MSU Psychiatrist Viewing Wellness Through the Lens of Equity

MSU Today with Russ White

Farha Abbasi is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and core faculty member of the Muslim Studies Program. And she’s a Crain’s Detroit Business Health Care Hero for 2024.

As Ryan Kelly wrote for Crain’s, “Dr. Abbasi is working through fear, politics and stigma to treat mental health in Michigan’s Muslim, minority and LGBTQ+ communities, while navigating geopolitical events.”

Conversation Highlights:

(0:35) – Dr. Abbasi on the honor from Crain’s.

(1:06) – When how and why did you first come to the United States? And why did you choose to come to MSU? The welcoming Spartan culture played a role.

(2:07) – Describe your research and clinical interests. “To care is to cure. Sometimes you find your purpose and sometimes your purpose finds you.”

(3:44) – What do you mean by the color of wellness? – “Wellness is best when viewed through the lens of equality. It’s not only the absence of disease but also living to the best of your potential.”

(6:35) – How do you define lifestyle medicine? – “What’s the price of blueberries, and what’s the price of a cheeseburger? Your zip code should not determine your wellness.”

(8:14) – What are you doing to address these issues? – “Each one of us can be part of the solution or part of the problem. We have to stay visible to be viable. You can’t fly under the radar.”

(11:34) – As a psychiatrist, are you pleased by society’s increased focus on mental health? “Yes, but is it translating into funding, resources and effective policy? I see huge gaps there. We need to bring prevention to mental health, too.”

(16:31) – Do you believe that many of the available resources are underutilized? “There is a trust deficit with people of color.”

(18:42) – What is the 988 crisis line? And what is Avail to Prevail? “It’s about creating more awareness of what mental illnesses are and identifying the resources and building trust.”

(21:02) – What are your healing circles? “They’re designed to provide a safe space. We want everyone to thrive and come together. You can feel safe, speak up and be validated and heard.”

(24:38) – How is the situation in Gaza impacting your work, and why do you feel Muslims tend to feel unsafe talking about their mental health?

(30:43) – What is the Cultural Psychiatry Curriculum? – “We don’t live in a vacuum. We all bring our culture with us. I tell the new generation it’s your iCloud that you’re bringing with you. The lens through which we view the world is partially defined by where we were born, how we were raised, what our belief system is, etc.”

(32:58) – What is the Muslim Mental Health Conference and Consortium? “When you put it on a group to be a model minority that is also under political surveillance, that’s a lethal combination.”

(36:21) – The Greater Lansing United Nations Association is honoring you with a Global Goals – Local Leaders Award. “What I like about awards is that I feel like I’m being heard. It’s starting to matter what I’m saying.”

(37:44) – What are your final thoughts? – “I challenge each one of us to go deeper into understanding what equity and inclusiveness means. MSU and the Spartan spirit gets it. That’s why so many of us are attracted here. What’s meaningful for me always is being a Spartan.”

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