study of mental health and the church,* and have co-authored a book with Regent University’s Dr. James Sells for church leaders (pastors, counselors, ministry leaders, etc.).
The book is titled, When Hurting People Come to Church: How People of Faith Can Help Solve the Mental Health Crisis, and will be published by Tyndale in September 2025. Our goal is to make all parties aware of the many options that are working in the church space, and help them evaluate and implement something that will work for them.
Important note: If you yourself need mental health support, hope and help is available.
If you are in emotional crisis, text HOME to 741741, or call or text 988.
For Focus on the Family’s counseling referral program, call 855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 8am to 10pm ET.
How You Can Help
If you want to share your thoughts on any of the above research items, please contact us at the link below. As with all of our research, your individual input will be kept completely confidential.
We will in time also need influential partners (respected ministries, organizations, large churches) who want to join forces on this effort and are willing to put organizational resources behind it.
Finally, through our non-profit, we also need funding to support the research and the overall project.
If you want to participate in any way, please contact us [email protected]
Thank you for your interest in this important project, which we hope will help many people in need!
*NOTE: The Hope Project research is being conducted with the approval of the IRB at Regent University.
** Dozens of studies have worked to quantify the scope of need, and most have concluded that the numbers are staggeringly high. This estimate is drawn from the 2024 book, “Beyond the Clinical Hour: How Counselors Can Partner with the Church to Address the Mental Health Crisis” co-authored by leading professor and researcher Dr. James Sells, who will also co-author the book for church leaders discussed below.