Mental Health and Family Resilience in Muslim Households: A Comparative Analysis of Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

Mental health has become a crucial determinant of family resilience amidst increasing socioeconomic pressures affecting Muslim households in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, previous studies have largely examined mental health from a psychological or public health perspective, with limited attention to its comparative role in strengthening Muslim family resilience through an Islamic psychology framework. This study aims to comparatively analyze the contribution of mental health to family resilience in Indonesia and Malaysia from an Islamic psychology perspective. This study employed a normative method using Islamic psychology and a comparative approach. Data were collected through systematic literature review of the Quran, Hadith, scientific journals, policy documents, and related literature, and analyzed using qualitative comparative content analysis to identify convergent themes and contextual differences between the two countries. The findings suggest that family resilience is shaped not only by emotional well-being but also by the integration of Islamic spiritual values, including patience, tawakkal (trust), gratitude, and self-control, which serve as adaptive coping mechanisms to socioeconomic and family stress. Further comparative analysis suggests that differences in the sociocultural contexts of implementation influence these values ​​in strengthening family resilience. This study provides a comparative Islamic psychological framework that integrates mental health and spiritual resilience as complementary dimensions for developing sustainable Muslim family resilience in Indonesia and Malaysia.