Assessing the Social and Mental Health Services Provided to Middle-Eastern Newcomers in the Resettlement Process in the National Capital Region

Abstract

This is a qualitative case study based on a literature review, an analysis of the websites of two social service organizations, and interviews with 16 social service providers (counselors, physicians, community leaders) who work with newcomers from conflict affected countries in the Middle East. This study explores the social and mental health services provided to newcomers in the National Capital Region, and identifies the internal and external obstacles associated with the resettlement process and reception of mental health treatment options. Social environments, gender roles, pre-migration experiences and cultural implications play a role in the resettlement process and the ability to live in the host country. The mental health services offered acknowledge the cultural differences between the immigrant population and the host country’s population; there is evidence that mental health services in Canada are incorporating the cultural differences into the therapy methods. While this has begun, there are still many difficulties associated to stigma, language barriers, misunderstandings of social norms and institutions, and structural issues linked to that fact that the federal government funds many of these mental health services.