2 - (SYM 42) Exploration of Muslim Visibility as a Moderator of Islamophobia and Subclinical Paranoia

Background: Similar to other minoritized groups, research has found a link between perceived Islamophobia and paranoia among Muslims living in the United States (MLUS). However, the degree to which MLUS are perceived as Muslim varies. As noted by many researchers, MLUS are becoming more racialized in the US, based on characteristics that may (e.g., hijab, Islamic beard) or may not (e.g., race/ethnicity, accent) be related to Islam. We examined how Muslim visibility moderates the relationship between Islamophobia and subclinical paranoia.  

Method: 56 MLUS (59% men, 75% Sunni, 48% visibly Muslim) were obtained through an online survey and given the Perceived Islamophobia Scale and paranoia subscale of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences.  

Results: Our final model was significant, F(3, 54) = 4.08, p = .011. Against expectations, MLUS who indicated they are visibly Muslim had no association between perceived Islamophobia and subclinical paranoia (b = -0.01, SE = .03, p = .663). MLUS who indicated they were not visibly Muslim had a significant relationship, such that increased perceived Islamophobia was related to increased subclinical paranoia (b = 0.08, SE = .03, p = .006).  

 


Discussion: Our findings suggest that MLUS who are not “visibly Muslim” are more likely to experience subclinical paranoia due to experiences of perceived Islamophobia. Perhaps when one is “visibly MLUS” discriminatory experiences are, unfortunately, expected in the US, and codified. For MLUS who are less visible, there may be less certainty surrounding these interactions. As intolerance of uncertainty is associated with increased paranoia, increased uncertainty surrounding discriminatory experiences could partially explain this result. Conversely, prior literature has suggested that religiously-prescribed clothing like hijab can be protective against poor mental health outcomes. Being closely linked and tied to one’s religious identity may buffer against some of the long-term impacts of perceived Islamophobia. Future research with a larger sample and clinical population is needed to better understand these results.