Abstract
The stigma of addiction in Muslim communities is a significant barrier to accessing mental health services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a newly developed spiritually-adapted addictions psychoeducational program with adult Muslims in the mosque setting. Ninety-three individuals were recruited from nine different mosques within Toronto, Canada. Ninety-minute seminars were presented. This study used a convergent mixed method design. There was a significant increase in the participants’ self-reported knowledge (t = 3.6; p < 0.001), a more positive attitude on two scales (t = 3.7; p < 0.001 and t = 2.9; p = 0.005) and an increase in willingness to seek help from a medical doctor and mental health professional (t = 4.4; p < 0.001 and t = 2.2; p = 0.03, respectively) post-seminar as compared to baseline. Qualitative data confirmed these changes. Evidence-informed spiritually-adapted outreach program in the mosque setting can help reduce addiction related stigma in Muslim communities.
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The data and materials used in this study are available upon request.
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Acknowledgements
Our research team acknowledges the hard work and great collaborative efforts done by our research Coordinators: Shirin Ahmed and Sairah Uddin. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the volunteer efforts of the Psychiatry Residents and Psychiatrists who delivered the seminars throughout our study, which included: Dr. Bassaam Salim, Dr. Zainab Furqan, Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah and Dr. Rida Hashmi.
Funding
This work was supported by Bhasin Consulting Inc. Fund for Inclusion in Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Partial funding was also provided through by Student-Assembly Merit Award from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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This research study has been approved by the research ethics board of the Centre of Addiction of Mental Health in Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Hassan, A.N., Ragheb, H., Malick, A. et al. Inspiring Muslim Minds: Evaluating a Spiritually Adapted Psycho-educational Program on Addiction to Overcome Stigma in Canadian Muslim Communities. Community Ment Health J 57, 644–654 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00699-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00699-0