A growing number of American Muslims encounter prejudice in their daily lives. Not surprisingly, they also increasingly make self-reports of emotional stress. While day-to-day pressures continue to affect American Muslims’ ability to thrive, good recommendations are available to face these challenges. This toolkit includes resources for individuals and mental health professionals to effectively address the unique mental health challenges that Muslims face. These challenges are not exclusive to adults. This toolkit also includes specific resources for addressing the needs of American Muslim children who face the added challenge of bullying from peers and adults, alike.
Mental Health Toolkit
Resources for Muslim Mental Healthcare Advocates
A growing number of American Muslims encounter prejudice in their daily lives. Not surprisingly, they also increasingly make self-reports of emotional stress. While day-to-day pressures continue to affect American Muslims’ ability to thrive, good recommendations are available to face these challenges. This toolkit includes resources for individuals and mental health professionals to effectively address the unique mental health challenges that Muslims face. These challenges are not exclusive to adults. This toolkit also includes specific resources for addressing the needs of American Muslim children who face the added challenge of bullying from peers and adults, alike.
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Youth Mental Health
This webinar summarizes the recommendations from our report, Religious-Based Bullying: Insights on Research and Evidence-Based Best Practices from the National Interfaith Anti-Bullying Summit. The webinar was sponsored by ISPU, Islamic Networks Group (ING), American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP), and Sikh Kid 2 Kid.
2019 Survey of MSA West Student Members: Perseverance in the Face of Adversity
July 2, 2019,Muslim Student Associations are often an integral space for American Muslims’ social, spiritual, and political development. To better understand the perspectives of Muslim students in California, ISPU and MSA West partnered to administer a survey during the annual MSA West Conference at the University of...
Religious-Based Bullying: Insights on Research and Evidence-Based Best Practices from the National Interfaith Anti-Bullying Summit
September 19, 2018,Given the prevalence rates and negative mental health outcomes associated with religious-based bullying, it must be considered a public health issue in need of prevention and intervention attention. This brief provides insights from the first-ever National Interfaith Anti-Bullying Summit held in Washington, DC, on December...
State of American Muslim Youth: Research & Recommendations
February 11, 2015,American Muslim youth are a heterogeneous group, with varying backgrounds, experiences, and needs. Families, schools, and communities can benefit from research on American Muslim youth to improve current approaches in youth programming and development. This report identifies the nuances and complexities of American Muslim youth’s...
Young Adult American-Born Muslims and Mental Health: An Exploration of Attitudes, Challenges, and Needs
December 31, 2014,Despite the growing number of American Muslims in the United States, their frequent encounters with prejudice and their increased self-reports of emotional stress, little research has been carried out to understand attitudes toward mental health by Muslim Americans, specifically those born and raised in the...
Addressing Foster Care and Mental Health
October 1, 2005,On any given day, there are more than 542,000 children residing in foster care in the United States—a number that has risen every year since the 1980s.1 These children experience combinations of a number of risks to healthy development and adjustment, such as parental neglect,...
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Dealing with Bias + Bigotry
On January 24th, 2017, ISPU and ISNA co-hosted a webinar featuring ISPU Scholars Dr. Ben Herzig and Dr. Hamada Hamid along with mental health practitioner Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad that focused on “Post-Election American Muslim Self-Care.” Panelists discussed how Muslims can best practice self care, how parents can support their children when confronted with bigotry, and the effect that intersections of religion, race, gender, and pre-existing conditions can have on Muslims’ mental health.
Muslims Disproportionately Feel Negative Effect of Political Climate
This infographic highlights the stress placed on the American Muslim community as a result of the current political climate. It is important for individuals and mental health professionals to understand these external stresses as they seek to develop solutions to promote emotional well-being.
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Ben Herzig in The Islamic Monthly | January 8, 2017 |
American Muslims in the Age of Trump: The View from the Therapy Couch |
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Interview with Ben Herzig in Vox | March 8, 2017 |
“Bigotry complicates everything”: a psychologist on how prejudice harms Muslim patients’ mental health |
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Reports for Professionals
Addressing Mental Health Issues among American Muslims in the Military
June 2, 2010,The tragic shootings at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas raised the public’s attention toward Muslims serving in the United States Armed Forces. There was much public conjecture about the motives and mental state of Major Nidal Hasan. While mental health services in the military...
Community Brief | American Muslims and Aging
December 5, 2016,Demographic shifts in the U.S. as well as globally have made aging an issue of high interest, yet little is known about the realities of Muslim experiences. And despite Islam’s strong and clear emphasis on caring for older adults, American Muslim communities have not developed...
Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions
September 6, 2011,The issues and interventions discussed in this book, by authoritative contributors, are diverse and multifaceted. Topics that have been ignored in previous literature are introduced, such as sex therapy, substance abuse counseling, university counseling, and community-based prevention. Chapters integrate tables, lists, and suggested phrasing for...
Spirituality in Mental Health Care: It’s past Time to Make Room
July 25, 2012,National surveys have consistently found that the vast majority of Americans identify as religious and/or spiritual in one way or another. But is there any room for spirituality or religious practice in psychiatric treatment? Is there a place at all for faith in an era...
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Additional Resources
These resources may be helpful for Muslim mental health advocates, though ISPU does not claim responsibility for the content.
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Meet Our Mental Health Experts
Heather Laird, PhD
Director, Center for Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology, University of Southern California
Managing Director, HRL Consulting, LLC.
Sameera Ahmed, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University
Director, The Family and Youth Institute (FYI)
Hamada Hamid, DO
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Yale University
Founding & managing editor of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health
Ben Herzig, PsyD
Psychologist in private practice
Reviewer for the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development and the Journal of Muslim Mental Health
Altaf Husain, PhD
Assistant Professor, Howard University School of Social Work
Board Member, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Amal Killawi, MSW
Research Fellow, The Family & Youth Institute (FYI)
PhD Candidate in Social Work, Rutgers University
Meet Our Mental Health Experts
Heather Laird, PhD
Director, Center for Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology, University of Southern California
Managing Director, HRL Consulting, LLC.
Sameera Ahmed, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University
Director, The Family and Youth Institute (FYI)
Hamada Hamid, DO
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Yale University
Founding & managing editor of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health
Ben Herzig, PsyD
Psychologist in private practice
Reviewer for the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development and the Journal of Muslim Mental Health
Altaf Husain, PhD
Assistant Professor, Howard University School of Social Work
Board Member, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Amal Killawi, MSW
Research Fellow, The Family & Youth Institute (FYI)
PhD Candidate in Social Work, Rutgers University