The Muslim population is growing worldwide, yet little of the literature has focused on exploring experiences of Muslims in relation to mental health difficulties, such as postpartum depression and signs of disordered eating. As such, this thesis aimed to fill some gaps within the literature by exploring the experiences of postpartum depression and signs of disordered eating within Muslim populations.

Part A of this portfolio presents a systematic review exploring the experiences of postpartum depression amongst Muslim mothers residing in Muslim minority and majority countries. The findings of this review indicate that there are some broad similarities between Muslim mother’s experience of postpartum depression when living in Muslim majority versus Muslim minority countries, although individual experiences are likely to differ due to factors such as family relationships and immigration status.

Part B of the portfolio presents an empirical paper that qualitatively explored the experiences of Muslim men and women with low-medium self-regulation of eating regarding Ramadan and the Iftar meal. Fasting during Ramadan is an Islamic practice which involves intermittent fasting. Some studies have found intermittent fasting to be a risk factor for the development of signs of disordered eating and those with low-medium self-regulation of eating are more at risk. Little is known about the effects of religious fasting and breaking the fast (the Iftar meal) on signs of disordered eating. The findings highlight the experiences that led to some participants displaying signs of disordered eating during Ramadan. Findings also suggest that the excess of food available at Iftar was not always easily managed, and that feelings of shame were prevalent when it came to overeating at Iftar.