Trump’s FDA head Marty McCurry calls “soul care” essential to health, and warns that mental needs are often “ignored”

Dr. Marty McCurry, President Donald Trump’s newly confirmed Food and Drug Director General, stressed that “soul care” is essential, but in many cases, some of the overall health is often ignored.

McCurry addressed issues of soul care or emotional and spiritual well-being this month in support of a book published by Kelly Hasenvalg. Hasenbalg is a personal soul care advisor to Makary and his wife, CEO of Be Foundation and co-founder of Academy.

“Many people focus solely on the physical health of their bodies, but we are much more complicated. Our souls – our mental, emotional, mental health – are often ignored,” McCurry said in a statement provided to the Christian Post.

“But these areas are essential to our overall health. Soul care is health care and should be trending like any other physical illness.”

In the book, Hasenbalg offers practical tools to help readers find healing and develop closer relationships with God. It focuses on three “nuclear pillars” of spiritual care: reconciliation with God, internal reconciliation, reconciliation with others.

“SoulCare isn’t just about leaders and people in crisis. It’s for everyone,” Hasenbalg said of the book in a statement provided to CP. “When life opens us up, it is the only path to wholeness.”

As General ZERS reportedly suffers from severe feelings of despair, anxiety and depression over the past decade, researchers have looked into the potential link between the US worldview and the mental health crisis.

The Center for Cultural Studies at Arizona Christian University published a study in September 2024 that attributes an increase in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression to “worldview flaws” rather than “psychological or chemical imbalances.”

The report noted that 56% of Gen Zers and 49% of millennials regularly experience anxiety, fear and depression. The report added that three adults of these generations have at least one diagnostic psychiatric disorder.

The results of this study were based on an interview conducted in January 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 US adults aged 18 and over. In this study, there was a sampling error of +/- 2% points at a confidence level of 95%.

George Burna, the researcher responsible for the study, believes there is a direct correlation between mental health challenges and the lack of a biblical worldview.

According to Barna, only 1% of Gen Zers and 2% of millennials have a biblical worldview. Seven of the 10 people under the age of 40 stated that their lives had no purpose, while four out of five who rejected God reported frequent experiences of fear and anxiety.

Barna said, “It is not uncommon to find young adults who trust feelings beyond fact, do not see the inherent value in life, believe in karma, and reject the existence of a biblical God.”

“To this add a lack of a sense of purpose or meaning and the idea that truth is subjective,” he explained. “This set of common components brings a lifestyle that is inconsistent, chaotic, irritating, and lacks hope. Anxiety, depression, and fear are virtually inevitable in such a life.”

Barna also said that syncretism is the dominant worldview among many young Americans, adding, “it’s not surprising that anxiety, depression and fear ramp out among young adults who adopt syncretism.”

“Without a solid foundation of truth, their lives are inconsistent and chaotic,” he said, “in contrast, the biblical worldview provides a framework that promotes emotional stability.”