The Muslim American Project (MAP)

What is MAP?

The Muslim American Project (MAP) was co-founded in 2019 by Salman S. Ahmad and Merranda M. McLaughlin, two clinical psychology Ph.D. students at the University of Miami. MAP aims to address the mental health needs of Muslims living in the United States (MLUS). MLUS are facing rising discrimination and poor mental health relative to their non-Muslim counterparts, and are less likely than other groups to seek professional psychological help in dealing with mental health and other difficulties. To address this need, MAP has been engaged in several lines of research encompassing topics such as help-seeking attitudes, mental health stigma, spiritual bypass, discrimination and Islamophobia, immigrant and convert Muslims, spiritually integrated and culturally informed therapy for Muslims, and more! 

What are we doing now?

After adapting our intervention (Culturally Informed Therapy) based on our initial research with Muslims, we have officially launched Culturally Informed Therapy for Muslims! We are excited to serve the Florida Muslim community and to learn from you through this important research. We have also developed an educational workshop on mental health and Islamic Psychology, titled Islamic Lens on Mental Health (ILM). ILM will be delivered in-person at mosques, Islamic centers, and Muslim organizations. This project is ready to be launched as of August 2023! Check out the team and our ongoing projects for more information about who we are and what we've been doing!

We want to hear from you!

If you wish to get involved, either in collaboration, development, as an undergraduate researcher, or as a research participant, please reach out to us at culturelab@miami.edu. We also welcome all comments and insights, and you may connect with Salman at s.s.ahmad@miami.edu and Merranda at merrandamclaughlin@miami.edu.