Mental‐Health Help‐Seeking Among Muslims in the Liverpool City Region: A System‐Informed Qualitative Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices.

Background: Muslims in United Kingdom (UK) minority contexts remain underrepresented in mental health research, despite evidence of unequal access and experience. In deprived and superdiverse settings such as the Liverpool City Region (LCR), culturally unsafe encounters, low service literacy and sti...

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Publicado en:Health Expectations Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 1 - 13
Autores principales: Tannerah, Ashraf, Webster, Amy, O'Connor, Shelley, Douglas‐Brown, Charlie, Khan, Imran, Bifarin, Oladayo
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Apr2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Apr2026
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        atl: Mental‐Health Help‐Seeking Among Muslims in the Liverpool City Region: A System‐Informed Qualitative Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices.
      aug:
        au:
          Tannerah, Ashraf
          Webster, Amy
          O'Connor, Shelley
          Douglas‐Brown, Charlie
          Khan, Imran
          Bifarin, Oladayo
        affil: School of Nursing and Advanced Practice, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental Health Services
          Help Seeking Behavior
          Muslims Psychosocial Factors
          Health Knowledge
          Attitude to Health
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          United Kingdom
          Qualitative Studies
          Minority Groups
          Health Services Accessibility
          Community Health Services
          Social Constructionism
          Purposive Sample
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Audiorecording
          Thematic Analysis
          Cultural Competence
          Religion and Medicine
          Trust
          Social Behavior
          Stigma
          Communication Barriers
          Interpreter Services
          Privacy and Confidentiality
          Faith-Based Organizations
          Clergy
          Primary Health Care
          Community Mental Health Services
          Healthcare Disparities
          Health Care Delivery
          Funding Source
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Muslims in United Kingdom (UK) minority contexts remain underrepresented in mental health research, despite evidence of unequal access and experience. In deprived and superdiverse settings such as the Liverpool City Region (LCR), culturally unsafe encounters, low service literacy and stigma may combine to delay help‐seeking and widen inequities. Aim: To explore knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to mental health among Muslims in the LCR, and to identify actionable system leverage points to improve access, engagement and culturally responsive care. Methods: A qualitative study informed by social constructivism. Purposive sampling recruited Muslim adults (n = 11; age 18‐59; 6 women/5 men) from diverse backgrounds (Yemeni, Somali, Egyptian, Algerian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi). Recruitment was community‐enabled through mosques and community networks. Semi‐structured interviews (in person or MS Teams) were audio‐recorded, transcribed, anonymised and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis with an audit trail, reflexive memoing and team debriefs. Results: Three interlinked themes were generated: (1) Barriers to access and engagement: stigma and reputational risk, communication difficulties, confidentiality concerns and perceived stereotyping reduced disclosure and trust; (2) Cultural and religious context in mental health: participants endorsed integrating faith‐based coping and clinical care, with mosques and imams functioning as trusted entry points but with variable mental health capability; (3) System and service provision challenges: limited knowledge of access routes, crisis visibility of services, perceived Islamophobia, and resource/leadership gaps reinforced late presentation. Findings suggested an accumulating pathway from stigma and low trust to delayed access and crisis‐driven contact. Conclusions: Inequities reflected system design and relational safety as much as individual knowledge. Co‐designed, community‐enabled pathways, faith‐literate practice, safeguarded referral interfaces with faith leaders, and routine equity monitoring are key mechanisms for improving engagement and outcomes in the LCR and similar UK city regions.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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