Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

As recently as 2015, mental health and substance use (MHSU) services have fallen short of expectations for youth aged 12-24. For example, only 25-30% of youth with MHSU concerns access the treatment they need on time, which can lead to problems carrying out daily tasks, reduced wellbeing, and decreased ability to reach important developmental milestones. For first- or second-generation East Asian immigrant youth living in Canada, the barriers to MHSU care are significant. The issue does not lie in the lack of prevention and treatment programs for MHSU disorders, but in the lack of such programs that address the unique cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors affecting East Asian immigrant youth and their families. This project will improve first- and second-generation East Asian immigrant youth health by gaining a better understanding of their needs, and working with them to improve MHSU services. For my methods, I will create a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) consisting of diverse first- and second-generation East Asian immigrant youth from across British Columbia (BC) to provide feedback throughout the research process. This will ensure meaningful engagement that will drive research findings into policy and programmatic change. I will then describe the prevalence of first- and second-generation East Asian youth currently accessing and receiving MHSU services in BC using pre-existing data. Finally, I will conduct individual and group interviews with these youth and their families from eleven BC communities where youth-centred MHSU services are delivered through an integrated youth service network called Foundry. The interview questions will be co-designed with the YAC. The federal and BC governments have outlined the urgency of improving youth MHSU services. The impact of this collaboration between first- and second-generation East Asian immigrant youth, knowledge users, and researchers will be improved health outcomes for youth in BC, Canada, and beyond.