Grant: Master's Award - PA: RPP - Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada provides refuge to thousands of people each year; in order to become positive contributors to society, refugees must become well settled and be in good physical and mental health. However, refugees experience many risks to their mental health, such as trauma in their home country, the stress of moving to a new country and leaving loved ones behind, as well as the difficulties of settling into a new context. Past research has found that refugee men and women experience these stresses differently, so mental health services need to take gender into account when working with refugees. In the city of St. John's, Newfoundland, there are no mental health services that cater to the city's refugee residents. This research project will use interviews to learn about refugee men and women's experiences of mental health in St. John's, with the goal of understanding how mental health services can best serve refugees in the city. As such, the results of this research project can improve mental health services for refugees in St. John's, helping them reach their full potential.