Avani Bheemaiah

What are key factors in preventing help-seeking behavior for mental health among Muslim immigrants in the US? What are effective strategies to promote help-seeking behavior?

Started May 16, 2024

Abstract or project description

For this project, a literature review will be completed to understand barriers to help-seeking behavior for mental health among Muslim immigrants and explore strategies to reduce them. Specifically, the review will investigate cultural, religious, and social factors that influence access to mental health resources in this population. Ciftci and the authors (2012) conducted an extensive literature analysis and found that cultural barriers play a significant role in preventing Muslim immigrants from seeking mental health care. Additionally, discrimination and Islamophobia have been found to create and exacerbate internalized stigma and mental health issues among Muslim Americans (Youssef & Deane, 2006). This literature review will analyze peer-reviewed research to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing help-seeking behavior and propose interventions to promote it.