Grant: Operating Grant

Helping youth immigrants and refugees adapt to the Canadian host society is a challenge that requires the development of school programs to meet their specific needs. Over the last 6 years, the transcultural psychiatry team (McGill University), working with Montreal School Boards (high schools), has developed and qualitatively and quantitatively assessed a drama program aimed at helping such students adapt to their new environment through creative expression. At the request of a number of schools, the program was subsequently tailored to meet the needs of immigrant adolescents enrolled in special classes because of learning or behavioural problems. The main objective of the assessment of the drama workshop program for adolescents enrolled in special classes in multiethnic schools is to evaluate if the participation to this program decreases the impairment associated with emotional and behavioural symptoms (primary outcomes) and improves social adjustment as indicated by an improvement in peer relationships, and school performance (secondary outcomes). Our results will show whether the drama workshop program is beneficial to teenage immigrants and refugees with behavioural and learning difficulties that have been identified by their schools. They will also provide the basis for a discussion of high school programs designed for these young people and may prompt a rethinking of special education curricula to give greater consideration to the realities they face.