How Do Muslims Cope With the Difficulties They Experience in the United States?: An Examination of Psychological and Spiritual Coping Strategies

Abstract

Objective: American Muslims encounter many challenges, but little research exists on how they cope with difficulties such as religious discrimination. Consequently, this study examined the psychological and spiritual coping strategies American Muslims use to deal with the difficulties they experience living in the United States. Method: We used a mixed-method, convergent parallel design to identify and understand the coping strategies used by American Muslims. To obtain a community sample of Muslims (𝑁=267), we used a purposive snowball sampling method. Results: Qualitative analysis identified multiple strategies, including looking to God and community, engaging in advocacy, overlooking offenses, focusing on the positive, perspective taking, and contemplating Islamic tenets regarding life as a test, the obstacles early Muslims faced, God’s sovereignty and protection, and the afterlife. Approximately 90% of the sample reported that their spiritual beliefs helped them cope, with approximately half the sample indicating that their spirituality was the most important coping strategy. The importance attributed to spiritual coping was associated with greater participation in Islamic practices but was unrelated to depression symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings provide practitioners with culturally relevant information to identify and leverage potential strategies to help clients cope with and ameliorate challenges.