BIMA’s work has been featured in a recent national report exploring the role of faith in supporting young people’s mental health.

The Equi report, Beyond the Clinic: Faith and Young People’s Mental Health, highlights the growing need for faith-sensitive approaches within mainstream mental health services. It notes that 4 in 5 young people use faith-based, spiritual or reflective practices to cope with stress, underlining the importance of culturally relevant support.

As part of this, BIMA’s Mindsavers programme is recognised as a key example of community-led support. The report highlights how Mindsavers workshops, delivered in mosques and community settings, provide accessible, culturally relevant mental health education and early intervention support.

Dr Imrana Siddiqui, BIMA’s Mental Health Lead, is featured in the report, highlighting the importance of addressing gaps in early intervention:

“…there is a disparity in representation in early intervention spaces, with Black and South Asian communities especially being underrepresented except at the later acute or forensic end of admissions. Mindsavers’ work, which trains people to “recognise their symptoms and seek help early”, therefore taps into the widespread networks of British Muslim communities and houses of worship to educate the community and generate long term cost savings for the NHS.”

The report also points to the wider impact of faith-based organisations, estimating that just six Muslim-led mental health charities have supported over 224,000 people and delivered around £95 million in NHS cost savings.

This recognition reinforces the value of faith-literate, community-rooted programmes, and the important role BIMA continues to play in shaping more inclusive and effective mental health support.

Read the full report here or below: