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Improving Recruitment for Mental Health Research in Muslim American Women

Research Recruitment in Muslim American Women

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Abstract

This study determines the methods for improving recruitment of Muslim American women in mental health research. Studying this minority population in more depth will reduce their suffering from mental illness. A 40-item survey, along with cover letter, was hosted on the Stanford University website and sent via email to organizations known to have large Muslim American women populations. Although approximately 200–300 responses were hoped for, an unexpected total of 1279 women completed the survey within days. The effectiveness of this survey was attributed to multiple factors: ease of an online survey, privacy afforded through an anonymous survey, trust in the PI, the survey being hosted by a reputable university and understanding the importance of mental health research. It is important to continue improving methods to recruit the minority Muslim American women population for studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Rania Awaad, Heba Abolaban, Sara Maklad & Cheryl Koopman

  2. University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA

    Rabeea Ahmad

Authors
  1. Rania Awaad
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  2. Heba Abolaban
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  3. Sara Maklad
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  4. Rabeea Ahmad
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  5. Cheryl Koopman
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Correspondence to Rania Awaad.

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Awaad, R., Abolaban, H., Maklad, S. et al. Improving Recruitment for Mental Health Research in Muslim American Women. Community Ment Health J 58, 799–805 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00887-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00887-6

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