| Author/Presenter |
Mengxuan Annie Xu (Government of Nova Scotia) |
| Co-author |
Ted McDonald (University of New Brunswick) |
| Title |
The Mental Health of Immigrants and Minorities in Canada: Social and Economic Effects |
| Abstract |
Using results obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of immigrant mental health from a population health perspective. An integrated mental health index is estimated in relation to various socio-economic and demographic conditions. The estimation model is also extended to include variables reflecting mental health difference among immigrants with different arrival period as well as variables measuring ethnic network effect. The study confirms that mental health is closely related to demographic and socio-economic factors. A better mental health status is found for immigrant men compared to their comparable native-born counterparts, while no such difference was found for women. The study also reveals that local ethnic network has significant effects on the mental health of immigrants and minorities. However, there is no evidence of a "healthy immigrant effect" with regard to mental health. |
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