Future Research Needs on Islam and Health

Abstract

The amount of research that exists today on religion and health in Muslim populations is only a tiny fraction of the total research that has been done on this subject around the world. The list of research studies that need to be done on religion and health in Muslims is almost endless, providing an unlimited opportunity for researchers interested in this area. Given limits in funding support and investigator time, however, it is essential to identify studies that have direct clinical significance and widespread applicability. In this chapter we identify the highest priority studies that need to be done: (a) mental health (studies of common mental disorders such as depression, chronic mental disorders such as schizophrenia, emotional disorders in children and older adults, influences of religiosity on response to treatment), (b) social health (studies of marital stability and happiness, crime and delinquency, social capital), (c) behavioral health (studies examining diet, weight, exercise, prevention of smoking, drug use, sexual promiscuity), and (d) physical health (research on heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, other metabolic disorders, cancer, inflammatory disorders, physical disability, interactions with biological treatments). Many of these studies could be completed with very little funding support, and we describe here how that might be done.