Research Library

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and gender and sexual diverse (LGBTQ+) newcomers arrive in Canada, a country renowned as a “safe haven” for those escaping anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Despite Canada’s reputation, notions of safety are not guaranteed as LGBTQ+ newcomers continue to face systems of oppression as they navigate their new country of residence. Drawing from the feminist affect literature, this study sought to understand how LGBTQ+ newcomers navigate and perceive safety. This study employed an arts-based method called participatory community mapping as well as semistructured interviews to explore six participants’ experiences in Calgary, Canada. The findings of this study suggest the complex and vast experiences of LGBTQ+ newcomers upon settlement. Feeling safe is not static and inherent in various spaces, but rather, requires complex negotiations with other people and considerations for one’s LGBTQ+ identity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and gender and sexual diverse (LGBTQ+) newcomers arrive in Canada, a country renowned as a “safe haven” for those escaping anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Despite Canada’s reputation, notions of safety are not guaranteed as LGBTQ+ newcomers continue to face systems of oppression as they navigate their new country of residence. Drawing from the feminist affect literature, this study sought to understand how LGBTQ+ newcomers navigate and perceive safety. This study employed an arts-based method called participatory community mapping as well as semistructured interviews to explore six participants’ experiences in Calgary, Canada. The findings of this study suggest the complex and vast experiences of LGBTQ+ newcomers upon settlement. Feeling safe is not static and inherent in various spaces, but rather, requires complex negotiations with other people and considerations for one’s LGBTQ+ identity.
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This study, part of a larger project, explores how 10 mental health professionals (MHPs) integrate faith practices into their counseling sessions with 10 immigrant clients who identify as people of faith. This article focuses on the clients’ perspectives, examining how MHPs accommodated their faith and faith practices within the counseling context. This research addresses significant knowledge gaps by investigating how faith influences the therapeutic experience of immigrant clients, highlighting often-overlooked mental health and systemic challenges. More so, this investigation delves into faith’s pivotal role in the therapy room, informing faith-inclusive care. This approach integrates spiritual beliefs and religious values into treatment plans to foster comfort, trust, and well-being. By addressing the diverse needs of immigrant clients, this study enhances mental health outcomes and well-being, ensuring their unique voices are heard and valued. This study, part of a larger project, explores how 10 mental health professionals (MHPs) integrate faith practices into their counseling sessions with 10 immigrant clients who identify as people of faith. This article focuses on the clients’ perspectives, examining how MHPs accommodated their faith and faith practices within the counseling context. This research addresses significant knowledge gaps by investigating how faith influences the therapeutic experience of immigrant clients, highlighting often-overlooked mental health and systemic challenges. More so, this investigation delves into faith’s pivotal role in the therapy room, informing faith-inclusive care. This approach integrates spiritual beliefs and religious values into treatment plans to foster comfort, trust, and well-being. By addressing the diverse needs of immigrant clients, this study enhances mental health outcomes and well-being, ensuring their unique voices are heard and valued.
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The newcomer serving sector remains pivotal in facilitating newcomers’ integration into communities, however, this sector grapples with ongoing challenges. Using a case story and immigration data from Calgary, AB, this article examines the funding and service delivery difficulties organizations encounter. It underscores a system that fosters funding competition, impedes interorganizational collaboration, complicates program outcome reporting, and entails high administrative costs. Additionally, it addresses the specific challenges faced by newcomer children, youth, and families settling in Canada. The recommendations emphasize that no single agency can resolve the settlement sector crisis alone. Urgent actions include piloting integrated networks over integrated services and adopting a new Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada funding model that aligns with population and cultural needs. Moreover, eliminating silos is essential to establish a cohesive and efficient service delivery network committed to public outcomes and accountability. The newcomer serving sector remains pivotal in facilitating newcomers’ integration into communities, however, this sector grapples with ongoing challenges. Using a case story and immigration data from Calgary, AB, this article examines the funding and service delivery difficulties organizations encounter. It underscores a system that fosters funding competition, impedes interorganizational collaboration, complicates program outcome reporting, and entails high administrative costs. Additionally, it addresses the specific challenges faced by newcomer children, youth, and families settling in Canada. The recommendations emphasize that no single agency can resolve the settlement sector crisis alone. Urgent actions include piloting integrated networks over integrated services and adopting a new Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada funding model that aligns with population and cultural needs. Moreover, eliminating silos is essential to establish a cohesive and efficient service delivery network committed to public outcomes and accountability.
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The objective of this study was to examine how women who have immigrated from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region perceive breast cancer risk and screening in Canada and how they approach breast health, and to explore barriers to breast cancer screening in this population. Participants were women who were born in MENA countries (e.g., Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria) and had immigrated to Canada less than 5 years prior to study recruitment and lived in Edmonton, Alta. Six focus groups were conducted over a 6-week period in July and August 2018 with 6 participants in each group (N=36); results were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated participants have limited knowledge about breast cancer screening practices in Alberta and that multiple barriers to screening remain. This study can help inform the development of culturally appropriate interventions to overcome barriers and to motivate women from MENA countries to use breast cancer screening. The objective of this study was to examine how women who have immigrated from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region perceive breast cancer risk and screening in Canada and how they approach breast health, and to explore barriers to breast cancer screening in this population. Participants were women who were born in MENA countries (e.g., Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria) and had immigrated to Canada less than 5 years prior to study recruitment and lived in Edmonton, Alta. Six focus groups were conducted over a 6-week period in July and August 2018 with 6 participants in each group (N=36); results were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated participants have limited knowledge about breast cancer screening practices in Alberta and that multiple barriers to screening remain. This study can help inform the development of culturally appropriate interventions to overcome barriers and to motivate women from MENA countries to use breast cancer screening.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The United States and Canada have resettled over 120,000 Afghan refugees since August 2021, but sociodemographic and health status data remains sparse with investigations often limited to refugee entrance exams, standardized health screenings, or acute health settings. This retrospective community-engaged cohort study investigated Afghan patients who received care between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2020 at an interdisciplinary specialized refugee clinic in Calgary, AB, Canada that provides care to newly arrived refugees. 2 reviewers independently extracted and manually verified sociodemographic factors, medical diagnoses, and clinic utilization variables from patients’ electronic medical records, then coded patient diagnoses into ICD-10 codes and chapter groups. Diagnosis frequencies were calculated and stratified by age group and sex. We corroborated these findings with Afghan refugee co-investigators. Among 402 Afghan refugee patients, they were relatively young, experienced diverse health characteristics, and had multi-specialty care engagement in their first two years after arrival. These findings may guide specialized healthcare provision to this inadequately characterized but growing population of refugee arrivals in North America and elsewhere. The United States and Canada have resettled over 120,000 Afghan refugees since August 2021, but sociodemographic and health status data remains sparse with investigations often limited to refugee entrance exams, standardized health screenings, or acute health settings. This retrospective community-engaged cohort study investigated Afghan patients who received care between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2020 at an interdisciplinary specialized refugee clinic in Calgary, AB, Canada that provides care to newly arrived refugees. 2 reviewers independently extracted and manually verified sociodemographic factors, medical diagnoses, and clinic utilization variables from patients’ electronic medical records, then coded patient diagnoses into ICD-10 codes and chapter groups. Diagnosis frequencies were calculated and stratified by age group and sex. We corroborated these findings with Afghan refugee co-investigators. Among 402 Afghan refugee patients, they were relatively young, experienced diverse health characteristics, and had multi-specialty care engagement in their first two years after arrival. These findings may guide specialized healthcare provision to this inadequately characterized but growing population of refugee arrivals in North America and elsewhere.
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This paper focuses on the perspectives given by newcomer high school students as they discuss, through open dialogue and social media, their main challenges living in a new country. The scholars employed a collaborative action research approach and were guided by two questions: 1) How can newcomer students’ lived experiences inform best practices in the field of education? and 2) How did the social isolation brought on by COVID-19 affect the mental health/well-being of newcomer students? The results highlighted the racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious challenges these students face in their education as well as the considerable mental/emotional impact the COVID-19 pandemic had upon this demographic. The data holds major implications for best practice in the field of education, with specific emphasis on newcomer students. This paper focuses on the perspectives given by newcomer high school students as they discuss, through open dialogue and social media, their main challenges living in a new country. The scholars employed a collaborative action research approach and were guided by two questions: 1) How can newcomer students’ lived experiences inform best practices in the field of education? and 2) How did the social isolation brought on by COVID-19 affect the mental health/well-being of newcomer students? The results highlighted the racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious challenges these students face in their education as well as the considerable mental/emotional impact the COVID-19 pandemic had upon this demographic. The data holds major implications for best practice in the field of education, with specific emphasis on newcomer students.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

In this study, we applied an intersectional framework to explore service providers’ perspectives on the mental health needs of newcomer young men. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 26 service providers in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. Findings show that service providers made sense of young men’s mental health needs and service access in the context of systems. We identified three interconnected themes: newcomer young men’s senses of self in relation to macrosystems, including racism and economic marginalization; settling well as a determinant of mental health; and systems capacities and interdependent resilience. While service providers are engaged in cross-sectoral work in support of newcomer young men’s mental health, this work is not being sufficiently supported. Further work is needed around cross-sector capacity bridging and advocacy, as well as the tailoring of services to young men without the assumption and reinforcement of gender stereotypes. In this study, we applied an intersectional framework to explore service providers’ perspectives on the mental health needs of newcomer young men. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 26 service providers in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. Findings show that service providers made sense of young men’s mental health needs and service access in the context of systems. We identified three interconnected themes: newcomer young men’s senses of self in relation to macrosystems, including racism and economic marginalization; settling well as a determinant of mental health; and systems capacities and interdependent resilience. While service providers are engaged in cross-sectoral work in support of newcomer young men’s mental health, this work is not being sufficiently supported. Further work is needed around cross-sector capacity bridging and advocacy, as well as the tailoring of services to young men without the assumption and reinforcement of gender stereotypes.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Canada’s National Housing Strategy acknowledges that identity factors are closely connected to housing vulnerability. Specifically, it identifies 12 groups at heightened risk of negative housing outcomes in Canada. In this research, we focus on the intersection of two of these groups: LGBTQ people and refugees. Existing studies establish that members of both groups are vulnerable to discrimination, homelessness, and housing unaffordability. However, they have largely been examined separately, and with limited insights into the factors that produce vulnerability. To develop a more nuanced and systemic account of LGBTQ refugees’ housing vulnerability, we conducted a study in Alberta, Canada. Utilizing Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality, and drawing on policy documents and key-informant interviews, we identified three types of barriers to housing. We conclude that an intersectional approach provides a foundation for systemic explanations of housing vulnerability that are too often absent in policy. Canada’s National Housing Strategy acknowledges that identity factors are closely connected to housing vulnerability. Specifically, it identifies 12 groups at heightened risk of negative housing outcomes in Canada. In this research, we focus on the intersection of two of these groups: LGBTQ people and refugees. Existing studies establish that members of both groups are vulnerable to discrimination, homelessness, and housing unaffordability. However, they have largely been examined separately, and with limited insights into the factors that produce vulnerability. To develop a more nuanced and systemic account of LGBTQ refugees’ housing vulnerability, we conducted a study in Alberta, Canada. Utilizing Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality, and drawing on policy documents and key-informant interviews, we identified three types of barriers to housing. We conclude that an intersectional approach provides a foundation for systemic explanations of housing vulnerability that are too often absent in policy.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

We employed a qualitative descriptive approach to better understand willingness to share health information by South Asian participants in Edmonton, AB and operated through a lens that considered the cultural and sociodemographic aspect of ethnocultural communities. The results of this study show that health researchers should aim to develop a mutually beneficial information-sharing partnership with communities, with an emphasis on the ethnocultural and socio-ecological aspects of health within populations. The findings support the need for culturally sensitive and respectful engagement with the community, ethically sound research practices that make participants feel comfortable in sharing their information, and an easy sharing process to share health information feasibly. We employed a qualitative descriptive approach to better understand willingness to share health information by South Asian participants in Edmonton, AB and operated through a lens that considered the cultural and sociodemographic aspect of ethnocultural communities. The results of this study show that health researchers should aim to develop a mutually beneficial information-sharing partnership with communities, with an emphasis on the ethnocultural and socio-ecological aspects of health within populations. The findings support the need for culturally sensitive and respectful engagement with the community, ethically sound research practices that make participants feel comfortable in sharing their information, and an easy sharing process to share health information feasibly.
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This study examined the underexplored relationship between winter sport, newcomer participation, integration, and national identity. This study examined the underexplored relationship between winter sport, newcomer participation, integration, and national identity.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly