Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 17, Issue 6, 2015, Pages 1895-1905

Improving Immigrant Populations’ Access to Mental Health Services in Canada: A Review of Barriers and Recommendations (Article)

Thomson M.S.* , Chaze F. , George U. , Guruge S.
  • a Ontario Multicultural Health Applied Research Network, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada, 99 Gerrard Street East, SHE-690, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
  • b School of Social Work, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada, 99 Gerrard Street East, SHE-690, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
  • c Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada, 99 Gerrard Street East, SHE-690, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
  • d School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada

Abstract

This article emerges from a scoping review of over two decades of relevant literature on immigrants’ access to mental health services in Canada. Key online databases were searched to explore the gaps and opportunities for improving access to mental health services using a review framework provided by Arksey and O’Malley (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19–32, 2005). Immigrants and refugees came from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds and had complex mental health-related concerns that were not currently being adequately addressed by existing services. The major barriers to the utilization of mental health services included: those related to the uptake of existing health information and services; those that were related to the process of immigrant settlement; and barriers related to availability of appropriate services. A thematic analysis of the range of recommendations that emerge from these studies for improvement of research, practice and policy is provided. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Mental health Access/barriers to services Canada immigrants

Index Keywords

communication barrier Communication Barriers refugee mental health service human Refugees language Cultural Competency ethnology Mental Health Services cultural competence Humans migrant psychology Canada Emigrants and Immigrants Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics organization and management utilization patient attitude Patient Acceptance of Health Care Health Services Accessibility health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84946474588&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-015-0175-3&partnerID=40&md5=8b4a15e15cc4e699a054f3fda2ac4590
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0175-3
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 38
Original Language: English