Mental health can have negative connotations within communities from Arabic-speaking backgrounds. The Community Leadership Group representatives say that words like depression or anxiety are often perceived as being something that a person who is “crazy” experiences. They also say that differences in generation, life experience, and migration experience have led to stigma and a silence around ill mental health.
To change the mindset and the narrative surrounding mental health, this interactive infographic shows Amal’s journey with two paths. One showing what happens when you actively look for help, and the other displaying what might happen when you decide not to tell anybody and isolate. Amal is a fictional character based on many experiences observed in the community by the Community Leadership Group representatives.
Infographics
Meet the Arabic Community Leadership Group
Zeinab Mourad
Fatemeh Sayahi