The Federation of Student Islamic Societies programme to challenge mental health Stigma in Muslim communities in England: The FOSIS Birmingham study.

BACKGROUND

1 in 4 people experience mental health problems at some point during their lives and Muslims are no exception. Exacerbating the morbidity and mortality associated with mental health problems in Muslims is Islamophobia. Stigma and shame are major barriers to accessing and using mental health services and many Muslims with mental health problems do not receive the treatment they need. The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) United Kingdom branch organized a mental health conference to challenge the stigma attached to psychological problems in Muslims and to encourage care seeking in this group.

DESIGN

We conducted a single arm, pre-post comparison study on Muslims who attended the FOSIS mental health conference in Birmingham Medical School, England. Validated stigma scales measuring knowledge, attitudes and behavior were administered on participants before and immediately after exposure to the programme. Participants were also asked to respond to statements, the items of which were on a 5-point Likert scale, about the role that Islam plays in Muslim mental health, stigma as a barrier for Muslims with mental health problems to accessing and using mental health services and if they felt inspired to challenge stigma.

RESULTS

50/250 (20%) of participants completed the study. There were statistically significant improvements in the 'Reported and Intended Behavior' score (p=0.0036), the 'Inspired to Take Action' Score (p=0.0202) and the 'Incorporating Islamic Principles into Mental Health Treatment for Muslims is Beneficial' score (p=0.0187).

DISCUSSION

The findings of our study suggest that a 'bespoke' Muslim mental health conference comprised of talks delivered by experts in Islam and mental health and a Muslim who has first-hand experience of psychological distress might be effective at reducing mental health stigma in the Muslim community. Our results should help to inform the design, development and delivery of future Muslim mental health conferences however more robust research in this area is needed.