supporting newcomer immigrants and regugees from racialized communities with mental health
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TRANSCRIPT
OCASI Conference 2009
Supporting Newcomer Immigrants and Refugees from Racialized Communities with
Mental Health IssuesNovember 5, 2009
8:15-11:15 AM
Agenda8:15 Introduction
About Across BoundariesExpectations; Goals and Objectives
8:45 What is Mental Health?What is the understanding of different cultures about mental health?
9:15 Mental health issues experienced by newcomer immigrants and refugees from Racialized communities
9:45 Break
10:00 Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems
10:20 Common Mental Disorders
10:30 Case Study: Providing support to people experiencing mental health problems
11:00 Resources in the local communities/ Forging partnerships
11:15 The End
Goals and Objectives
• Define mental health
• Discuss barriers experienced by refugees and newcomers
• Learn early warning signs of mental health problems
• Learn new knowledge of common mental disorders
• Learn resources in local communities
Introductions
• Why are you interested in this workshop?
• What are the mental health needs of newcomer immigrants and refugees that you are faced with in your agency?
• What have you done to meet these needs?
What Is Mental Health?
Mental Health – is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses in life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his/her community.
(World Health Organization)
Problems experienced by refugees which impact their
mental health:• Experience social exclusion, social
inequality and discrimination. • Discrimination interacts with other social
determinants and is experienced as trauma • Major Issues
– a) lack of support systems; – b) misplaced family members due to war; – c) family conflict and breakdown; – d) peer pressure from other disenfranchised
youth; and – e) systemic and structural discrimination.– f) problems with immigration status
Mental Health Issues Faced by Newcomer Immigrants and Non-
Recent Immigrants• Trauma caused by systemic discrimination –racism,
sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.• Homelessness (One third of Toronto’s homeless are
immigrant)• Underhoused, overcrowding• High rate of mental health problems and alcohol and
substance use of homeless non-recent immigrants• In Toronto, 60% of poor families are from Racialized
communities• Mood and anxiety disorder, diabetes, heart condition
caused by poverty
Immigrants, Non-recent Immigrants
• Migrants from Racialized communities earn 40% less than their white counterparts
• Suicide attempts are 10 times higher than for citizens not living with poverty
• Low self-esteem caused by unemployment or underemployment
• Many newcomers live in poverty because they fail to have their credentials recognized and are underemployed
Continuation..
• Domestic violence
• Youth violence
• Social isolation –increased level of sadness and loneliness
• Family breakdown
• Exposure to toxic and other environmental hazards
Problems experienced by immigrants and refugees in
accessing MH services:
• 3-month wait period for new immigrants to be provided OHIP coverage
• Temporary foreign migrant workers have no health benefits even if they are paying taxes
• Racialized health disparities caused by social and health policies, conditions and practices
Access…
• Lack of culturally competent with anti-oppression skills of service providers and decision makers in the health system
• Poor access to affordable housing• Lack of access to information (language
barrier)• Inappropriate mental health services and
programs• Lack of access to skills training
Access..
• Dominance of Eurocentric approach to care
• Lack of community engagement in the mental health system
• Inappropriate outreach services and programs
• Inappropriate health promotion and mental illness prevention programs
• Lack of social supports
Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems
• Anxiety, nervousness• forgetfulness• Inability to experience pleasure• lack of motivation• Feeling slowed down or speeded up• Avoiding others or isolating• Being obsessed with minor issues• Beginning irrational thought pattern• Feeling unconnected to your body• Increased irritability• Increased negativity• Increase in smoking• Increase in gambling
Warning signs…
• Aches and pains• Dizziness• Muscle cramping• Excessive sweating• Poor motor coordination with no physical reason• Feeling of discouragement and hopelessness• Substance abuse• Not answering the phone Turning off the phone
machine• Overeating/Undereating• Weepiness• Compulsive behaviours
Warning signs
• Controlling/manipulative behaviours• Being too quiet• Easily frustrated• Feelings of abandonment and rejection• Taking too much pain medication • Not keeping appointments• Spending money on unneeded items• Impulsivity• Feeling worthless and inadequate• Secretiveness
Common Mental Disorders and Symptoms
• Schizophrenia- a failure of the brain’s chemical to function properly
• Leads to disjointed ideas, confuse or disconnected thoughts or sounds
• Or sensations experienced as real when they only exist in the person’s mind
• A combination of some of the following symptoms that exist more than six months: delusions, hallucinations, disrupted thoughts and behaviours, grossly disorganized behaviours
• Flattened or blunted affect• No energy
Common Mental Disorders• Bi-Polar Disorder –a medical condition as a result of genetic
predisposition in which people have extreme mood swings. The symptoms could be signs of depression or mania.
• inflated self importance, delusions or hallucinations• feeling all powerful and destined for greatness• feeling high, excessively optimistic• irritable, aggressive, provocative, intrusive behaviour• Extremely talkative and sociable• Flight of ideas• Inability to concentrate• Pressure of speech, racing• Excessive involvement in pleasurable or high risk activities such as
sex• Lacks insight
Common Mental Disorders• Depression – a medical disorder that affects one’s thoughts,
feelings, physical health and behaviour.• A depressive episode must have a certain level of severity and a
minimum duration of two weeks• - feeling hopeless, sad, discouraged or empty• - Inability to experience pleasure• - Significant weight loss or weight gain• - Insomnia or oversleeping• - anxiety, restlessness, slow speech• - Fatigue• - Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt• - perceived faults and mistakes• - Memory problem• - suicidal thoughts• - somatic symptoms
Other Mental Disorders
• Personality Disorder• Anxiety• Post-Partum Depression• Psychosis• Concurrent Disorder• Addiction• Anorexia• Dual Diagnosis
UNDERSTADING RACISM IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
ORGANIZATION
IDEAS OF SUPERIORITY
SOCIAL NORMS
STRUCTURES/SYSTEMS INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR
• MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
• MEDIA
• EDUCATION
• WORKPLACE POLICES AND PROCEDURES
• ATTITUDES
• FEELINGS
• BELIEFS
WHAT IS AN ANTI-RACISM FRAMEWORK?
ANTI-RACISM
TRAINING/EDUCATION
ANTI-RACISM
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
ANTI-RACISM
SERVICE DELIVERY