Newcomers report significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression compared with those born in Canada, according to a new study – and are much less likely to seek help for their mental-health challenges.
The report, released Monday by Mental Health Research Canada, found that up to 20 per cent of newcomers reported high levels of depression; the figure is 14 per cent for non-newcomers. Up to 27 per cent of newcomers reported high levels of anxiety, compared with 22 per cent of non-newcomers.
The report includes responses gathered last month from more than 2,100 individuals who have been in Canada between 0 and 15 years.
“Analyzing the mental-health status of immigrants in Canada is essential for early identification of issues,” the report says, as well as “connecting them with appropriate support, promoting successful settlement, preventing long-term consequences, and enhancing overall public health.”
Canada welcomed more than 430,000 permanent residents last year – setting a record for the country – and plans on bringing in up to 505,000 newcomers by the end of this year. It’s a demographic that our government has identified as critical to the country’s economic growth and future.
The report cites a lack of social support as a major factor behind newcomers’ low levels of mental health. Only 37 per cent reported having “people to count on” in the country, compared with 52 per cent of those born in Canada.
This was especially true for those who came to Canada during the COVID-19 lockdowns, says the report. “As many did not have a personal support system in Canada, it was important for them to be able to meet new people. But restrictions made this impossible.”
Economic anxiety is also cited as a major factor. For instance, more than half (57 per cent) of the newcomers reported concerns about being able to afford food. That was the case for 31 per cent of non-newcomers.
According to Statistics Canada, immigrants are much more likely to report food insecurity, meaning they are unable to afford healthy, nutritious food because of financial constraints. More than one-quarter (26 per cent) of immigrant families who have been in Canada for less than ten years say they’re food insecure, according to 2021 Statistics Canada data.
The ability to afford housing was also cited as a major source of anxiety. More than 39 per cent of the respondents who have been in Canada for fewer than five years reported high levels of concern about paying rent or mortgage, compared with 22 per cent of those born in Canada.
Michael Cooper, vice-president of development and strategic partnerships at Mental Health Research Canada, said the report is especially concerning given the data that shows newcomers are 2½ times less likely to seek help for their mental-health challenges.
More than 11 per cent of newcomers said in the survey that they need help for their mental health, but have not sought it out. This compares with four per cent for those born in Canada. These newcomers cited cost as a major barrier, as well as language constraints, and difficulties in navigating the mental-health system.
But there are cultural factors, too, said Mr. Cooper.
“The fact that newcomers are not accessing health when they need it shows that there are significant stigmatizing attitudes about mental health, stigmatizing beliefs about mental health, or they’re simply not prioritizing mental health,” he said.
He said many respondents cited cultural differences surrounding mental health – particularly for those who came as refugees, or from developing countries.
“The thing that struck me the most,” he said, “were the number of newcomers who said something along the lines of ‘mental health is a first-world problem.’ That where they had lived before, they didn’t have the luxury to even consider it.”
Others cited a different kind of guilt, he said – respondents who told the interviewers ‘I’m so fortunate to be here in Canada.’ And ‘I don’t want Canadians to think I’m ungrateful for being here.’”
Still, mental-health challenges among newcomers should be a concern for all Canadians, said Mr. Cooper.
“There’s the economic argument – that we want all newcomers to be productive members to the economy. And there’s an ethical argument about why it’s important that we support Canadians in every aspect of what they do,” he said.
”But what I come back to is that they are Canadians,” he said. “If they’re here, they are Canadians. And Canadians deserve good mental health.”
Ann Hui