Bringing Psychiatry into the Mosque: Analysis of a Community Psycho-education Intervention
Samaiya Mushtaq. MD, Resident Psychiatrist, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Mariam Hashimi, BS; Washington University in St. Louis
Andy Michel, MD; Vanderbilt University
Carol North, MD; UT Southwestern Medical Center
Objectives: As with many minority populations, Muslim patients are less likely to utilize mental health services compared with non-Muslim counterparts for a myriad of reasons. We planned a mental health symposium at a Nashville mosque to provide education to and engagement with the local Muslim community. Our objective was to analyze whether views towards understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders changed after this intervention.
Methods: Pre- and post-surveys were provided to and collected from 31 participants before and after the program. Data collected were demographic characteristics, including level of education, religiosity, spirituality, frequency of prayer and mosque attendance, and prior mental health training and utilization history of mental health resources. 15 questions were repeated in the pre- and post-surveys on understanding of psychiatric illness and provider roles; formulating depression and psychosis as biological problems requiring the help of a mental health provider or spiritual problems requiring the help of an imam (spiritual leader) or sheikh (scholar) [these were not mutually exclusive]; and whether the participant would talk to a medical doctor, therapist, imam, family, and/or friends in the event of mental health problems. Participants were also asked to rate their level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale with taking antidepressant and anxiolytic medication if prescribed to them by a healthcare professional.
Results: Matched pre- and post-surveys were analyzed using SAS. The age range was 21-66. 68% (n=21) were female. The majority of participants identified as somewhat to very religious and spiritual. 97% noted praying multiple times a day and 77% attended mosque weekly to daily. Analysis showed that survey participants had a significant increase in in their level of agreement with the statement assessing willingness to take antidepressant medication if prescribed by a health professional before (M=3.4, SD=1.2) and after (M=3.9, SD=1.0) this intervention (p<.001), as well as in the statement assessing willingness to take anxiolytic medication if prescribed by a health professional before (M=3.6, SD=1.1) and after (M=3.9,SD=1.0) this intervention (P<.001).
Conclusions: Participants of this mental health symposium were more amenable to taking medication for depression and anxiety after this educational intervention, despite no statistically significant change in the conceptualization of these disorders. Community educational interventions can be helpful in engaging Muslims in treatment for psychiatric disorders. Limitations included homogeneity in level of religiosity and education impeding these potentially correlating factors.
Mariam Hashimi, BS; Washington University in St. Louis
Andy Michel, MD; Vanderbilt University
Carol North, MD; UT Southwestern Medical Center
Objectives: As with many minority populations, Muslim patients are less likely to utilize mental health services compared with non-Muslim counterparts for a myriad of reasons. We planned a mental health symposium at a Nashville mosque to provide education to and engagement with the local Muslim community. Our objective was to analyze whether views towards understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders changed after this intervention.
Methods: Pre- and post-surveys were provided to and collected from 31 participants before and after the program. Data collected were demographic characteristics, including level of education, religiosity, spirituality, frequency of prayer and mosque attendance, and prior mental health training and utilization history of mental health resources. 15 questions were repeated in the pre- and post-surveys on understanding of psychiatric illness and provider roles; formulating depression and psychosis as biological problems requiring the help of a mental health provider or spiritual problems requiring the help of an imam (spiritual leader) or sheikh (scholar) [these were not mutually exclusive]; and whether the participant would talk to a medical doctor, therapist, imam, family, and/or friends in the event of mental health problems. Participants were also asked to rate their level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale with taking antidepressant and anxiolytic medication if prescribed to them by a healthcare professional.
Results: Matched pre- and post-surveys were analyzed using SAS. The age range was 21-66. 68% (n=21) were female. The majority of participants identified as somewhat to very religious and spiritual. 97% noted praying multiple times a day and 77% attended mosque weekly to daily. Analysis showed that survey participants had a significant increase in in their level of agreement with the statement assessing willingness to take antidepressant medication if prescribed by a health professional before (M=3.4, SD=1.2) and after (M=3.9, SD=1.0) this intervention (p<.001), as well as in the statement assessing willingness to take anxiolytic medication if prescribed by a health professional before (M=3.6, SD=1.1) and after (M=3.9,SD=1.0) this intervention (P<.001).
Conclusions: Participants of this mental health symposium were more amenable to taking medication for depression and anxiety after this educational intervention, despite no statistically significant change in the conceptualization of these disorders. Community educational interventions can be helpful in engaging Muslims in treatment for psychiatric disorders. Limitations included homogeneity in level of religiosity and education impeding these potentially correlating factors.