Grant: Dissemination Events

Immigrant women as a group often experience a disproportionate share of mental health concerns and mental illness, yet there is limited understanding of strategies to foster their mental health. This knowledge translation forum planned for October 25, 2013 will be held with 80 research, policy and service provider stakeholders who are involved in supporting the wellbeing of immigrant women. Findings from a funded participatory study exploring the relationship between immigrant women's activism and mental health promotion will be shared in order to provide evidence to create an action plan to promote immigrant women's mental health and determine future directions for programs and services, research and policy change. Our community-based research study explored how immigrant women themselves express their agency and described their political activism and the meanings it has for them in relation to the settlement process. The findings, which included a focus on resilience, self determination and citizenship, will inform relevant policy and program support that can facilitate meaningful life experiences and welcoming communities, foster social integration and thus promote health and well being. Plain language fact sheets about the study findings translated into a variety of languages will be launched at this event and will offer examples of wellness strategies such as activism and self advocacy that emerged from the study. 12 immigrant women from these various language communities will develop leadership skills in the role of community mobilizers, participating in the forum and after the event, stimulating activism and other wellness strategies in their respective communities and contributing to evaluation of these initiatives. The knowledge translation forum and associated activities based on collaboration will build community capacity within immigrant women communities, strategies that themselves contribute to the wellbeing of these communities.