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Evaluation ViewAttendees 2

Spirituality and Religion
Session Type:: Symposia

Symposium 47 - Considerations for the Psychospiritual Health of Christians and Muslims Living in the United States

Saturday, November 22, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST
Location: Celestin A, Level 3
CE: 1

Keywords: Spirituality and Religion, Culture,
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Chaudoir, S. R., Dugan, A. G., & Barr, C. H. (2013). Measuring factors affecting implementation of health innovations: A systematic review of structural, organizational, provider, patient, and innovation level measures. Implementation Science, 8(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-8-22,   Fincham, F. D. (2024). The conditionality of divine forgiveness: Assessment and initial findings. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000541,   Lateef, H., & Umarji, O. (2022). Black American Muslims: A study of religious identity and mental health. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(8), 802–816. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2022.2116632,   Zainiddinov, H. (2016). Racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of discrimination among Muslim Americans. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 39(15), 2701–2721. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2016.1164877,  

Religious people in the United States make up approximately 75% of the population (Gallup, 2024). Religion is a powerful force in shaping a person’s identity and can have many mental and physical health benefits (Chatters, 2000). Religious individuals also often face unique mental health challenges due to belief systems and practices that often conflict with the larger society within which they live. Research indicates that these experiences can provoke great stress and mental health challenges in the lives of the devout. Given the expansive impact that religion has on many people’s lives, research exploring the intersection of religion and psychological processes is paramount. Thus, the current symposium will examine psychological research findings regarding the mental health of two prominent US religious groups, Christians and Muslims.
In the first talk, Dr. Joseph Currier will share a study using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) where Christians from different backgrounds were asked to reflect on their experiences over 21 days. The study looked at how people perceive forgiveness from a higher power after moral mistakes and how this process might lead to positive feelings, like a stronger sense of connection with God and others. The findings will help therapists better support Christian clients in their journey. In the second talk, Ms. Denise Chung-Zou will present a path analysis with racially diverse Muslim Americans that found male, compared to female gender, predicted more positive religious coping (i.e., praying during hard times and seeing God as a source of strength); and Black, compared to Middle Eastern, racial identity predicted heightened perceived Islamophobia and perceived everyday discrimination. This topic is salient because intersecting identities, such as being Muslim and Black, may be important for clinicians to carefully consider when working with religious people of doubly minoritized backgrounds. Third, Mr. Salman Ahmad will present a qualitative analysis of feedback from Muslim American stakeholders who received a culturally tailored and Islamically-informed psychoeducation workshop to increase their mental health awareness, delivered at Muslim community centers across Florida. He will present the feasibility of the workshop, including what participants reported as the greatest perceived benefits of the program and their suggestions for improvement. His findings will offer insights regarding how to improve religiously based mental health workshops for all religious groups in the future. Lastly, Dr. Amy Weisman de Mamani, our Discussant, will integrate these findings and perspectives, highlighting the importance of research on religion and mental health as well as discussing much needed future research directions.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe the relationship between moral transgressions and divine forgiveness, and its relevance to Christian mental health.
  2. Identify areas of risk (e.g., perceived Islamophobia and discrimination) for Black Muslims that could be important to target in clinical work.
  3. Learn ways to engage Muslim American stakeholders in culturally tailored and Islamically-informed psychoeducation workshops.

Presentations:

  • 12:03 PM - 12:22 PM CST
    (SYM 47) Antecedents, Microprocesses, and Psychospiritual Outcomes of Divine Forgiveness: Replication and Expansion of Ecological Momentary Assessment Findings with Highly Religious Christians

    Speaker: Joseph Currier, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – University of South Alabama

  • 12:22 PM - 12:41 PM CST
    (SYM 47) Predictors of Distress and Positive Religious Coping for Muslim Americans of Diverse Identities: An Exploratory Path Analysis

    Speaker: Denise S. Chung-Zou, B.S. – University of Miami

    Co-author: Merranda M. McLaughlin, M.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Miami

    Co-author: Salman S. Ahmad, M.S. – University of Miami

    Co-author: Amy G. Weisman de Mamani, Ph.D. – University of Miami

  • 12:41 PM - 1:00 PM CST
    (SYM 47) Implementation Considerations for Community Psychoeducational Programs Based on a Workshop Delivered to Muslim Communities in Florida

    Speaker: Salman S. Ahmad, M.S. – University of Miami

    Co-author: Amy G. Weisman de Mamani, Ph.D. – University of Miami