Concept Mapping the Ways to Support Mental Health and Mental Well-being of Canadian Racialized and Immigrant Communities.

Abstract

Although there is recent growing attention on mental health and mental well-being across the globe, supports in this area of healthcare can be a challenge for immigrant and racialized groups with experiences of hardship across several domains. This study aimed to gather perspectives from immigrants and racialized community members on strategies central to support their mental health and well-being, with the aim of addressing research to practice gaps. The study was co-designed in collaboration with a Community Action Table in Markham, Ontario, a setting with 93% of residents self-identifying as visible minorities. Using a community-focused mixed methods Concept Mapping approach, 68 residents, service providers, and policymakers were engaged through three phases of brainstorming, sorting and rating, and interpretation. Their brainstorming led to 68 statements which they sorted into groups and rated for importance and feasibility to act in next six months. Further analysis led to a 9-cluster concept map comprising of Family Wellness, Awareness & Education, Cultural Sensitivity, Social Service Access, Community Building, Socioeconomic, Food Security, Healthcare Access, and Housing Stability. These clusters are important in advancing knowledge on ways to support and prioritize mental health and well-being of immigrants and racialized communities. Overall, participants viewed mental health and well-being as being closely tied to their living and working conditions while also focusing on family wellness and intergenerational dynamics. Novel insights from this project are important for the planning of mental health and well-being supports for immigrant groups in Canada and can help improve foci across sectors through service implementation.