Muslim American College Students' Mental Health & Coping

Presenter: Katherlyn Le, Psychology, Global Public Health Scholars

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For my research practicum, I assisted with dissertation work on the mental health and coping of Muslim American college students. I worked on campus at UMD and virtually via Zoom, starting in the Fall of 2024, and it is still ongoing. I reviewed literature, created annotated bibliographies on relevant articles, and brainstormed potential qualitative interview questions. I also applied Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and the minority stress theory to our population of interest, as well as learned about the various qualitative research methodologies we could use, such as thematic analysis and photovoice. I learned about how experiences of marginalization can have adverse mental health effects on Muslim American college students, such as increasing depression and anxiety symptoms. I also learned about the coping mechanisms these students may use, such as minimizing experiences, searching for communities, and educating others about their religion. This work is connected to public health because investigating how Muslim American college students’ mental health is impacted by experiences of belonging and marginalization, and how individual students and communities cope, could help inform potential interventions that could address the mental health needs of this population. The findings from this research could be used to help prevent adverse outcomes and promote the mental health and well-being of Muslim American college students by encouraging culturally-sensitive and effective coping strategies. Additionally, highlighting experiences that may put these students’ mental health at risk or protect them could help inform policies and programs that could benefit this population.