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.

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.

This handout provides eight strategies for educators on how to best address religious-based bullying of Muslim kids.

Addressing Foster Care and Mental Health

Young Adult American-Born Muslims and Mental Health: An Exploration of Attitudes, Challenges, and Needs

2019 Survey of MSA West Student Members: Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

Religious-Based Bullying: Insights on Research and Evidence-Based Best Practices from the National Interfaith Anti-Bullying Summit

State of American Muslim Youth: Research & Recommendations

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.

American Muslims in the Age of Trump: The View from the Therapy Couch

Ben Herzig in The Islamic Monthly | January 8, 2017

“Bigotry complicates everything”: a psychologist on how prejudice harms Muslim patients’ mental health

Interview with Ben Herzig in Vox | March 8, 2017

Mental Health of Muslim Healthcare Workers During COVID-19

To understand how American Muslim healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States have been impacted by this stress, and how they have coped with it, this study surveyed nearly 700 American Muslim HCWs about one year into the pandemic. Results include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and religious and racial discrimination on mental health, as well as an investigation into “healthy” and “unhealthy” coping strategies.

This report was co-published in April of 2022 by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) and the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. You can download and share the infographic that visually represents how American Muslim healthcare workers fared during COVID-19 and their coping strategies.

Suicide Attempts of Muslims Compared With Other Religious Groups in the US

A 2021 article in JAMA Psychiatry found that American Muslim adults have twice the rate of suicide attempts compared to other surveyed faith groups. The study this publication was based on included data from ISPU’s 2019 American Muslim Poll. Multiple ISPU scholars, including Dr. Rania Awaad, director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab, and Dr. Hamada Hamid, co-founder of the Muslim Mental Health Institute, were involved in conducting and publishing the study, as well as ISPU Director of Research Dalia Mogahed.

A September 2021 webinar co-hosted by Maristan, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU),and Institute of Muslim Mental Health (IMMH) featured study co-authors discussing this data and the impact it has on community conversations.