Role of Cultural Beliefs, Religion, and Spirituality in Mental Health and/or Service Utilization among Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
15 October 2015
Abstract
This paper uses Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework for conducting scoping reviews to examine 25 years of Canadian literature to understand the importance of cultural beliefs, religion, and spirituality in the context of immigrant mental health and/or service utilization. A review of 24 selected articles revealed 4 broad areas relative to the role of religion, spirituality, and culture in these contexts. Based on the findings the authors suggest that in increasingly diverse societies like Canada there is an urgent need for mental health professionals to take into account in their practice their service users’ cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs.
Résumé
Cet article utilise le cadre d'examen de la portée d'Arksey et O'Malley (2005) pour résumer 25 années de la littérature canadienne afin de comprendre l'importance des croyances culturelles, de la religion et de la spiritualité dans le contexte de la santé mentale et/ou de l'utilisation des services par les immigrants et immigrantes. Un examen de 24 articles a révélé 4 grands domaines relatifs au rôle de la religion, de la spiritualité et de la culture dans le contexte de la santé mentale des immigrants et immigrantes. Sur la base des résultats, les auteures suggèrent que dans des sociétés de plus en plus diverses telles que le Canada, les professionnels et professionnelles de la santé mentale doivent urgemment prendre en compte les croyances culturelles, religieuses et spirituelles de leurs utilisateurs et utilisatrices de services dans leur pratique.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
References
Acharya M. P. and Northcott H. C. Mental distress and the coping strategies of elderly Indian immigrant women Transcultural Psychiatry 2007 44 4 614 -636
Ahmed A., Stewart D. E., Teng L., Wahoush O., and Gagnon A. J. Experiences of immigrant new mothers with symptoms of depression Archives of Women's Mental Health 2008 11 4 295 -303
Ali A. and Toner B. B. Symptoms of depression among Caribbean women and Caribbean-Canadian women: An investigation of self-silencing and domains of meaning Psychology of Women Quarterly 2001 25 175 -180
Ameling A. and Povilonis M. Spirituality, meaning, mental health and nursing Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 2001 39 4 14 -20
Arksey H. and O'Malley L. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework International Journal of Social Research Methodology 2005 8 1 19 -32
Blanch A. Integrating religion and spirituality in mental health: The promise and the challenge Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 2007 30 4 251 -260
Bottorff J. L. Johnson J. L. Venables L. J. Grewal S. Popatia N. Hilton B. A. … Sandhu G. Voices of immigrant South Asian women: Expressions of health concerns Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 2001 12 4 392 -403
Carmody J., Baer R., Lykins E., and Oledzki N. An empirical study of the mechanisms of mindfulness in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program Journal of Clinical Psychology 2009 65 6 613 -626
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2014). Mindfulness-based depression therapy reduces health care visits. Retrieved from http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/newsroom/news_releases_media_advisories_and_ backgrounders/current_year/Pages/Mindfulness-based-depression-therapy-reduces-health-care-visits.aspx
Chappell N. L. and Lai D. W. L. Healthcare service use by Chinese seniors in British Columbia Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 1998 13 1 21 -37
Chiu L., Ganesan S., Clark N., and Morrow M. Spirituality and treatment choices by South and East Asian women with serious mental illness Transcultural Psychiatry 2005 42 4 630 -656
Chow W., Law S., Andermann L., Yang J., Leszcz M., Wong J., and Sadavoy J. Multi-family psycho-education group for assertive community treatment clients and families of culturally diverse background: A pilot study Community Mental Health Journal 2010 46 4 364 -371
Citizenship and Immigration Canada. (2013). Facts and figures 2012—Immigration overview: Permanent and temporary residents. Retrieved from http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/resources/statistics/facts2012/index.asp
Clark W. and Schellenberg G. Who's religious? Canadian Social Trends 2006 92 2 -9
Collins, E., & Guruge, S. (2008). Theoretical considerations. In S. Guruge & E. Collins (Eds.), Working with immigrant women: Issues and strategies for mental health professionals (pp. 19–38). Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Curlin F. A., Nwodim C., Vance J. L., Chin M. H., and Lantos J. D. To die, to sleep: US physicians’ religious and other objections to physician-assisted suicide, terminal sedation, and withdrawal of life support American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care 2008 25 2 112 -120
Dean J. A. and Wilson K. “Education? It is irrelevant to my job now. It makes me very depressed …”: Exploring the health impacts of under/unemployment among highly skilled recent immigrants in Canada Ethnicity & Health 2009 14 2 185 -204
Donnelly T. T. Contextual analysis of coping: Implications for immigrants’ mental health care Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2002 23 715 -732
Donnelly T. T., Hwang J. J., Este D., Ewashen C., Adair C., and Clinton M. If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't be calling you. I am asking for help: Challenges influencing immigrant and refugee women's mental health Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2011 32 279 -290
Dossa P. Narrative mediation of conventional and new “mental health” paradigms: Reading the stories of immigrant Iranian women Medical Anthropology Quarterly 2002 16 3 341 -359
Este D. and Bernard W. T. Spirituality among African Nova Scotians: A key to survival in Canadian society Critical Social Work 2006 7 1 1 -22
Etowa J., Keddy B., Egbeyemi J., and Eghan F. Depression: The “invisible gray fog” influencing the midlife health of African Canadian women International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 2007 16 3 203 -213
Fenta H., Hyman I., and Noh S. Mental health service utilization by Ethiopian immigrants and refugees in Toronto Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2006 194 12 925 -934
Fenta H., Hyman I., and Noh S. Health service utilization by Ethiopian immigrants and refugees in Toronto Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2007 9 4 349 -357
George U., Chaze F., Fuller-Thomson E., and Brennenstuhl S. Underemployment and life satisfaction: A study of internationally trained engineers in Canada Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies 2012 10 4 407 -425
Grabovac A. D. and Ganesan S. Spirituality and religion in Canadian psychiatric residency training Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2003 48 171 -175
Griggs S. K. and Brown M. Texas community pharmacists’ willingness to participate in pharmacist-initiated emergency contraception Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 2007 47 1 48 -57
Haque A. Mental health concepts in Southeast Asia: Diagnostic considerations and treatment implications Psychology, Health & Medicine 2010 15 2 127 -134
Hinton D. E., Rivera E. I., Hofmann S., Barlow D., and Otto M. W. Adapting CBT for traumatized refugees and ethnic minority patients: Examples for culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT) Transcultural Psychiatry 2012 49 340 -365
Hynie M., Crooks V. A., and Barragan J. Immigrant and refugee social networks: Determinants and consequences of social support among women newcomers to Canada Canadian Journal of Nursing Research 2011 43 4 26 -46
Jafari S., Baharlou S., and Mathias R. Knowledge of determinants of mental health among Iranian immigrants of BC, Canada: A qualitative study Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Center for Minority Public Health 2010 12 1 100 -106
Jarvis G. E., Kirmayer L. J., Weinfeld M., and Lasry J. Religious practice and psychological distress: The importance of gender, ethnicity and immigrant status Transcultural Psychiatry 2005 42 4 657 -675
Kennedy, S., McDonald, J. T., & Biddle, N. (2006). The healthy immigrant effect and immigrant selection: Evidence from four countries. Retrieved from http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/∼sedap/p/sedap164.pdf
Kirmayer L. J., Groleau D., and Guzder J. Cultural consultation: A model of mental health service for multicultural societies Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2003 48 145 -153
Kirmayer L. J. Narasiah L. Munoz M. Rashid M. Ryder A.G. Guzder J. … Pottie K. Common mental health problems in immigrants and refugees: General approach in primary care Canadian Medical Association Journal 2011 183 12 E959 -E967
Kirmayer L. J. and Young A. Culture and somatisation: Clinical, epidemiological and ethnographic perspectives Psychosomatic Medicine 1998 60 4 420 -430
Koenig H. G. Research on religion, spirituality, and mental health: A review Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2009 54 5 283 -291
Koenig H. G. Spirituality and mental health International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytical Studies 2010 7 2 116 -122
Kohn L. P., Oden T., Muñoz R. F., Robinson A., and Leavitt D. Adapted cognitive behavioral group therapy for depressed low-income African American women Community Mental Health Journal 2002 38 6 497 -504
Lai D. W. L Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in older Taiwanese immigrants in Canada Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 2005 68 3 118 -125
Lai D. W. L. and Surood S. Predictors of depression in aging South Asian Canadians Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 2008 23 1 57 -75
Lai D. W. L and Surood S. Effect of service barriers on health status of aging South Asian immigrants in Calgary, Canada Health & Social Work 2013 38 1 41 -50
Matheson K., Jorden S., and Anisman H. Relations between trauma experiences and psychological, physical and neuroendocrine functioning among Somali refugees: Mediating role of coping with acculturation stressors Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2008 10 4 291 -304
Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012). Changing directions, changing lives: The mental health strategy for Canada. Calgary, AB: Author.
Naeem F. Gulb M. Irfanc M. Munshid T. Asife A. Rashidb S. … Ayubk M. Brief culturally adapted CBT (CaCBT) for depression: A randomized controlled trial from Pakistan Journal of Affective Disorders 2015 177 101 -107
O'Mahony J. M. and Donnelly T. T. The influence of culture on immigrant women's mental health care experiences from the perspectives of health care providers Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2007 28 5 453 -471
O'Mahony J. M., Donnelly T. T., Bouchal S. R., and Este D. Cultural background and socioeconomic influence of immigrant and refugee women coping with postpartum depression Journal of Immigrant Minority Health 2013 15 300 -314
O'Reilly M. L. Spirituality and mental health clients Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 2004 42 7 44 -53
Pepler D. J. and Lessa I. The mental health of Portuguese children Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 1993 38 1 46 -50
Reitmanova S. and Gustafson D. L. “They can't understand it”: Maternity health and care needs of immigrant Muslim women in St. John's, Newfoundland Maternal and Child Health Journal 2008 12 1 101 -111
Reitmanova S. and Gustafson D. L. Primary mental health care information and services for St. John's visible minority immigrants: Gaps and opportunities Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2009a 30 10 615 -623
Reitmanova S. and Gustafson D. L. Mental health needs of visible minority immigrants in a small urban center: Recommendations for policy makers and service providers Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2009b 11 46 -56
Reitz, J. G. (2005). Tapping immigrants’ skills: New directions for Canadian immigration policy in the knowledge economy. IRPP Choices, 11(1). Montreal, QC: Institute for Research on Public Policy. Retrieved from http://irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/research/diversity-immigration-and-integration/new-research-article-4/vol11no1.pdf
Rousseau C., Hassan G., Moeau N., and Thomba B. D. Perceived discrimination and its association with psychological distress among newly arrived immigrants before and after September 11 American Journal of Public Health 2011 101 909 -915
Sadavoy J., Meier R., and Ong A. Y. Barriers to access to mental health services for ethnic seniors: The Toronto study Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2004 49 3 192 -199
Schaffer A., Cairney J., Cheung A., Veldhuizen S., Kurdyak P., and Levitt A. Differences in prevalence and treatment of bipolar disorder among immigrants: Results from an epidemiologic survey Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2009 54 11 734 -742
Schreiber J. A. and Brockopp D. Y. Twenty-five years later––what do we know about religion/ spirituality and psychological well-being among breast cancer survivors? A systemic review Journal of Cancer Survivorship 2012 6 82 -94
Schreiber R., Stern P. N., and Wilson C. The contexts for managing depression and its stigma among black West Indian Canadian women Journal of Advanced Nursing 1998 27 510 -517
Shapiro S. L., Carlson L. E., Astin J. A., and Freedman B. Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006 62 373 -386
Shibre T. Negash A. Kullgren G. Kebede D Alem A. Fekadu A. … Jacobsson L. Perception of stigma among family members of individuals with schizophrenia and major affective disorders in rural Ethiopia Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2001 36 6 299 -303
Simich L., Maiter S., and Ochocka J. From social liminality to cultural negotiation: Transformative processes in immigrant mental wellbeing Anthropology & Medicine 2009 16 3 253 -266
Sullivan, L. E. (2009). Culture: The SAGE glossary of the social and behavioral sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Tang T. N., Oatley K., and Toner B. B. Impact of life events and difficulties on the mental health of Chinese immigrant women Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2007 9 4 281 -290
Taylor L. E., Taylor-Henley S., and Doan L. Older immigrants: Language competencies and mental health Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 2005 24 2 23 -34
Teng L., Robertson B. E., and Stewart D. Healthcare worker's perceptions of barriers to care by immigrant women with postpartum depression: An exploratory qualitative study Archives of Women's Mental Health 2007 10 3 93 -101
Tsang A. K. T. and George U. Towards an integrated framework for cross-cultural social work practice Canadian Social Work Review 1998 15 1 73 -93
Whitley R. and Green S. Psychosocial stressors and buffers affecting black women in Montreal Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 2008 27 1 37 -48
Whitley R., Kirmayer L. J, and Groleau D. Understanding immigrants’ reluctance to use mental health services: A qualitative study from Montreal Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 2006 5 1 205 -209
Wong R. Y-L and Tsang A. K. T. When Asian immigrant women speak: From mental health to strategies of being American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 2004 74 4 456 -466
World Health Organization. (2001). The world health report 2001. Mental health: New understanding, new hope. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 34 • Number 3 • November 2015
Pages: 87 - 101
History
Version of record online: 15 October 2015
Key Words
Mots-clés
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Other Metrics
Citations
Cite As
ChazeFerzana, ThomsonMary Susan, GeorgeUsha, and GurugeSepali. 2015. Role of Cultural Beliefs, Religion, and Spirituality in Mental Health and/or Service Utilization among Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
34(3): 87-101. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2015-015
Export Citations
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
1. Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Mental Health Service Use, and Cultural Perspectives Among Ethnically Diverse University Students
View Options
View options
Login options
Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Subscribe
Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
