title: Attitudes toward depression among a sample of Muslim adolescents in the Midwestern United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about how Muslim youth in non-Muslim countries perceive depression and its treatment and prevention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the barriers and suggest treatment models for depressive disorders in Muslim adolescents and young adults residing in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a thorough literature review to identify previous study on the beliefs of American Muslim adolescents about depression and its treatment. We identified the gaps and developed a survey to ascertain this information from American Muslim adolescents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was administered to a convenience sample of 125 Muslim subjects (60.0% males) aged 14-21 years. The sample was ethnically diverse with Pakistani (44.8%) encompassing the majority of the sample. Most responders believed that recitation from the Koran relieves mental distress. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that those who reported strong emotional support from parents or a greater acceptance of taking depression medication prescribed from a physician were more likely to accept a physician's diagnosis, whereas believing in prayer to heal depression was associated with a lower likelihood of the same. Youth were accepting of Internet and preventive approaches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Planning of culturally sensitive mental health services is useful to accommodate the needs of Muslim youth served by primary care physicians and mental health practitioners in the United States. Muslim adolescents tend to be more traditional with family, social, and religious values. This value system plays an important role in their likelihood of seeking and accepting professional help for depression.
authors.affiliation: Section of General Internal Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Zubeir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Haroun
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bokhari
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marko-Holguin
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blomeke
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goenka
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fogel
authors.forename: Benjamin W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Van Voorhees
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors