Access and utilization of mental health services for immigrants and refugees: Perspectives of immigrant service providers
Abstract
Difficult migration journeys and challenges in leaving one country and adapting to another are detrimental to immigrants’ mental health. Often these life stressors are coupled with a lack of adequate support which makes the adaptation process even more challenging. One area of support is access to and use of mental health services to prevent and address mental health concerns. Immigrant service providers in Canada support the integration and overall well-being of newcomers. This study focuses on immigrant service providers’ perceptions of access to and use of mental health services for immigrants and refugees in Alberta. Barriers to access and use of mental health services include language barriers, cultural interpretations of mental health, stigma around mental illness, and fear of negative repercussions when living with a mental illness. Strategies to improve mental health service delivery include developing community-based services, attending to financial barriers, training immigrant service providers on mental health, enhancing collaboration across sectors in mental health service delivery, and advancing the role of interpreters and cultural brokers. Overall, immigrant service providers present a nuanced view of the complex and inter-related barriers immigrants and refugees experience and identify potential approaches to enhancing mental health service delivery.
Notes
Location
Alberta
Key populations
Service providers at SPOs (Service Providing Organizations) in Alberta
Key findings
Barriers to access and use of mental health services include: language barriers, cultural interpretations of mental health, stigam around mental illness, fear of negative repercussions of living with a mental illness. Strategies to improve mental health service delivery include: developing community-based services, attending to financial barriers, training ISO on mental health, enhancing collaboration across sectors in mental health service delivery and advancing the role of interpreters and cultural brokers.
Community organizations
NA
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
NA
Key Recommendations
Strategies to improve mental health service delivery include: developing community-based services, attending to financial barriers, training ISO on mental health, enhancing collaboration across sectors in mental health service delivery and advancing the role of interpreters and cultural brokers.
Gaps identified
Immigrants and refugees face barriers to accessing mental health supports (see key findings)
Open-access – No