Constructing Mental Illness: Comparing Discourses on Mental Health, Illness, and Depression by Muslim Leaders with those found in Consumer Health Materials

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the information landscape regarding mental health, mental illness, and depression as Muslim immigrants in a midsize Ontario city might encounter it. This was intended as a microstudy exploratory project using a constructionist qualitative approach. A discourse analysis was conducted on a small sample of collected ‘texts’ (pamphlets and transcripts of interviews with Muslim religious leaders). The pamphlet content reflects a primarily medicalized construction of mental illness and depression whereas religious leaders, while recognizing the possible need for medical intervention to deal with mental health problems, focused on the significance of overcoming social isolation. Religious leaders emphasized the community’s responsibility in supporting those suffering from depression and mental illness. This diverged from the individualized narrative presented in the pamphlets and presented a communal ap-