Perceived Religious Discrimination and its Relationship to Anxiety and Paranoia Among Muslim Americans

Abstract Although the effects of discrimination and hate crimes among various minority member's mental health is documented, no research to date examines the correlates of perceived discrimination among Muslim Americans. Therefore, this study examined perceived discrimination and its association with subclinical paranoia and anxiety among 152 Muslim Americans. A statistically significant relationship was found between perceived religious discrimination and subclinical paranoia, but perceived discrimination and anxiety were not related. There were also significant differences among ethnic groups and between convert, immigrant, second-generation Muslims in the perception of discrimination. Results suggest that perceived discrimination among Muslim Americans is related to the expression of increased vigilance and suspicion and that group differences affect the perception of discrimination.