Factors affecting attitudes toward seeking and using formal mental health and psychological services among Arab Muslim populations

Abstract

Despite increased understanding and sensitivity of attitudes of individuals seeking formal mental health services of various minority groups in the United States, the experience of the Arab Muslim population is understudied. The dominant Arab Islamic research suggests individual's attitudes toward formal mental health services are negative. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes toward seeking and using formal mental health and psychological services among the Arab Muslim population residing in a large, midwestern city in the United States. Four independent variables were selected and tested based on a developed model: help-seeking pathways of Arab Muslims. Three hundred sixty questionnaires were mailed and distributed to Arab Muslims residing in the metropolis through five Arab Islamic organizations. The results indicated that Arab Muslim attitudes toward seeking formal mental health services are most likely to be affected by cultural and traditional beliefs about mental health problems, knowledge and familiarity with formal services, perceived societal stigma, and the use of informal indigenous resources. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.