Mental health of bereaved Muslims in Australia: religious, gender, after death communication (adc) and grief issues

Abstract

This paper is based on survey of 269 households in the state of Victoria, Australia; 30 of these are Arab-born Muslims who are the main focus of this study. The findings and analysis elicit useful guidelines for professional caregivers in relation to eight cultural/religious groups including Australian-born Christians. The focus here is upon the relationships between the Arab-born community and several cultural and religious migrant communities in terms of attitudes grieving expressions and health outcomes during bereavement. The following sub-strata are examined: community differences in relation to grief and loss practices and traditions; the value of religious communal support and counselling; symptomatological differences from psychosocial and educational perspectives; psychopathological/psychiatric symptoms and beliefs and practice concerning the after-life. Significant differences were revealed between the sexes on such matters as health problems, grief expressions, psychosomatic manifestations, communication with the dead, beliefs in the afterlife and interpretation of the meaning of loss. Differences in these findings will assist professional caregivers who deal with families experiencing personal death loss to broaden their own perspectives on bereavement, offering specific counselling strategies and care-giving interventions. Equally important, are the implications presented for the benefit of those teaching in schools and other educational practices.