What’s The Matter with Muslims?
Article 5: “It’s often not good enough for a university to give out colouring books and bring in a puppy during exams”: How can we prevent and respond to mental health issues in young Muslims?
“I mean, I love dogs,” explains mental health researcher Jamilla Hekmoun, over Zoom. “But I think [mental health support for young people] needs to be at a deeper level. Counselling waitlists can’t be six, 12 or 18 months long. I got counselling through university, but the waitlist was so long, they had to refer me outside. I think I’d been for three or four sessions and then I got an email before my next session, saying, ‘due to lack of funding, we’ve had to close’. I was like, but I’m in the middle of counselling, how can you just close?”
Cardiff-based academic and published author Jamilla is currently doing a PhD at the University of Wales, Trinity St. David. Her research area is the mental health of Muslim men, as she felt that there is already some work on Muslim women, who tend to be more visibly Muslim through wearing the hijab (headscarf).
As a trustee of helpline service Muslim Youth Helpline and chair of Muslim Mental Health Covid Recovery Group, a coalition of Muslim mental health groups, Jamilla is all too aware of the mental health struggles faced by young Muslims today.
She says: “I read that suicidal ideation is increasing in young people. Cuts to support services in the last few years have meant that more young people are slipping under the net. Prevention is better than cure. If mental health services don’t have funding, they can’t concentrate on those who are showing signs of anxiety and depression or prevent further mental health issues.”
According to data published by Better Community Business Network in June 2021, which surveyed 729 respondents aged 18 to 30, nearly one in five young Muslims admitted to having suicidal thoughts “many times”. Called ‘Hidden Survivors’, the report highlights the mental health difficulties that young Muslims from the 18 to 30 age bracket often face.
So if prevention is better than cure, how can we prevent mental health issues in young Muslims? Early intervention in education settings is crucial, Jamilla argues.
She continues: “There needs to be huge investment into mental health [at educational institutions]. It’s often not good enough for a university to give out colouring books and bring in a puppy during exams. I think it’s important for anyone who does have contact with young people, whether you are a youth worker, a nurse, a teacher, to have mental health training, so you would know what to say, what the resources are and where to refer a young person.”
Highlighting how Muslim Youth Helpline is a valuable first point of contact, Jamilla adds: “We don’t offer counselling, but we will refer to an organisation that can. If someone tells us, ‘I am in an abusive relationship’ or ‘I think I am addicted to pornography’, sometimes, there is still stigma attached to those. So, they may feel as though they would be judged for being Muslim if they do go to their parents, teachers or an imam.
“Having a safe space for people to discuss what they’re going through and get further help stops it from developing into something more serious.”
“Also, on a bigger level, encourage your MPs and the government to invest in mental health services and encourage universities to invest in services and not just bring some colouring books the day before an exam to try and de-stress people.”
For organisations themselves, what are they doing to prevent and respond to mental health issues among young Muslims?
Peterborough-based, Muslim-run organisation The Lantern Initiative runs workshops on mental health to empower communities.
Managing Director Safura Houghton says: “In the Muslim community, there is a kind of misconception that you wait for the problem to get really, really bad before you go and seek help. So, [at The Lantern Initiative], we encourage people to see their GP and access help at a much earlier stage than they perhaps would’ve if they’d had no support at all.
“We see young people who talk about self harm, suicide, falling out with family. Covid-19 caused a lot of anxiety. Sometimes, issues are, perhaps, more hidden in the Muslim community. Gender identity and sexuality are topics that don’t get spoken about openly in the Muslim community. They are affecting young Muslims just as they are affecting non-Muslims.”
Safura continues: “I think Muslims need to be more open and comfortable when talking about mental health issues. One key thing that gets flagged up a lot is that young Muslims feel comfortable talking about mental health at college, at university or in the workplace, but not in the mosque or at home. Mental health issues are on the rise. Why are we not keeping up?
“All people working with children and teenagers should have a mental health first aid training course. A young person may want to approach a mosque teacher to say that they’re going through something. How would you be equipped to deal with it unless you have had training? I have advised this to several madrasas (Islamic schools).”
This summer, The Lantern Initiative conducted a survey about Muslims’ mental health, which received over 900 responses.
The data is currently being collated and when findings are published, it will be a good indicator of the mental health experiences and struggles faced by young Muslims across the UK.
