Muslim American Students

Islam is a major world religion and there are approximately 4 million Muslims living in the United States. Muslim Americans are a diverse group of people that represent various racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Muslim American students, like all college student populations, are at risk for suicide.

Our knowledge about suicide risk in the Muslim culture is limited for the following reasons:

• A widely held belief within the Muslim community that suicide does not exist.
• Many countries with a high percentage of Muslims do not report suicide deaths.
• There is little research on the prevalence of suicide within the Muslim community available.
• Within some Islamic countries, suicide and attempted suicide are against the law.
• Moral stigmatization and legal concerns prevent many Muslims from seeking help.

Suicide Risk Increases with experiences such as:

• Experiences of prejudice or discrimination, such as Islamophobia or gender-based discrimination
• Inter-cultural conflict
• Acculturation Stress
• An academic problem

Barriers to seeking help may include:

• Mental health stigma
• Cultural mistrust of mental health counselors due to experiences of racism
• Knowledge gaps of available resources
• Potential language barriers for Muslim immigrants

Protective Factors that can decrease risk:

• Religion and faith can help decrease risk if they enhance social connection and positive religious coping mechanisms

Suicide prevention within Muslim American student communities may include:

• Collaborating with Muslim community leaders in providing suicide prevention education
• Mental health services offered in the Muslim community
• Leveraging intersection between mental health and spirituality
• Partnership with trusted and established Muslim community organizations to help overcome stigma barrier