MA Research Paper

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Migration and Ethnic Relations

Supervisor

Dr. Teresa Abada

Abstract

Refugees fleeing from extreme human rights violations are highly vulnerable and predisposed to a variety of mental health illnesses. The issue that this study addresses are the barriers refugees encounter when navigating mental health resources in Canada. Across the literature it has been found that refugees tend to underutilize mental health resources for a variety of reasons despite their poor mental health outcomes. Some factors of underutilization include, linguistic, religious, cultural, and economic (Chaze et al., 2015). To address this problem, the purpose of this study will be to evaluate the online accessibility of available resources. A content analysis on the Ontario and British Columbia settlement websites was conducted. This paper will address the following research questions: (1) What are the formal and informal support channels for the mental health of refugees? (2) What services are provided by these supports to serve the mental health of refugees? and (3) What are the online barriers refugees may face when navigating these websites? This data led to the following themes: Government versus NGOs, Type of Services Offered, and Online Barriers. These themes are useful to understand the gaps in the literature that indicate refugees underutilize mental health resources. Furthermore, it will provide insight as to why refugees may undergo hardship when navigating mental health websites.

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