JAMA Network
Suicide Attempts of Muslims Compared With Other Religious Groups in the US
by Rania Awaad, MD; Osama El-Gabalawy, MD, MS; Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH; Belal Zia, MA; Hooman Keshavarzi, PsyD; Dalia Mogahed, MBA; Hamada Altalib, DO, MPH
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death and has steadily increased throughout the past 2 decades.1 Religious affiliation may be associated with a lower risk for both suicide attempt and death through multiple mechanisms, including the promotion of social support, personal empowerment, healthy lifestyle, and commitment to religious life-preserving morals.2 In the US, Muslim individuals represent a religious minority group who are vulnerable to religious discrimination but may access mental health services more infrequently than other groups. We compare the prevalence of suicide attempts among Muslim adults compared with adults of other faith communities in the US.