Mission Possible: A Guide to Mental Health for LDS Missionaries and their Mission Presidents, Parents, Bishops and Therapists

A Guide to Mental Health for LDS Missionaries and their Mission Presidents, Parents, Bishops and Therapists. When should an LDS missionary stay on a mission, despite mental health challenges? When should they go home early? Spiritual growth is more accelerated and intense on a mission than in regular life. While a mission is a deeply rewarding experience, it can also be stressful. L. Marlene Payne, M.D., has been a psychiatrist for over forty years, specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. She has treated many LDS missionaries over the decades. Dr. Payne received the highest award given by the American Psychiatric Association, the Distinguished Life Fellow, for her years of service to the community. In “Mission Possible” Dr. Marlene Payne provides a guide to mental health for missionaries, their families, church leaders and therapists. Through anonymous case studies and personal interviews with mission presidents and return missionaries, she addresses the most common psychiatric disorders, their definition, course, and treatment, including: bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and Asperger’s syndrome. Dr. Payne’s also advises ecclesiastical leaders and ward members in how they can best help when a missionary comes home early. But most importantly, she offers valuable advice on how a missionary can stay on and complete a successful mission.

L. Marlene Payne, M.D., has been a psychiatrist for forty years. She went to Northwestern University undergraduate and medical school in Chicago, Illinois, then did a one year internship in internal medicine at Northwestern University. She continued her training with a two year residency in adult psychiatry and a two year fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She was an Assistant Clinical Professor at Georgetown for twenty years, supervising child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. She practiced psychiatry in McLean, Virginia, for thirty-six years until her retirement in July, 2013. She received the highest award given by the American Psychiatric Association, the Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, for her years of service to the community. She is married to Dr. John Payne, also a psychiatrist, and they have three children and two grandchildren. She is currently a temple worker and Primary teacher in the LDS ("Mormon") church.