ABSTRACT
Relative to mainstream and other minority samples in the American community, levels of reported anxiety and depression are notably high in Arab American samples (Amer & Hovey, 2012). However, resilience and post-traumatic growth have been noticed in this population as well (e.g. Kira, Amer, & Wrobel, 2014; Kira, Templin, Lewandowski, et al., 2006). The etiology of Arab Americans’ mental health status, as well as their post-traumatic growth, lies in great part in the stressors and traumas they have encountered and are currently encountering, and their coping strategies. This chapter critiques the existing frameworks for understanding their stress and trauma experiences and explores some of the factors that influence their current mental health and resilience. Further, it critiques and explores the appropriate interventions to help them, proposing a suitable intervention model. A case example is provided to illustrate how to treat Arab American clients.
