Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Ecological Systems Theory: Addressing Muslim Mental Health Issues and Wellbeing

Muslims across the word underutilize mental health services for addressing their wellbeing and biopsychosocial, spiritual, and contextual issues. By 2030, the global Muslim population is expected to reach 2.2 billion people. This indicates that Muslim mental health is gaining importance and would require contextually (i.e., spiritually, culturally, empirically) more effective services. Practitioners used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to promote wellbeing and address psychopathology for diverse groups. However, rigorous and comprehensive literature from 1986 to 2019 did not produce research addressing how ACT could be consumed to serve Muslims. Researchers in Muslim mental health have suggested benefitting from EST yet only few have mentioned using ACT. ACT is one of the most effective therapies based on randomized control trials to enhance wellbeing and address psychopathology. The main purposes of this paper are to (a) explain how ACT is one of the most appropriate counseling approaches to be utilized with Muslims because ACT and Islam have many commonalities and (b) propose ACT with EST perspective to enable a much more contextual perspective of ACT so that mental health professionals could promote wellbeing and address psychopathology at all ecological levels for all, starting with Muslims. With the arrival of third and fourth wave of counseling approaches, the use of positive psychology in research and practice has increased dramatically. ACT, Islam, and EST also highly stress a positive approach perspective thus considering of ACT and EST together might promise more effective research and practice in positive and abnormal psychology

The Effect of Counselling on Anxiety Level from the Perspective of Ecological Systems Theory: A Quasi-experimental Pre-test - Post-test Control Group Study

In this study, we aimed to examine how counseling service provided to college students, through a contextual clinical counseling model, affects the anxiety level of college students at a university in the east of Turkey. We followed a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and with control group design method. The experimental group comprised 205 and the control group comprised 75 college students. Seven supervisors with PhD degree in counseling and counselor education provided weekly supervision to 120 counselors-in-training who provided individual counseling services to the participants. Each client in the experimental group received in average six sessions, each for 45-55 minutes. We have used an adapted version of Beck Anxiety Inventory for Turkey to examine the clients’ anxiety levels. Throughout the counseling process, we have collaborated with the psychiatry department at the university when it was necessary. Additionally, in order to conduct the complex quasi-experimental study in a smooth process, we developed and utilized the contextual clinical counseling model, as such models are utilized in some of the best counseling departments in the USA. The model facilitated to conduct the complex and dynamic research and providing the services with limited resources. That means optimized the resources through the model and got significant results. As a result, receiving counseling service seems significantly decreasing anxiety level for this sample. The current study meets some important gaps in mental health. We disccussed the findings from an ecological systems theory perspective and suggested some implications in mental health

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Ecological Systems Theory: Addressing Muslim Mental Health Issues and Wellbeing

Muslims across the word underutilize mental health services for addressing their wellbeing and biopsychosocial, spiritual, and contextual issues. By 2030, the global Muslim population is expected to reach 2.2 billion people. This indicates that Muslim mental health is gaining importance and would require contextually (i.e., spiritually, culturally, empirically) more effective services. Practitioners used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to promote wellbeing and address psychopathology for diverse groups. However, rigorous and comprehensive literature from 1986 to 2019 did not produce research addressing how ACT could be consumed to serve Muslims. Researchers in Muslim mental health have suggested benefitting from EST yet only few have mentioned using ACT. ACT is one of the most effective therapies based on randomized control trials to enhance wellbeing and address psychopathology. The main purposes of this paper are to (a) explain how ACT is one of the most appropriate counseling approaches to be utilized with Muslims because ACT and Islam have many commonalities and (b) propose ACT with EST perspective to enable a much more contextual perspective of ACT so that mental health professionals could promote wellbeing and address psychopathology at all ecological levels for all, starting with Muslims. With the arrival of third and fourth wave of counseling approaches, the use of positive psychology in research and practice has increased dramatically. ACT, Islam, and EST also highly stress a positive approach perspective thus considering of ACT and EST together might promise more effective research and practice in positive and abnormal psychology

A Proposed Framework Based on Literature Review of Online Contextual Mental Health Services to Enhance Wellbeing and Address Psychopathology During COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) became a pandemic and is causing unprecedented biopsychosocial, spiritual and economic issues across the world while mostly affecting unprivileged populations. Turkey has gradually implemented new regulations, which slowly affected the entire country and increased the need for mental health services disproportionally. We conducted a comprehensive literature review on mental health in Turkey during COVID-19. There was no well-grounded peer-reviewed manuscripts or projects utilized a framework. Therefore, we wrote this manuscript to provide a conceptual framework grounded in ecological systems theory, acceptance and commitment therapy, and community-based participatory action research to introduce contextually evidence-based online mental health services: hotline, psychiatric interview, counseling, and Read-Reflect-Share group bibliotherapy. The framework aims to (1) address biopsychosocial spiritual and economic issues, (2) enhance wellbeing, and (3) empower the mental health profession in research and practice. Our preliminary findings and clinical experience indicated that the proposed framework and interventions derived from the framework enhanced wellbeing and decreased psychopathological symptoms in experimental group compared to control groups. Based on the preliminary analysis, most of the online, phone based, or face-to-face mental health services introduced in this manuscript were highly recommended by the participants to be provided to general public during and after COVID-19. Mental health professionals and authorities can use the proposed framework and interventions to develop interventions and research in order to alleviate pandemic-based biopsychosocial spiritual and economic issues and enhance wellbeing

Muslims and mental health concerns: A social ecological model perspective

Muslims in the United States experience many psychosocial issues and underutilize mental health services. This study sought to systematically identify the common issues and strengths of the Muslims affiliated with a college in the Southeast region of the United States and address them accordingly. A survey comprising 33 items and 2 open-ended questions regarding common issues and strengths was constructed. A total of 116 participants completed the survey. The overall rating for items was quite high, whereas the satisfaction rating was very low. The most important item was, “You have prayer places/rugs, ablution stations, and water in restrooms,” with an importance rating of 94.52% and a satisfaction rating of 20.50%. Four items regarding mental health were rated as the least important, and participants reported lack of knowledge regarding mental health services. This is the first study that includes a list of common concerns and strengths of the Muslim communities affiliated with colleges in the United States

Using online photovoice and community-based participatory research to understand facilitators and barriers to online distance education during COVID-19

In this study, we used online photovoice and community-based participatory research to understand and address facilitators and barriers to online distance education for college students in Turkey. Out of 260 students who consented to the study, 240 shared the most important facilitator, 190 shared the most important barriers, and 190 completed our contextual questions related to their education. We used online interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify key facilitators and barriers. Ten main facilitator themes emerged, including advantages of using Internet and technology (n = 104; 43%); enjoyable feelings (n = 61; 25%); saving time (n = 37; 15%); and social support (n = 28; 12%). Nine main barrier themes emerged, including challenges of online education (n = 51; 31%); psychopathology and unenjoyable feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations (n = 37; 19%); Internet problems (n = 34; 18%); and COVID-19 restrictions (n = 30; 16%). © 2023 Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Inc

Evaluation of Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions about Specific Learning Difficulties through Online Photovoice (OPV) Method

In this study, the researchers (i) determined the perception levels of candidate teachers about Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) using Online Photovoice (OPV) methodology, (ii) shared the research results with relevant researchers and practitioners in order to contribute to increase the knowledge level of candidate teachers about SLD, and finally (iii) discussed the results of the research in order to lay the groundwork for more meaningful and useful research and services. OPV technique was used in the data collection phase, and Online Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (OIPA) was used in the data analysis phase. A total of 367 teacher candidates studying in different teaching programs participated in the study; the answers of 42 students were removed from the analysis for various reasons, and the remaining 325 students formed the final sample. The participants were asked about the most important factor/concept that defines SLD in order to measure their perceptions about SLD. Thirteen main themes were created regarding the most important factor/concept that defined SLD; the most important main themes and percentages were as follows: It is a situation in which the individual has difficulties in cognitive (reading, writing and mathematics) skills (51%), a situation that needs support (16%), and a situation that causes differences in learning style (12%). At the end of the study, the researchers made suggestions to the relevant researchers and practitioners in order to increase their knowledge level about SLD. With this research, the researchers used the OPV technique for the first time in the field of SLD, and they brought a new breath to future research