Muslim Youth and Mental Health Challenges

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Muslim Youth and Mental Health Challenges Muslims should realize that mental health issues are real and treatable

BY KHALID IQBAL

The murder-suicide of a Bangladeshi family by their sons, Farhan and Tanvir Towhid, as reported in the Washington Post (April 6, 2021), shocked not only a community but the entire nation at the height of mental health discussions amidst a global pandemic. Both young men were reported to have been mentally disturbed for some time and decided to take the entire family with them to resolve their misery.

Salma (not her real name) felt she was being followed and monitored by some authorities 24/7 through an electronic chip “they” had installed in her during one of the hospital procedures she had undergone. She still feels paranoid wherever she goes and unsafe in her own residence, doesn’t turn on her computer because “someone is sitting there, watching me,” cannot work under tension at her job and feels forced to go through the day’s work only so she can keep her job. Although her family supports her, they also taunt her by telling her that she is going crazy.

Before Covid, Asif (not his real name) was a very social person — the life of the party and one of his college basketball team’s top players. But once Covid started, he started feeling extreme anxiety, a feeling that got worse after it killed his close friend. He stopped going out, didn’t even want to get out of bed. His parents are lost and not sure where to begin or what to do to support their son.

Sadia (not her real name) stopped eating properly because she wants to look good so, according to societal standards, she can “fit in with the crowd.” Her subsequent malnourishment, which causes her to feel dizzy, has led to her fainting a couple of times at school. Noting her situation, her teacher sent her to the school nurse. Sadia said she wished her parents would notice her condition and take appropriate steps to help her, but refused help when her teacher asked her if everything was alright.

Are such events and situations preventable? I had no clear answer to that and other questions until I took the Youth Mental Health First Aid course offered by our county in Virginia (also see https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/).

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? The World Health Organization defines mental health as the state of well-being, being a person who recognizes his/her own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life and work productively and fruitfully, enjoys other people’s company and relationships, and can contribute to his/her community

The following statistics are from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Justice. ❯ 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year (e.g., anxiety, fear of certain life issues, unable to enjoy life or other people’s company or cope with the normal stresses of life that, for some, lead to depression or extreme suicidal thoughts). ❯ 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year. ❯ 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. ❯ 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24. ❯ Suicide is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 10-34 (https:// www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml).

National Public Radio’s Aug. 10, 2021, report states that “American Muslims Are 2 Times More Likely to Have Attempted Suicide Than Other Groups.” One reason for this is because while Muslims face the same factors as the general populace, they also have to deal with religious discrimination and the still-pervasive community stigmatization attached to the “mental disorder” label.

Salma, Saida and Asif’s parents never even thought of going to a mental health professional. After attending the course, I asked the parents who I know well if they had considered this path; they both resisted the idea. One mocked me, saying that “one course doesn’t make you an expert.” The attached social stigma prevented them from admitting that their child has a mental health issue and from seeking professional help.

One day, two soccer teammates got into a fistfight. It seemed like a case of racial discrimination, for there was skin color-based name calling. The case was presented to an arbitration board. Both boys’ parents were present, but their reactions were very different. One boy was immediately taken to a mental health professional for assessment and treatment; the other boy, who happened to be Muslim, was scolded. That was the end of his “treatment.”

After observing this case, I wondered why Muslims are so far behind other communities when it comes to understanding mental health issues and being willing to deal with it. As a result, they are less likely to access the mental health resources available to all.

During a recent workshop, I noted several responses that leave us with something to think about: stigma; the myths that Muslims cannot be depressed, God is punishing them or they are spiritually weak; that it is a curse and therefore an untreatable issue; seeking help from within the community is difficult, something that we need to work on; exorcism, a lack of understanding based on the movie; the language barrier and the system isn’t ready to serve Muslims due to religious and cultural misunderstandings.

Muslims need to realize that mental health issues have nothing to do with religion. Depending on Quranic verses only won’t solve these types of illnesses. And besides, many scholars say that treating

usually begin in early adolescence or early adulthood. In fact, half of all mental disorders begin by age 14 and, if not checked and addressed, can affect the person’s education, personal development, health and social life. This being the case, parents, guardians, teachers, friends and family members can help identify the issue and support and encourage the one affected to seek personal or professional help. The course pointed out several steps that can be taken, among them assessing the risk to self or others (e.g., suicide or self-harm, gathering or overdosing on medicine, burning, possessing harmful weapons like knives and guns). One can also look for the following symptoms. ❯ Emotions. Sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, mood swings, lack of emotional responsiveness, and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, irritability, depression and fear. ❯ Thoughts. Frequent self-criticism, self-blame, worry, pessimism, impaired memory, impaired concentration, indecisiveness, confusion, a tendency to believe that

OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS SHOULD INVITE MENTAL everyone sees you in a negative light, and HEALTH EXPERTS TO GIVE LECTURES, CONDUCT thoughts of suicide and death. ❯ Behavior. Crying spells, withdrawal from INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND others, neglecting responsibilities, losing interEXPERIENCES, AS WELL AS DEVELOP A PEER PARTNERSHIP est in personal appearance, loss of motivation, TO TALK AND HELP EACH OTHER WHEN NEEDED. slowing down and using alcohol or other drugs. ❯ Physical. Chronic fatigue, lack of energy,

NOT DEALING WITH THIS ONGOING STIGMA ON THE sleeping too much or too little, overeating or INDIVIDUAL OR COMMUNITY LEVEL CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO loss of appetite, constipation, weight loss or gain, headaches, irregular menstrual cycle, loss

HIDE THEIR ISSUES AND THUS DELAY TREATMENT. of sexual desire and unexplained aches or pain. ❯ General. Talking about no reason to live or life having no purpose, not eating or overeating, any disease or health issue properly is important. This and being involved in substance abuse. involves recognizing that such diseases exist, discuss- Following are some of the common risk factors for self-harm, including suiing them openly and dealing with them in a rational cide, that should be recognized, evaluated and eliminated if possible: Depression way. Our community leaders should invite mental (untreated or undertreated), social isolation (loneliness is a major issue for all health experts to give lectures, conduct interactive ages, especially the elderly), major changes in social roles (e.g., new school, retireworkshops, share their thoughts and experiences, as ment, job loss, divorce), the recent death of a loved one, fear of prolonged illness, well as develop a peer partnership to talk and help each sleep deprivation, substance abuse, being a victim of abuse, suicidal ideation and other when needed. Not dealing with this ongoing behavior, as well as easy access to lethal weapons and/or means. stigma on the individual or community level can lead If a family member, friends or educators and any mental health first aider people to hide their issues and thus delay treatment. notice an unusual circumstance or behavior, they should approach the individual,

Khutbas, lectures and workshops can help defeat the be willing to listen non-judgmentally and with acceptance, empathy, positive myths and misunderstandings that may lead to ignor- reassurance and, if needed, suggest seeking professional help. One can initiate the ing symptoms and causing harm to their loved ones. conversation by simply saying, “You haven’t been joining us lately at the group

Now in his 50s, Ali (not his real name) remembers coffee break. Are you okay?” or “I noticed you’re not eating and losing a lot of having suicidal thoughts during his early teens. He weight. Is everything okay?” or “Do you want to talk about how you’re feeling?” saw himself as a victim of every incident, relationship Muslims need to become involved and learn the skills taught in Adult or Youth failure or other mishap. He remembers trying to kill Mental Health First Aid through training courses available for free. Become first in himself many times by cutting his wrist or overdosing the line of support to those in need. Help them feel less distressed. Encourage them on pain medications. His parents always accepted his to talk about their issues and feelings. Listen to them nonjudgmentally. You can be a lame excuses about his cuts or why he slept almost vital resource in terms of helping them seek further assistance. Your body language, all day without inquiring about his situation and what you say and being a non-judgmental listener can have a powerful impact. mental condition. Empower your community through education and bringing resources to assist

Ali noted the difference between the story of Prophet those in need. Reach out to mental health professionals and give them a platform Yaqoob and his son Prophet Yousuf (‘alayhum as salam), to educate others. Help youth and adults help themselves. Make a difference in of how caring and understanding Yaqoob was com- the life of someone suffering from a mental health challenge by reaching out and pared to his own father, who seemed to be largely absent offering help. Your actions can be a first step in a person’s journey to recovery. ih from his children’s lives. His mother would worry, while his father usually just laughed it off. Ali promised himself to be a more aware and concerned father. Khalid Iqbal is founder of Rahmaa Institute (www.Rahmaa.org), which focuses on issues related to marriage, conflict resolution, divorce, domestic violence and anger prevention. In his capacity as the author of “Anger and Domestic Violence Prevention Guide for the Muslim Community” and speaker, he has developed and teaches a comprehensive eight-hour

Research shows that the impact of mental disorders premarital counseling course. He has been married for 50 years and has three wonderful children and 10 grandchildren.