2158 - PREDICTING ARAB MUSLIM ATTITUDES ON MENTAL HEALTH HELP-SEEKING FROM RELIGIOSITY, CULTURAL BELIEFS, ACCULTURATION, AND MICROAGGRESSION.

Session: D06S031 - Migration and Minority Stress 2
AUTHORS:
Alqasir Abdulaziz (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia ~ Melbourne ~ Australia) , Ohtsuka Keis (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia ~ Melbourne ~ Australia)
Abstract text:
Background:
Religious and cultural beliefs and stigma suppress mental health help-seeking among Arab Muslims (Alqasir & Ohtsuka, 2024). This study explored how acculturation and microaggressions shape the help-seeking attitudes of Arab Muslims in Australia.


Objectives:
This paper aims to test prediction models of help-seeking attitudes based on religiosity, cultural beliefs, acculturation, and microaggression experience.


Methods:
163 self-identified Arab Muslims in Australia (84 male, 74 female, 5 unknown) completed electronic questionnaires on the Qualtrics platform. The questionnaire comprised demographics, acculturation (Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale), religiosity (Muslim Religiosity Scale), help-seeking (Attitudes towards seeking mental health services), cultural misconceptions, mental health knowledge, and ethnic microaggression (EMA).


Results:
Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the prediction model of help-seeking attitudes based on knowledge of Mental Health Services, Muslim Religiosity, Cultural Misconceptions of mental health, Dominant Society Immersion, Ethnic Society Immersion, and the Emotional Impact of Microaggressions. The prediction model accounted for 42.9% of the variance in help-seeking attitudes (R2 = .429), F(6, 117) = 14.656 , MSE = 53.657 , p < .001 ).


Muslim Religiosity (β = .219, t = 2.736, p = .007) was found to be a significant positive predictor, meaning that higher levels of religiosity among Muslims are associated with more positive attitudes towards seeking help. Cultural Misconceptions (β = -.592, t = -7.754, p < .001) were identified as a significant negative predictor of help-seeking attitudes.
Thus, while cultural misconceptions predicted negative help-seeking attitudes, it is important to note that Muslim religiosity was a positive predictor of help-seeking attitudes.


Conclusion/Implications:
Mental health help-seeking and the utilisation of formal mental health services are predicted by acculturation to society at large. Since Muslim religiosity and cultural misconceptions play different roles in terms of enhancing and suppressing help-seeking, mental health service promotion should focus on misconceptions about mental health.