The stigma of mental illness in Arab families: a concept analysis

Abstract

Accessible summary The stigma of mental illness varies significantly from culture to culture and from person to person. To date, little is known about how mental illness stigma manifests within the Arab community. This study aimed at bringing clarity to the concept of ‘mental illness stigma’ as it applies to Arab families. Nursing's holistic and patient‐centered approach is integral to helping Arab patients and their families appropriately incorporate individual values, beliefs, and cultural perspectives into treatment plans. This study establishes a scientific alert for professionals at all levels to avoid making false generalizations about a specific culture that are not based on specific research findings from that culture. Abstract Accessing mental health services is a critical step towards reducing the burden of mental illness. The stigma of mental illness is one of the most common reasons for not seeking mental health care leading to negative health consequences and undue suffering for many individuals and their families. Stigma is embedded in its social context. What may be considered acceptable in one society may be considered unacceptable and open to stigmatization in other societies. Arabs have a shared set of values, beliefs, and traditions that are substantially different from those of Westerners. Further, in most Arab countries, formal mental health resources are scarce and people with mental illness experience the compounded disadvantages of poverty and illness stigma. To date, little is known about how mental illness stigma manifests within the Arab community making it difficult to design and test interventions that support Arab individuals with mental illness and their families in treatment seeking and adherence. Using Rodger's concept analysis method, we examined how ‘mental illness stigma’ operates within an Arab context as a first step towards elucidating culturally competent approaches to treatment. This analysis provides a foundation for future work in the areas of mental illness diagnosis, education, and treatment that reflect the unique characteristics of Arab culture.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among Arab adolescents: Findings from Jordan

“…As such, there is a general consensus among researchers and health care providers that considering parental factors is critical for understanding adolescent depression. This recommendation might have particular importance in the Arab culture, where the family, rather than the individual, is the core of the community (Ahmad & Dardas, ; Ahmad & Dardas, ), and where youth tend to view family as a powerful anchor of their identity and their ability to navigate the future (Khoury & Lopez, ).…”

“…Achieving the appropriate precision for prevalence studies requires that researchers screen for and diagnose depression outside mental health institutions. This is particularly relevant in the Arab countries, where psychological problems are not considered to require professional help, and people who seek help often do not represent the broader community, because they tend to be more seriously affected and have comorbid conditions (Dardas & Simmons, ). Therefore, we utilized a nationwide school survey to estimate the point prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Jordan, and to identify adolescent characteristics associated with severity of depression.…”

“…to require professional help, and people who seek help often do not represent the broader community, because they tend to be more seriously affected and have comorbid conditions (Dardas & Simmons, 2015). Therefore, we utilized a nationwide school survey to estimate the point prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Jordan, and to identify adolescent characteristics associated with severity of depression.…”

Stigma associated with mental illness: perspectives of university students in Qatar

“…Many studies in the Middle East have suggested that individuals may rather seek social support from family members or friends when faced with mental illness rather than seeking professional help 22–25. This help-seeking attitude has been attributed to the Arab culture and among individuals of Muslim faith, who have a strong family bond, and thus, involving non-family members in mental health issues, which implicates revealing familial or personal issues, is less acceptable than in western societies 23,26–28. Misconceptions (such as believing that medications used to treat mental illnesses are associated with addiction reported by 84.5% of students in our study) and lack of awareness (such as being unaware of the services provided by the university’s Student Counseling Center) may be influencing students to rely more on friends and family for mental health support.…”

Cultural misconceptions and public stigma against mental illness among Lebanese university students

“…Furthermore, studies have also proven the existence of subcultural beliefs associated with mental illness . Arabs share a mutual selection of beliefs, values, and traditions associated with mental illness that are considerably different from those of Westerners . According to Fakhr El‐Islam, Arab Muslims profoundly believe in the reality of paranormal entities such as Jinn (the devil or the Shaytaan), Sehr (Black Magic), and the evil eye (Hasad).…”