Organization leader explains difficulty growing up Muslim and how it impacts mental health among peers

Wisall Safi says she suspects that even though her peers sometimes seem be doing OK, some of them may be silently struggling. 

"It's kind of like when you walk into a room and you see all these people and you're like wow they're doing ok," she said. "Youth are going through a lot of struggles that they are not talking about." 

As a Muslim, she also knows many of her Muslim peers are. 

"Growing up as Muslim it's not very easy here," Safi said. 

Wisall is the Muslim Youth for Positive Impact leader. She says MYPI decided to hold a mental health conference at University of Denver on Saturday because in the Muslim community there can be a stigma about mental health. 

"We're here to break that stigma," she said. "And we're here to kind of work with youth and make this an inclusive place where youth are able to talk to each other to find the support that they need," Wisall said. 

However, stigma is not the only thing that can prevent youth from getting help. Cost can also be a huge barrier. 

So, MYPI connects families and youth with culturally aware mental health experts and provides them with up to six free sessions. 

"We don't want youth to not be able to reach out for help just because they don't have the money to do so," Wisall said.

Dr. Kamleh Shaban is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who spoke at the conference. 

She says today's youth have more pressure on them today than ever before, which is leading to a crisis in the state. 

"We're seeing mental health crises in all youth but specifically within the state of Colorado," she said. 

Dr. Shaban also says being depressed or anxious and asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. 

"Everyone goes through something. Please reach out as best as you can," she said. 

Wisall says she struggled with mental health.  

"Growing up for me, it wasn't very easy," she said. 

She says she is living proof getting the right help can change your life.  

"There's always someone you can talk to you just have to find the right trusted person," she said. 

The conference included breakout sessions for girls, boys, mothers and fathers. Lunch was also provided, while individuals participated in two of the five daily prayers and met special guest speaker, basketball player and coach, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.