Introduction
Mental Health issues are a grave problem in modern times, as life is becoming fast-paced, and the level of competition is increasing in the professional world. With the advancement in technology and the advent of social networking sites, there is more pressure to conform to the standards set by others and society at large. These create a burden on people, especially those who are not able to cope with the challenges of the dynamic world. Mental health problems are on the rise, with one in four people reporting the same every year. They vary from the general problems like depression and anxiety to the more specific and not-so-common problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This is an issue that should not be ignored, as it is engulfing not only adults but also children, as the level of competition and the pressure to perform overall is increasing. Anxiety and depression have been reported as the most common mental health problems faced by 7.8% people in Britain ("Common mental health problems: identification and pathways to care | Guidance and guidelines | NICE", 2011). Further, around 4 to 10% people in England are said to have faced depression in their lifetime, which is the second leading cause for disability and a prime factor contributing to the suicides and ischemic heart disease (McManus, Meltzer, Brugha, Bebbington & Jenkins, 2011).
Despite the grave consequences of mental health problems, there exists a stigma surrounding the issue. Stigma is referred to as the signal of dishonour or shame, which isolates an individual from the rest. The stigma attached to mental health issues in society is one of the most influential negative aspects in all social relations. As a study conducted by Bharadwaj, Pai & Suziedelyte reveals that though the treatment meted out to the mental health issue has shown considerable improvement in the last few years, there are still people who do not opt for medical help or give up early. People are hesitant to seek help when suffering from any mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety (Bharadwaj, Pai & Suziedelyte, 2017). People often look down upon people suffering from mental illness, and they are often discriminated against in society. Mental illness stigma is a major concern across the world. Nevertheless, the stigma could be seen across cultures, influences, and dimensions, with the consequence varying considerably in the local context. In certain communities, the stigma attached to mental health issues is more profound than that found in others.
Cultural differences make a substantial inference regarding the caregiver stigma and burden. Though Muslim beliefs as well as ethnic subcultures are heterogeneous, the research study perceives discrimination directed at Arab immigrants shows Muslims to be perceived as a monolithic group, having negative stereotypes and being subject to considerable inter-personal as well as structural discrimination (Jasinskaja-Lahti, Liebkind & Perhoniemi, 2006). Islam is a highly religious community, and the stigma in the Muslim-American community is entrenched in both culture as well as religion, similar to other forms of stigma. In the Muslim community, mental illness is often associated with some kind of reprimand or evil. As per Shah and colleagues, Muslims believe in their destiny a lot, and in many cases, it leads them to fatalism (Shah et al., 2008). Shah found out that several people felt that God or Allah exercised control over everything, including illnesses. Hence, mental-health-related complication was considered a disconnection or punishment from God. Further, they have also been instructed to inculcate a habit of positive reception of God’s will and sustain higher levels of hopefulness with regard to curing (Nabolsi & Carson, 2011). Moreover, there were some Muslims who felt that mental illness was due to the possession by evil spirits, or jinns. God’s punishment or being possessed by jinns wasn’t something Muslims were comfortable disclosing to family or members of the community; rather, it was shameful to discuss and embarrassing to seek help for (Rassool, 2000). As Padella and other scholars studied in their research, they discovered that Imams have a crucial role to play in the perception of community and their reactions to illness. They present themselves as messengers of Allah’s wish and would assist in the recovery of the patient (Padella et al., 2012).
In another study conducted by Abu-Ras and colleagues, interviewing 22 imams and 102 worshippers from 22 mosques in New York, found that imams played a pivotal role in the promotion of mental health, spending substantial time every week counseling the devotees. They projected mental illness as a chance to rectify the withdrawal from Alla,h, and the absence of faith could be set right through regular prayers (Abu-Ras & Abu-Bader, 2008).
Christianity, too, suffers from a similar kind of threat as it tends to diminish the relevance of the body by favoring the elevation of the mind. The body is thus considered an inferior attachment to the idealistic, spiritual mind. In several ways, the church, which was considered to be a haven for sufferers, turned out to be not so safe a place for those struggling with mental illness. Throughout the history of the church, people have been mentioning the “dark times” and how they placed their trust in the Lord while going through the trial (Holpuch, 2014). However, today in the churches one often feels that one is unable to talk about his / problems and hence cannot deal with his / sufferings effectively.
For several churches, trying to get rid of the stigma regarding mental illness would be the first step. The biggest UK Christian Disability Charity, as well as he biggest Christian mental health information charity, have collaborated to form a new resource to assist churches in dealing with mental health stigma. The newly formed associations, Livability and Premier Mind and Soul, will give a helping hand to churches to comprehend people with mental health needs among their worshipers (Pilz, 2015). The new resource has been recognized by some of the high-profile Christian leaders and scholars. With the reports of numerous celebrities and renowned people suffering from mental illness, there have been discussions ensuing wherein many people, Christians and non-Christians, discuss the negative attributes of mental health.
The major flaws of the previous studies were that the research conducted to gauge the impact of mental health stigma in the Muslim community is far greater than the research conducted on the Christian community. There is not much research or surveys done on the latter religion. My purpose for the research study will be to conduct an investigative study on the impact of mental health stigma within religions, and an equal emphasis will be placed upon the Islamic and Christian communities. My hypothesis for the research study is “Muslims have a more perceived stigma of mental health than other religions, eg, Christianity.” The impact of mental health stigma is a very crucial subject to study, as people suffering from mental illness are devoid of the necessities of a quality life, such as a secure job, a good house, physical and mental fitness, and diverse social affiliations (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Studying the mental stigma and its perception within different religions will explain the rationale behind this social issue (Judd & Vandenberg, 2013).
Method
While researching for any investigation, it is important to draw samples from the population, as it is not feasible to study the entire population. The sample population, which will be studied in the research, will be taken from the university students aged 18 years and above, and they will be affiliated with either the Muslim or the Christian religion. One of the ethical considerations of any research study is the prior consent obtained from the subjects being studied. The consent of the students will be obtained before the study, and to facilitate the same, a consent form will be distributed along with the questionnaire. Since the research hypothesis is related to the mental health stigma associated with different religions, I will have to gauge the trends and statistics prevalent in the religions chosen for the study. For this purpose, the quantitative data collection would be appropriate. “Quantitative analyses aid in data reduction by grouping variables into overall classifications, which facilitates determining clusters of symptoms that may predict complications.” (Houser, 2008)
A quantitative research study will be conducted through the university’s student participant panel. Quantitative research comprises the collection and analysis of data that is quantifiable. The instrument used to collect the information will be a questionnaire. The students will be undertaking this survey anonymously online.
The descriptive method of analysis of the information gathered through the questionnaire will be conducted in this research study. This method of analysis is a study of status and is widely used in the behavioral sciences. Descriptive research is related to the collection of data that explains actions and further arranges, classifies, shows, and defines the data collected (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). The questionnaire will include a Likert-type scale, which will enable the evaluation of the statistics analyzed. The answer given by the participants will be analysed for any causal relationships existing among them, and the impact of the mental stigma will be compared on the two specific religions of Islam and Christianity.
References
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Holpuch, A. (2014). Christians and mental health: 'This has nothing to do with whether I believe in Jesus'. The Guardian.
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McManus, S., Meltzer, H., Brugha, T., Bebbington, P., & Jenkins, R. (2011). Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England - 2007, Results of a household survey. NHS Information Centre For Health And Social Care.
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Pilz, A. (2015). Tackling mental health stigma in churches. Evangelical AlliaYnce.
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