Arabs

Arabs are a heterogeneous group of people typically living in or with origins in the Middle East and North Africa. It is important for mental health professionals to be knowledgeable of information related to Arab cultures and to engage more effectively in counseling, advocacy, and social justice with this community as peoples of the Middle East face misunderstandings, discrimination, and prejudice globally. In the 21st century, Arabs make up a significant part of the world’s displaced due to conflict and persecution; as a result, they face increased risks for psychosocial distress such as depression and traumatic stress as well as increased barriers to accessing mental health services. This entry provides an overview of Arab peoples, including identity, major unifying cultural values, and ways of help-seeking. It then discusses important areas of advocacy among Arab cultures, implications for counseling professionals, and resources for further information.

Arabs are a diverse group of peoples and cultures, and the definition of Arab has been disputed and redefined over the years. Arab is an ethnicity, loosely connected through shared history, identity, and values. Those who identify as Arab can also identify with different races, nationalities, religions, languages, and cultures. Having an ethnicity of Arab often means that a person identifies with a heritage originating in one of the 22 nations belonging to the Arab League, a regional organization that includes Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Other unifying factors include a shared history with connections to tribalism, Islam, and Western colonialism. From this shared history, there are shared values, such as community and family, spirituality, generosity, and hospitality.

Another unifying factor among Arabs is some connection to the Arabic language, which can mean fluency, literacy, living in a country with an Arabic speaking majority, or having ancestors who spoke Arabic. A person may have been born in the United States, identify as Arab American due to having immigrant parents or grandparents, and not speak Arabic. Likewise, a person may be born and live in Iraq, speak and read Arabic, but belong instead to a different ethnic group, such as the Kurds and not identify as Arab.