Digest of the Mental Health Workshop May 2022 6 DAY 1 - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Participants Over 70 participants joined the workshop on day 1. Most participants were from the local Muslim community, including the local mosque committee. Participants included 12 local healthcare professionals including, the Chief Executive Officer of Mid and North East Essex Mind, Healthwatch Essex, regional NHS practitioners, and national healthcare practitioners. Gulamabbas Lakha, Shaykh & tutor in physchology of Religion Overview • The workshop opened with an informative session on mental health and emerging research on the experiences and needs of the British South Asain population. • Kiran Kaur Manku presented the 1928 Institute mental health report which features regional barriers to accessing mental healthcare, experiences of the community in NHS services, and community recommendations. The participants found the research striking and supported the recommendations. • Sidra Naeem discussed Muslim perspectives of mental health and stimulated a discussion on stigma. Participants highlighted the need to move beyond stigmatising perspectives and proactively thought of ways to address this. • Nikhwat Khan Marawat shared his personal experiences of mental health and showcased the Mindful Muslims program which is funded by Public Health England. The community opened up about an urgent need for appropriate bereavement counseling. • Gulamabbas Lakha applied a psychotherapy lens to Muslim concepts and rituals. The community found this session extremely insightful, and it stimulated discussion about therapy not only to treat mental ill-health but also as a mechanism to support a healthy mind. • The structured discussion facilitated the community to engage with the information presented and provoked thought on how to address the community’s needs. It was an emotional session with Jahanara Loqueman, chairperson of Bangladeshi Women’s Association Essex, sharing her personal experience.
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