opinion: first of its kind study looks at the mental health of haredi jews

december is an important month for many people of religious faith. for jews who recently celebrated the festival of hanukkah, it is a time for reflection and commemoration, a symbolic period of darkness and light, where hope triumphs in the face of adversity.interestingly, social science research indicates that religious belief and practice can have positive benefits on mental health. indeed, some research shows that religious faith may be especially important for mental health in times of heightened stress and vulnerability — for example, when experiencing a life-changing event such as a bereavement or physical illness.however, much of the research literature on religion and mental health derives from studies of christians, and there has been insufficient research on mental health among religious minorities in canada.one community which remains particularly under-researched are haredi jews — a diverse group of individuals from different theological and ethnic backgrounds, but with a shared devotion to orthodox judaism and strict adherence to traditional jewish teachings and law.

of note, montreal is home to one of the oldest and most lively haredi populations in the western hemisphere, and haredi jews continue to make an invaluable contribution to the cultural life and economy of montreal and other canadian cities. however their experience with official mental health services and their common beliefs and practices surrounding mental health are relatively unknown.

suffering in silence

this is concerning, as some u.k. research indicates that haredi jews typically avoid using official mental health services, and sometimes tend to consult such services only in very serious and extreme cases. this means that many haredi jews with common mental disorders such as anxiety or depression may be going untreated and suffering in silence.researchers have speculated on the reasons why mental health services are avoided.first, there may be a lack of religious competence among clinicians, especially those unfamiliar with jewish orthodox practices, leading to clumsy and confused clinical-patient interactions. second, orthodox jews with mental health issues may instead engage in religiously inspired coping or faith-based healing practices, sometimes with encouragement from rabbis and others. third, there may be issues of mental health stigma and medical mistrust, as seen in many cultural communities in canada.but this is speculation and these are all open questions, prompting us to begin a new federally-funded research study examining mental health among haredi jews in canada. this project involves close collaboration between local jewish organizations, experienced clinicians, religious leaders, and the research team.in this study, we will conduct in-depth interviews with haredi men and women who have had mental health issues such as anxiety and depression to better understand their experience with official mental health services, especially on matters related to the cultural competence of clinicians. we are also interested in learning about other resources that haredi jews use to help promote their mental health, whether through religious healing, prayer, or other practices, as well as common beliefs and attitudes vis-à-vis mental health in general.the data generated from this study will be used to produce resources in english, french, yiddish and hebrew, giving tips and advice on how to navigate the mental health system, as well as useful culturally-grounded self-care strategies to foster recovery from mental health issues, such as depression. we also plan to produce resources and trainings for health service providers and medical students to increase their cultural and religious competence.religious faith shows promising potential in fostering recovery, however this is an area that has not been fully actualized. we hope that our efforts will contribute to culturally-sensitive mental health literacy, and can be harnessed to create a more accessible mental health system for all.for more information about the study, please contact lara antebi or rob whitley at: lara.antebi.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca or robert.whitley@mcgill.ca or 514-761-6131 ext. 2371.lara antebi is a research manager at the douglas research centre. rob whitley, phd, is associate professor in the department of psychiatry, mcgill university and research scientist at the douglas research centre.thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.don’t miss a thing: sign-up for healthing’s newsletter