Faith-Based Coping Among Arabic-Speaking Refugees Seeking Mental Health Services in Berlin, Germany: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: The benefits of faith-based coping or using religious and spiritual beliefs as a stabilizing force for interpreting stressful or distressing events are largely unexplored among the exodus of Arabic-speaking refugee populations from Muslim-majority countries, particularly those resettled in Europe. The present study aimed to explore the manifestation of faith-based coping strategies among Arabic-speaking refugee adults seeking mental healthcare services in Berlin, Germany and explore how favorable faith-based coping strategies can be optimized from a mental health service-delivery and broader integration perspective.Methods: A total of 17 qualitative interviews were conducted with Arabic-speaking refugee adults (six females, 11 males) seeking mental health services at the Charité Universitaetsmedizin in Berlin. Research questions aimed to solicit comprehensive perspectives from refugee adults on their mental health, with an emphasis on faith-based coping, and how this facilitated or impeded their integration into German society. Interview transcripts were translated to English from Arabic and analyzed using MAXQDA (2018) to highlight thematic patterns using a grounded theory approach.Results: Findings were structured into four themes, including: (I) faith-based coping methods during flight, (II) changes in faith practices upon arrival, (III) faith-based coping methods to address distress during integration, and (IV) advice for German mental healthcare providers. Participants who demonstrated a stronger commitment to faith were more likely to utilize faith-based coping strategies when seeking mental health services and facing the challenges of displacement and integration. Examples of faith-based coping included prayer, supplication, reciting scripture, and seeking help from a local religious leader.Conclusion: The findings suggest how faith and faith practices play a significant role in the mental health and integration of refugee populations in Germany and provide insight on how mental healthcare can be delivered in a culturally-sensitive manner, providing alternatives to the social, cultural, and linguistic barriers posed by the German health system. These findings are particularly relevant for mental health professionals, non-governmental organizations, and humanitarian aid agencies providing mental healthcare to Arabic-speaking populations recently resettled in Western contexts.

Spiritual Needs, Religious Coping and Mental Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Study among Migrants and Refugees in Germany

“…Such individuals may benefit less from refugee integration or not be interested in it at all. Nevertheless, by using that kind of spiritual assessment, counselling can assess patients for unmet religious and spiritual needs, coping methods and can use interventions to deepen meaning-making within the counsellor–client relationship [ 24 , 93 ]. While health professionals can effectively identify the religious and spiritual needs of refugees, meeting these needs may require the involvement of priests and imams of the relevant religious denominations.…”

“…These could be complex and intersect with various individual, social and structural conditions [ 22 , 23 ]. Moreover, preliminary research findings suggest that religion and faith practices play an essential role in the mental health and integration of refugees in Germany, which provides insight into how mental health care can be provided in a religion-sensitive manner that offers alternatives to the social, cultural and linguistic barriers of the German health care system [ 24 ]. Ano and Vasconcelles [ 25 ] conducted a meta-analysis to integrate research on religious coping with adaptation to stressful events.…”

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Improving Vaccination Confidence & Addressing Vaccination Disparities to Help Improve Vaccine Uptake: A Systematic Review

“…A total of 37 articles were included in the analysis ( Figure 1 ) [ 6 , 7 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. Results were categorized as “public health interventions”, where interventions were related to addressing public health needs across various topics including mental health and physical activity, then “vaccination interventions” which are those focused specifically on supporting vaccine uptake.…”

“…Other studies have shown that FBOs provide their members with various coping strategies to address mental health barriers such as prayer, scripture, social support groups, religious services, and aid from religious leaders, showing a potential opportunity for other health-related dialogue such as vaccination. Rayes et al [ 31 ] performed qualitative interviews on Arabic-speaking refugee populations from Muslim majority countries resettling in Europe. The study found that participants with a stronger devotion to faith were more likely to use faith-based coping mechanisms when handling challenges and seeking mental health services.…”

Muslimische Seelsorge in Bundesasylzentren : Evaluation des Pilotprojekts zuhanden des Staatssekretariats für Migration

“…Eine andere Studie zu arabischstämmigen Geflüchteten in Deutschland arbeitet heraus, wie sich deren Glaube und religiöse Praxis während und nach der Flucht auf ihre psychische Gesundheit auswirkt, die durch die Fluchterfahrung einer hohen Belastung ausgesetzt wird (Rayes et al, 2021). Hier wird etwa deutlich, wie wichtig kultur-und glaubensspezifische Interpretationen von psychischen Schwierigkeiten auch für Bewältigungsstrategien sind.…”