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FutureLearn

Understanding Mental Health in Muslim Communities

Cardiff University via FutureLearn

Overview

Investigate how faith affects access to mental health services

Research shows that Muslims in Britain are under-referred to mainstream services for mental health problems. When they are accessed, their rates of improvement are lower.

On this four-week course you’ll explore Muslim experiences of mental health and how to provide support for Muslim communities.

By contextualising Muslim experiences of mental health, you’ll learn skills and techniques to provide effective mental health support to minority communities.

Discover how understanding mental health can benefit the Muslim community

Whilst faith can help to address mental health problems, it can also contribute to them.

You’ll learn how mental health experiences vary in the Muslim community – from common mental health problems including depression and anxiety to circumstances affecting mental health such as Islamophobia or refugee status.

By understanding the issues affecting Muslim communities and how they influence mental health, you’ll be able to create more accessible routes into support.

Explore a spiritual understanding of Muslim mental health

You’ll appraise the inclusion of ‘spiritual’ as a fourth factor within bio-psycho-social understandings of mental health. With this framework, you’ll be able to create environments where Muslim clients feel comfortable discussing their faith and mental health.

Learn a holistic approach to pastoral care from Cardiff University

You’ll reflect on how holistic frameworks within religious and spiritual support can improve care when working with Muslim communities and increase recovery rates.

Guided by the experts at Cardiff University, you’ll understand the distinct ways in which Muslim communities are affected by mental health issues and will gain a variety of skills to provide more effective access and care to minority groups.

This course is for anyone who provides mental health support in Muslim communities such as medical or social care professionals or religious pastoral carers.

It’s also suitable for anyone who wants to know more about Islam or mental health care practice.

Syllabus

  • Introduction to the course and Muslim worldview
    • Introduction to the course
    • What is 'Muslim mental health'.
    • An introduction to Muslim practices and beliefs
    • Muslims in Britain
    • Mental health in diverse Muslim communities
    • Summary of Week 1
  • Muslim Experiences of Mental Health
    • Introduction to Week 2
    • Mental health stigma
    • Islamophobia and mental health
    • Mental Health in Islam, contrasts with Western models
    • Islamic beliefs and practices and the mental health of Muslims
    • Operationalising BPSS in mental health support
    • Summary of Week 2
  • Common Mental Health Problems Among Muslims
    • Introduction to Week 3
    • Depression
    • OCD
    • Dementia
    • Addiction
    • Psychosis
    • Summary of Week 3
  • What is ‘recovery’, and who can help
    • Introduction to Week 4
    • Mapping the landscape of Islamically inclusive mental health support in Britain
    • The role of Muslim communities in mental health support
    • Muslim practitioners in mainstream services
    • Imams and faith-based mental health support
    • Good practice recommendations
    • Summary of Week 4

Taught by

Asma Khan

Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 7 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at FutureLearn based on 52 ratings

Start your review of Understanding Mental Health in Muslim Communities

  • For me, this course was interesting and informative. Everything I came across except religious (Islamic) matters are like different windows that opened up and showed different scenarios of the mental health world. As a starter, this course was a pri…
  • Anonymous
    Working as therapist with Muslim clients, I have found this training particularly relevant. It is so important not to be color, faith or cultural blind, to understand our conscious and unconscious bias especially when working with Mental health.
  • Anonymous
    A wonderful course for both Muslims and Non Muslims alike. The designers of the course clearly understand what is lacking when it comes to providing therapy to Muslims. One thing that stood out to me was Shaykh Yusuf's practice. May Allah bless you all for this wonderful course. Ameen.
  • Anonymous
    Fun and interactive learning with various teaching methods e.g. videos, articles, and diverse speakers.
    Taught the course based on authentic mainstream Islam.
  • Anonymous
    An exceptionally well-made course that will hopefully have a profound impact on how mental health practitioners work with Muslim clients.
  • Anonymous
    Coherent, thorough, evidenced, relateable, accessible language and concepts comprehendible. A great service to the UK and its people. May all those involved be blessed and furthered in their causes and lives
  • Anonymous
    It was well structured and the information was concise and clear. A good starting point to learn how to support Muslims' Mental Health. I recommend it.

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