The family's role in mental health care: Perceptions of Bay Area Muslims

Abstract

This qualitative study examines perceptions of Muslims living in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States, regarding the family's role in mental health help-seeking and well-being. This study employed a community-based participatory research approach through content analysis of three focus group (n = 37) discussions conducted with the help of a community advisory board comprised San Francisco Bay Area Muslim community members. Four main themes were generated. (1) Participants stated that Muslim American families play a unique role, via socioreligious norms and cultural expectations, in mental health quality and help-seeking. (2) The types of familial mental wellness support depend on the capacity of family members relative to their roles and influence in the family. (3) Families are responsible for referring individuals to external support, especially when the problem is beyond familial capacity. (4) The family is a potential source of mental health-related challenges. Participants noted the need for family-wide interventions led by mental health professionals or religious/community leaders. These findings stress the need for increased attention to and engagement of families in providing psychiatric care for Muslim Americans, specifically those living in the Bay Area, California, United States. Special attention should be placed on mental health barriers and challenges the family may create for an individual. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).