Last Friday’s khutbah given by Brother Ossama Kamel highlighted research by the Stanford Muslim Mental Health Lab on suicide in the Muslim American community.
According to the results of a survey in a research letter published in JAMA Psychiatry, Muslim adults in the U.S. were twice as likely to report a history of suicide attempts than individuals from other faith traditions.
Results showed 7.9% of Muslims, 5.1% of Protestants, 6.1% of Catholics, and 3.6% of Jewish participants reported a lifetime suicide attempt. Muslim participants 2.18 (95% CI, 1.13-4.2) times more often reported a lifetime suicide attempt than Protestant participants after adjustment for demographic factors. Those identified as Jewish, Catholic, atheist/agnostic, and other Christian denominations did not have significantly different odds of reporting past-year suicide attempts as Protestant participants. The researchers noted the level of religiosity did not affect the odds of reporting a suicide attempt.
Read the full article that summarizes the results of this study for awareness and to contribute towards de-stigmatizing taking care of our mental health.
Here are some resources for mental health support: