Appropriateness of assessment and treatment interventions for refugees and immigrant children and youth with mental health issues from clinicians' perspectives

The population of immigrants and refugees has drastically increased in Canada in the last few decades. We are currently facing a refugee crisis around the world. In 2015, Canada welcomed 25,000 refugees who have fled from war in their home countries. Refugee families and their children experience significant loss, trauma, and emotional upheaval during the immigration process and this may significantly impact their mental health. Therefore, refugee children and youth need mental health support that can meet their complex and multifaceted issues such as poverty, housing, employment, language and cultural barriers, others. This study used an exploratory, qualitative, cross-sectional, inductive research design. The data were collected through five semi-structured interviews using the general interview guide approach. The study explores from the clinicians’ perspective of the cultural appropriateness of assessment and treatment interventions for refugee and immigrant children and youth with mental health issues. The findings point to gaps in mental health services that may create barriers and prevent immigrant and refugee children from accessing appropriate and effective mental health treatment. Findings from the study indicate that refugee and immigrant children and youth have multilayered issues that need to be addressed holistically. Child and Youth mental health services can improve their services to be culturally appropriate by providing health care providers with cross-cultural training and adequate resources that can meet their client’s specific needs.