Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-17T18:12:25.269Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental Health and Service Issues Faced by Older Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2015

Sepali Guruge ,
Mary Susan Thomson  and
Sadaf Grace Seifi
Sepali Guruge*
Affiliation:
Ryerson University
Mary Susan Thomson
Affiliation:
Ryerson University
Sadaf Grace Seifi
Affiliation:
Ryerson University
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Sepali Guruge, RN, PhD, Professor and Research Chair in Urban Health Ryerson University Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing 350 Victoria Street Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 (sguruge@ryerson.ca) www.immigranthealthresearch.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An aging population and immigration-based population growth necessitate research, practice, and policy focusing on the mental health of older immigrants in Canada, especially, because their mental health appears to deteriorate over time. This review focuses on: What is known about the social determinants of mental health for older immigrants in Canada and what are the barriers they face in accessing mental health services? Findings reveal that: (1) the key social determinants of mental health are culture, health services and gender; (2) older immigrants use fewer mental health services than their Canadian-born counterparts due to cultural beliefs, lack of culturally and linguistically-appropriate services, financial difficulties, and ageism; and (3) regardless of the subcategories within this population, older immigrants experience mental health inequities. The research evidence provides a clear message that addressing mental health service gaps for older immigrants should be a policy and practice priority for Canada’s health care system.

Résumé

Une population vieillissante et la croissance de la population sur la base de l’immigration nécessitent que la recherche, la pratique et la politique doivent se concentrer sur la santé mentale des immigrants âgés, surtout parce que leur santé mentale semble se détériorer au fil du temps. Cette revue se concentre sur: Qu’est-ce que l’on sait sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé mentale chez les immigrants âgés, et quels sont les obstacles à l’accès aux services de santé mentale confrontés par les immigrants âgés? Les résultats révèlent que (1) les déterminants sociaux décisifs de la santé mentale sont la culture, le sexe et les services de santé; (2) que les immigrants plus âgés utilisent les services de santé mentale de moins que leurs homologues nés au Canada à cause des obstacles tels que, par exemple, les croyances et les valeurs culturelles, un manque de services culturellement et linguistiquement appropriées, des difficultés financières, et l’âgisme; et (3) quelles que soient les sous-catégories dans cette population, les immigrants âgés éprouvent des inégalités en matière de la santé mentale. La preuve des recherches disponibles indique que de combler les lacunes des service de santé mentale devrait devenir une priorité pour la politique et la pratique du système de soins de santé au Canada.

Keywords

agingbarriers to serviceshealth inequitymental healtholder immigrantssocial determinants of mental healthvieillissmentobstacles aux servicesinégalité pour la santésanté mentaleadultes âgésimmigrants âgésdéterminants sociaux de la santé mentale
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , December 2015 , pp. 431 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acharya, M. P., & Northcott, H. C. (2007). Mental distress and the coping strategies of elderly Indian immigrant women. Transcultural Psychiatry, 44(4), 614–636.Google Scholar
Arksey, H, & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8, 19–32.Google Scholar
Beiser, M. N., & Hou, F. (2006). Ethnic identity, resettlement stress and depressive affect among Southeast Asian refugees in Canada. Social Science & Medicine, 63, 137–150.Google Scholar
Beiser, M. N., Simich, L., & Pandalangat, N. (2003). Community in distress; mental health needs and help seeking in Tamil community in Toronto. International Migration, 41(5), 233–245.Google Scholar
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2011). Seniors and the health care system: What is the impact of multiple chronic conditions? Ottawa, ON: CIHI, 2011. Retrieved from https://secure.cihi.ca/estore/productFamily.htm?locale=en&pf=PFC1677 Google Scholar
Chow, H. P. (2010). Growing old in Canada: physical and psychological well-being among elderly Chinese immigrants. Ethnicity & Health, 15(1), 61–72.Google Scholar
Citizenship and Immigration, Canada (2009). Facts and figures 2009 – Immigration overview: Permanent and temporary residents. Retrieved from http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/resources/statistics/facts2009/index.asp.Google Scholar
Employment and Social Development Canada. (2014). Canadians in context – Aging population. Retrieved from http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/.3ndic.1t.4r@-eng.jsp?iid=33 Google Scholar
Guruge, S., Kanthasamy, P., & Santos, E. J. (2008). Addressing older women’s health: A pressing need. In Guruge, S. & Collins, E. (Eds.), Working with immigrant women: Issues and strategies for mental health professionals. Toronto, ON: CAMH.Google Scholar
Koehn, S. (2006). Ethnic minority seniors face a “double whammy” in health care access. The Newsletter of the Gerontology Research Centre, 25(2), 1–2.Google Scholar
Koehn, S., Neysmith, S., Kobayashi, K., & Khamisa, H. (2013). Revealing the shape of knowledge using an intersectionality lens: Results of a scoping review on the health and health care of ethnocultural minority older adults. Ageing and Society, 33(3), 437–464.Google Scholar
Kuo, B. C., Chong, V., & Joseph, J. (2008). Depression and its psychosocial correlates among older Asian immigrants in North America: A critical review of two decades’ research. Journal of Aging and Health, 20(6), 615–652.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. W. L. (2000a). Depression among the elderly Chinese in Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging, 19(3), 409–429.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W. L. (2000b). Prevalence of depression among the elderly Chinese in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 91(1), 64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. W. L. (2003). Health and predictors of health among older Chinese-Canadians in British Columbia. BC Medical Journal, 45(8), 382–390.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W. L. (2004a). Impact of culture on depressive symptoms of elderly Chinese immigrants. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 820–827.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W. L. (2004b). Depression among elderly Chinese-Canadian immigrants from Mainland China. Chinese Medical Journal, 117(5), 677–683.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W. L. (2005). Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in older Taiwanese immigrants in Canada. Journal of the Chinese Medical Association, 68(3), 118–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. W. L., & Chau, S. B. (2007). Effects of service barriers on health status of older Chinese immigrants in Canada. Social work, 52(3), 261–269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. W. L., & Tsang, K. T. (2007). Relationships between culture and health status: A multisite study of the older Chinese in Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging, 26(3), 171–183.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W., & Surood, S. (2008). Predictors of depression in aging South Asian Canadians. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 23, 57–75.Google Scholar
Lai, D. W. L, & Surood, S. (2010). Types and factor structure of barriers to utilization of health services among aging South Asians in Calgary, Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging, 29(2), 249–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lai, D. W. L., & Yuen, C. T. Y. (2003). Gender, physical limitation, and depression among elderly Chinese. International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction, 1(1), 1–16.Google Scholar
MacCourt, P., Wilson, K. J., Kortes-Miller, K., Gibson, M., & Fitch, M. I. (Eds.). (2008). Promoting seniors mental health in cancer care: A guide for front-line care providers for the BC psychogeriatric association (5–118). Victoria, BC: British Columbia Psychogeriatric Association.Google Scholar
McDonald, S. (2011). Ontario’s aging population: Challenges and opportunities (Report). Toronto, ON: Ontario Trillium Foundation.Google Scholar
Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2013). Mental Health Commission of Canada issue: Seniors. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/issues/seniors?terminitial Google Scholar
Milan, A. (2013). Fertility: Overview 2009 to 2011. Component of Statistics Canada (Catalogue no. 91-209-X). Report on the Demographic Situation in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-209-x/2013001/article/11784-eng.htm.Google Scholar
Mui, A. C. (1996). Depression among elderly Chinese immigrants: An exploratory study. Social Work, 41, 633–645.Google Scholar
National Advisory Council on Aging. (2005). Seniors on the Margins: Seniors from Ethno cultural Minorities, Ottawa, ON: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.Google Scholar
Newbold, K. B., & Filice, K. J. (2006). Health status of older immigrants to Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging, 25(3), 305–319.Google Scholar
O’Mahony, J. M., & Donnelly, T. T. (2007). Health care providers’ perspective of the gender influences on immigrant women’s mental health care experiences. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28(10), 1171–1188.Google Scholar
Ontario Trillium Foundation (2011). Demographic change and implications of an aging population for the not-for-profit sector in Ontario (prepared for The Ontario Trillium Foundation) . Retrieved from http://books1.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=665457 Google Scholar
Rudner, A. (2011). What are the data telling us about immigrant seniors’ health? Paper presented at the 2011 National Metropolis Conference “Immigration: Bringing the World to Canada,” Vancouver, BC.Google Scholar
Sadavoy, J., Meier, R., & Ong, A. Y. M. (2004). Barriers to access to mental health services for ethnic seniors: The Toronto study. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(3), 192–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simich, L., Hamilton, H., & Baya, B. K. (2006). Mental distress, economic hardship and expectations of life in Canada among Sudanese newcomers. Transcultural Psychiatry, 43(3), 418–444.Google Scholar
Sluzki, C. E. (1992). Disruption and reconstruction of networks following migration/relocation. Family Systems Medicine, 10(4), 359–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canada, Statistics. (2011). Canadian Community Health Survey 2009 Annual Component. Ottawa, ON: Author. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/index-eng.cfm Google Scholar
Stewart, M., Shizha, E., & Makwarimba, E., Spitzer, D., Khalema, E. N., & Nsaliwa, C. D. (2011). Challenges and barriers to services for immigrant seniors in Canada: “You are among others but you feel alone.” International journal of migration health & social care, 7(1), 16–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Streiner, D., Cairney, J., & Veldhuizen, S. (2006). The epidemiology of psychological problems in the elderly. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(3), 185–191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (5th ed.). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Taylor, L. E., Taylor-Henley, S., & Doan, L. (2005). Older immigrants: Language competencies and mental health. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 24(2), 23–34.Google Scholar
Tieu, Y., Konnert, C., & Wang, J. (2010). Depression literacy among older Chinese immigrants in Canada: a comparison with a population-based survey. International Psychogeriatrics, 22(8), 1318–1326.Google Scholar
Turcotte, M., & Schellenberg, G. A. (2006). Portrait of seniors in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-519-x/89-519-x2006001-eng.pdf Google Scholar
Zunzunegui, M. V., Forster, M., Gauvin, L., Raynault, M. F., & Williams, J. D. (2006). Community unemployment and immigrants health in Montreal. Social Science & Medicine, 63, 485–500.Google Scholar