Understanding Mental Health in Muslim Communities

Investigate how faith affects access to mental health services

Research shows that Muslims in Britain are under-referred to mainstream services for mental health problems. When they are accessed, their rates of improvement are lower.

On this four-week course you’ll explore Muslim experiences of mental health and how to provide support for Muslim communities.

By contextualising Muslim experiences of mental health, you’ll learn skills and techniques to provide effective mental health support to minority communities.

Discover how understanding mental health can benefit the Muslim community

Whilst faith can help to address mental health problems, it can also contribute to them.

You’ll learn how mental health experiences vary in the Muslim community – from common mental health problems including depression and anxiety to circumstances affecting mental health such as Islamophobia or refugee status.

By understanding the issues affecting Muslim communities and how they influence mental health, you’ll be able to create more accessible routes into support.

Explore a spiritual understanding of Muslim mental health

You’ll appraise the inclusion of ‘spiritual’ as a fourth factor within bio-psycho-social understandings of mental health. With this framework, you’ll be able to create environments where Muslim clients feel comfortable discussing their faith and mental health.

Learn a holistic approach to pastoral care from Cardiff University

You’ll reflect on how holistic frameworks within religious and spiritual support can improve care when working with Muslim communities and increase recovery rates.

Guided by the experts at Cardiff University, you’ll understand the distinct ways in which Muslim communities are affected by mental health issues and will gain a variety of skills to provide more effective access and care to minority groups.

This course is for anyone who provides mental health support in Muslim communities such as medical or social care professionals or religious pastoral carers.

It’s also suitable for anyone who wants to know more about Islam or mental health care practice.

• Introduction to the course and Muslim worldview
• Introduction to the course
• What is 'Muslim mental health'.
• An introduction to Muslim practices and beliefs
• Muslims in Britain
• Mental health in diverse Muslim communities
• Summary of Week 1
• Muslim Experiences of Mental Health
• Introduction to Week 2
• Mental health stigma
• Islamophobia and mental health
• Mental Health in Islam, contrasts with Western models
• Islamic beliefs and practices and the mental health of Muslims
• Operationalising BPSS in mental health support
• Summary of Week 2
• Common Mental Health Problems Among Muslims
• Introduction to Week 3
• Depression
• OCD
• Dementia
• Addiction
• Psychosis
• Summary of Week 3
• What is ‘recovery’, and who can help
• Introduction to Week 4
• Mapping the landscape of Islamically inclusive mental health support in Britain
• The role of Muslim communities in mental health support
• Muslim practitioners in mainstream services
• Imams and faith-based mental health support
• Good practice recommendations
• Summary of Week 4