Islamic Relief UK warns that the cost of living crisis is exacerbating mental health within the UK Muslim community as calls to the Muslim Youth Helpline increase by 21 percent in the last year

10 October 2023

Today, on World Mental Health Day, Islamic Relief UK is urging all communities in the UK to be aware of mental health – especially with the cost-of-living crisis escalating- and to always reach out to available services for help.

Islamic Relief UK, which helps fund the Muslim Youth Helpline, is also urging the Muslim community to challenge some of the stigma around mental health. The charity says that some families in the Muslim community do not recognise the seriousness of mental health issues, which can worsen the situation for many who are suffering.

According to research in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (1), Muslims in the UK are less inclined, compared to other religious groups, to seek mental health services because they highlight a preference for help with a religious underpinning. A poll was also conducted by Muslim Youth Helpline, which showed 40.2 percent of Muslim men said they talked to nobody about mental health (2).

One anonymous caller to the helpline said:

I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety. Whenever I try to speak with my parents about it, they think it has to do with faith, as they do not believe in mental illness. I’m not sure what to do.

To further complicate the situation, the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the mental health of people who are already struggling to feed themselves as their money problems worsen. As well as financial issues, the helpline reports more calls mentioning suicide and has seen the number of calls continually rising over the last three years.

In the past two years, 14 cases of financial support have mentioned suicide, and 25 cases of feeling suicidal are due to financial issues. More and more young people on the helpline are struggling due to the impact of the rising cost of living on them and their families, and in particular on their increased responsibilities at home. Many Muslim families live in one household and family members who are supporting their parents and siblings have been reaching out to the helpline for financial help.

One caller to the Muslim Youth Helpline named Lena said:

I feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities I have. Financially, I support my younger siblings and feel responsible for them despite both of my parents still being around. I feel my parents don’t understand or appreciate the sacrifice I make; I have no personal savings because I spend all of my money on my family.

“They often see me as another parent rather than a sibling due to the large age difference between us. Their expectations of me are causing a lot of stress and are putting a bigger strain on my relationship with them. I want to get married and move out but I don’t know if this will ever happen because my family relies on me.”

Whilst it’s become more accessible to discuss mental health struggles, this is still limited to a few, such as discussing stress and low mood.

“Within the Muslim community and beyond, some struggles are less discussed due to stigmas, such as OCD, schizophrenia, and thoughts of suicide and self-harm still exist. On the helpline, we support undiagnosed young people; some struggle in silence, and others have few places to open up and get the right support. Whilst we provide emotional support and a listening ear, we can also support the young people with other resources to guide them.

“We must do our part to give our young people healthy and happy spaces to thrive.”

Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK said:

Whilst it’s become more accessible to discuss mental health struggles, this is still limited to a few, such as discussing stress and low mood.

“The cost-of-living crisis is having a detrimental impact on mental health for all communities and it is concerning that calls to the Muslim Youth Helpline have increased. Not only are people going hungry but their mental health is also suffering.

“The UK government must do more to deal with the immediate impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, but also undertake a fundamental review of the UK’s social security system with a view to ensuring benefits provide people with an adequate income to cover their essential needs.”

People can access support from the Muslim Youth Helpline by calling 0808 808 2008 or going to their website, www.myh.org.uk

People can also access support from The Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ or call any time, day or night 116 123

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact Jonaid Jilani on 07872403534 or [email protected]

If you, or someone you know is in difficulty, you can access support from Muslim Youth Helpline by calling [http://about:blank/]0808 808 2008 or you can get to their website, www.myh.org.uk

People can also access support from The Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ or call any time, day or night 116 123

Citation

(1) Hooman Keshavarzi and Amber Haque, “Outlining a Psychotherapy Model for Enhancing Muslim Mental Health Within an Islamic Context,” The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 23:3 (2012): 1, accessed April 22, 2018, doi:10.1080/10508619.2012.712000

(2) In 2019, Muslim Youth Helpline released a report, “MUSLIM YOUTH: What’s the issue”, which did a poll on Muslims and mental health. https://www.myh.org.uk/our-research

Muslim Youth Helpline

Call the Free Helpline on 0808 808 2008

Live chat https://myh.org.uk/how-we-can-help/chat-with-us/

Email [email protected]

About Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way.

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people worldwide. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.

About Muslim Youth Helpline

Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) is a 19-year-old charity and a listening helpline that provides free and confidential faith and culturally-sensitive support services targeted at vulnerable young people in the United Kingdom. People can contact us by phone, email or web chat. We are open six hours a day from 4 pm – 10 pm, every single day.

Mohammad Mamdani set up the Muslim Youth Helpline in 2001 to provide young British Muslims with advice and support sensitive to their culture and religion.

Mohammed, who was then 18, felt little support for the young Muslim community. He got together with a couple of friends at college, and they ran the helpline from Mohammed’s bedroom for a few hours each week.

We’ve come a long way since then; some things have changed, and others have stayed the same. We stay true to the values he instilled — ‘confidential’ and ‘non-judgmental’. Since our launch, MYH has supported over 55,000 young Muslims.

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