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Muslim Mental Health Conference to Feature 3 IOL Panelists

March 02, 2022

When the 14th annual Muslim Mental Health Conference convenes – virtually and in person – on March 25-26, several Institute of Living (IOL) specialists will be part of panels examining the mental health needs of the American Muslim community.

The IOL, part of Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network, is also co-sponsoring the conference with Michigan State University Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Muslim Mental Health and Yale Global Mental Health Program.

Under the theme “Fragilities Unmasked: Emerging from Social Isolation, Social Inequalities and COVID,” this year’s conference brings together healthcare providers, researchers and faith leaders for keynote presentations, panel discussions and the presentation of scholarly research. Most participants and presenters are Muslim, but people of all faiths and backgrounds attend.

“The aim is to provide a platform to engage in a discourse on the mental health needs of the Muslim community, barriers for accessing services, and the development of culturally-sensitive services. The American Muslim community is quite diverse and growing, made up heavily of immigrants and the children of immigrants from around the world,” said Dr. Khalid Elzamzamy, a child psychiatry fellow at the IOL, who added that current Pew Research Center estimates show 3.45 million Muslim people of all ages.

The first, and at the time only, such educational event focused on American Muslims was the inaugural conference 14 years ago. The conference has grown through the years to attract hundreds of participants worldwide. It began, Dr. Elzamzamy noted, as a way to address the specific vulnerabilities of Muslims, a community that experiences hate crimes, bullying, marginalization and discrimination. Such “Islamophobia,” he said, can cause emotional trauma that requires tailored services to address.

In addition, Dr. Elzamzamy said, practitioners must overcome the “taboo” that exists around mental health in the Muslim community, and the conference works to address such barriers to care.

“Muslim Americans, like many ethnic and religious groups, suffer emotionally from the hatred of others. This conference is a wonderful opportunity for everyone in the field to learn more about these experiences and to work together to help this community going forward,” said Dr. John Santopietro, physician-in-chief of the Behavioral Health Network. “It’s exciting to see such strong representation from the IOL at this important event, offering their insight, expertise and direction.”

Dr. Javeed Sukhera, chair/chief of psychiatry at the IOL and Hartford Hospital also added, “Now more than ever, we are grappling with the mental health consequences of complex trauma, hatred, and must foreground healing as we walk towards a better future for our communities.”

Those participating from the IOL include:

• Dr. Elzamzamy, delivering an oral presentation on “Religious Leaders’ Response to Suicide in the Muslim Community.”
• Dr. Javeed Sukhera, chair of psychiatry at the IOL and chief of psychiatry at Hartford Hospital, delivering an oral presentation on “From Hatred to Healing: A Muslim Psychiatrist and Community Leader’s Experience.”
• Dr. Sadiq Naveed, clinical lead for the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Service at the IOL, serves on the program committee for the entire conference and is presenting a paper on COVID-19-related psychosis.

This year’s conference theme, while seemingly universal, has particular impact on the Muslim community. The pandemic, Dr. Elzamzamy explained, revealed many frailties in the community, as in other ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

“Presentations will attempt to address some of these fragilities in the Muslim community in the post-COVID era,” he said.

Dr. Naveed expressed gratitude for Hartford HealthCare’s sponsorship for the conference, which he said will be marked by global participation with participants joining from Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, India, Canada, Australia, Italy and Turkey.

The conference is open to all in the field of mental health. For more information, click here.