Mental Health and Immigrants
31.03.2025
Introduction
Mental health refers to emotional, psychological, and social health, and how these affect views, feelings, thoughts and actions. Emotional, psychological and social health influence our decision making skills, relationships and tolerance for stress. Mental health issues refer to medical conditions that influence our emotional and psychological health, thereby influencing our perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions. These conditions can significantly impact quality of life; they include anxiety, depression and addiction.
Immigration is the process where people, known as immigrants, move from one country to live in another either temporarily or permanently. Some reasons why immigration happens include employment, education, bad leadership, war or conflict, better economic opportunities and family reunion. Visitors, students, workers and refugees are some groups of immigrants, often classified by their status and purpose for immigrating. Eventually, many immigrants settle and naturalize within the country they move and become permanent residents or citizens.
Immigrant populations are affected by unique health challenges and stressors, particularly mental health. They face these challenges as a result of the psychological effects of acculturation which may include learning a new language, understanding how things work or are done, and adapting to new social/culture norms. This adaptation process may lead to stress, anxiety, frustration and depression. Additionally, previous negative and violent experiences, especially for refugees, may cause mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other challenges faced by immigrants include discrimination, racism, social isolation, unemployment, under employment, loneliness, culture shock and more. These challenges and experiences are common amongst immigrants without a clear naturalization pathway, and those with no family or social support system, increasing their risk of mental health issues.
Global Prevalence of Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues are global problems that vary across regions due to biological factors, socioeconomic conditions, healthcare accessibility, cultural dynamics, environmental factors, technology and lifestyle. Common global mental health conditions include:
Anxiety Disorders: These disorders are common mental health issues worldwide with prevalence rates ranging from 2.4% to 18.2%.
Mood Disorders: Conditions such as depression have a global presence and prevalence rates between 0.8% and 9.6%.
Substance Use Disorders: These disorders are prevalent in about 0.1% to 6.4% of the global population
Regional Prevalence
Europe: Approximately 27% of adults have experienced at least one mental disorder in the past 12 months, with anxiety, depression, and substance dependence disorders being the most reported. Recent reports highlight ongoing mental health challenges faced by immigrants in the United Kingdom (UK) due to the rigorous and potentially traumatic immigration system and naturalization process
Africa: Reports show lower prevalence rates of common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, compared to other regions. However, these findings are likely affected by underreporting, lack of reliable surveillance system and limited mental health services.
North America: In the United States, most people report one or more mental health issues at some point in their lives, including anxiety disorders (28.8%), impulse-control disorders (24.8%), mood disorders (20.8%) and substance use disorders (14.6%). A United Nations report showed increased mental health crisis among young people in several English-speaking countries, including Canada.
Canada: Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are significant public health concerns in Canada, affecting a substantial portion of the population across various age groups. Approximately one in five Canadians experience a mental health or addiction problem. Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression have prevalence rates of 12% and 8% respectively. Youths, women, working class adults and seniors have the highest risk of mental health issues in Canada.
Mental Health Issues Among African Immigrant Communities in Canada
African immigrants in Canada face unique challenges that affecttheir mental health. However, targeted research is needed to specifically assess the prevalence. A nationally linked database study found that 74% of newer immigrants (less than 10 years of landing) reported poorer mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, compared to older immigrants (68%). This suggests a higher risk of mental health issues for newer immigrants compared to older immigrants, hence, immigrants may adapt with time and familiarity of their new environment.
Barriers to accessing mental health care in Canada
African immigrants face some obstacles in accessing mental health care and services such as language barriers, culturalstigmatization, social isolation, racism, stigma around mental healthcare, financial constrains and absence of culturally sensitive care. Addressing these challenges require adopting culturally sensitive approaches, improved accessibility to services, and community-based support systems that effectively address mental health issues specifically in African immigrants communities.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Addressing the mental health needs of immigrants requires a whole-system approach that recognizes and meets the needs of African immigrants. These involve culturally sensitive approaches, accessible services, targeted interventions, and policies that account for the diverse and distinct challenges and experiences of African immigrants.