anointing of the sick for mental illness?

[atrml]

Can anointing of the sick be utilized for sickness that is not physical? (Mental sickness, emotional illness, addictions, marital illness, etc.) or is it only reserved for those who are dying or physically ill or having a physical surgery or procedure done?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Historically the anointing of the sick has been reserved for those whose lives are threatened by illness. Even though we do not need to wait until the surety of coming death before we anoint, its reception presupposed there is some actual danger of death.

Catechism:

**1514 **The Anointing of the Sick “is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.”

**1515 **If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.

Note that the language of the sacrament does not seem to imply a recurring or chronic condition.

With the advances in the fields of mental health, today we do have a better understanding of the physical toll that mental health issues can take. There are indeed situations in which a mental health issue may be dangerously threatening the physical health of an individual and thus would meet the basic requirement for the sacrament.

No. 53 of the introduction to *Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum *

Some types of mental sickness are now classified as serious. Those who are judged to have a serious mental illness and who would be strengthened by the sacrament may be anointed. The anointing may be repeated in accordance with the conditions for other kinds of severe illness.

The anointing of the sick appears to be proper under certain circumstances for those with mental health issues. Each case would need to be taken on its own merits to be sure that the sacrament is not being administered habitually for a stable condition.