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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
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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 

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