ADAMH's Message to the Somali Community

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For this video, ADAMH contacted Olol Film Productions who is the first Somali-owned and run film production company in the United States. With insight from the Abdisalam Aato, Olol Film Founder, ADAMH created a video with a comprehensive message to the Somali community.

The message of the video is aimed to give Somalis an understanding of the mental health and substance abuse problems they may face as a result of their traumatic backgrounds. The video was recorded in English and Somali, providing viewers with options to improve their mental and physical health in a western society. Recent studies show that the number of Somali refugees suffering from chronic mental disorders is estimated to be around 50 percent.

“The individuals who attended the first video showing had genuine concern for the health of their community, they want to understand how the ADAMH system works but language barriers have been an issue, because this video was created in their native language they have a unique opportunity to learn,” Dr. Dixon stated.  Because of their traumatic backgrounds, Somalis face challenges with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social isolation, stress from transitioning to the United States, inter-generational family conflict, and substance abuse issues. The goal of this project is to improve the health and well being of Somalis though outreach and education.