Transcript Challenges we face for advancing multicultural mental health research with older adults in Ontario/Canada - Atsuko Matsuoka

Challenges we face for advancing
multicultural mental health
research with older adults in
Ontario/Canada
Ontario Multicultural Health Conference
March 17, 2012
Atsuko Matsuoka,
Associate Professor, School of Social Work,
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies,
York University.
A quick check in
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28% of current older adults are immigrants.
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More than a half of older adults in
Metropolitan Toronto are immigrants (62.3%).
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Among older immigrants who arrived in
Canada in or after 1991, 75.6% belonged to a
racialized community .
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Women represent a greater proportion of
older immigrants than men.
Source: Turcotte, M., & Schellenberg, G. (2007). A portrait of
seniors in Canada 2006 (No. 89-519-XIE). Ottawa: Minister
of Industry.
Despite this demographic trend,
little is known about important
issues faced by ethnic minority
older adults and mental health.
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Shah, Doe and Deverill (2008) found a dearth of
knowledge in geriatric psychiatry research addressing
ethnic minority older adults. They speculated on several
reasons.
1) Geriatric psychiatry researchers may be
unaware of the demographic changes;
2) Researchers may experience difficulty in
securing research funding in this field as
funding bodies may be unaware of the
demographic changes and importance of
research in this area;
3) The research funding organizations and
research institutions may be unaware of and
insensitive to ethnic differences and needs.
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 Another important issue is ageism in
our society. The Senate Committee
on aging report (2006) for example,
sees older adults as a burden to
Canadian society (see Struthers,
forthcoming).
Struthers, J. (forthcoming). Framing Aging Through the
State: Canada’s Two Senate Committees on Aging,
1963-1966 and 2006-2009, Canadian Review of Social
Policy.
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Other important issues are related to
collaboration with the ethnic minority
communities
 Among critical researchers there is
growing awareness that research needs to
not maintain or perpetuate inequality but
resist it and transform health care
systems and knowledge.
 So, anti-oppressive research and research
which utilizes intersectionality
perspectives and addresses intersectional
oppression should be promoted.
e.g. not falling into “cultural essentialism”
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At a more practical level: compensate time
and expertise provided by the community,
agencies, and individuals in research.
What is the most important thing that
OMHARN could do to best address this
challenge?
Shah, Doe and Deverill (2008) concluded:
“Until researchers, research institutions, funding
organizations and policy-makers acknowledge the rising
numbers of ethnic minority elders and recognize the
importance of using ethnic minority-specific research
data in the planning of culturally sensitive geriatric
psychiatry services and mental health promotion
programs, ethnic elders will continue to experience
difficulty in receiving culturally appropriate services”
(p.1045).
Shah, A., Doe, P. & Deverill, K. (2008). Ethnic minority elders: Are
they neglected in published geriatric psychiatry literature?
International Psychogeriatrics, 20(5), 1041-1045.
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OMHARN could
1. Raise awareness of researchers,
research institutions, funding
organizations and policy-makers
on the demographic changes and
importance of knowledge building
in this century.
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2. Counter unchecked ageism among
researchers, research
institutions, funding
organizations and policy-makers
OMHARN could
3.Promote anti-oppressive research and
perspectives which include
intersectionality.
4. Raise awareness of research
institutions, funding organizations and
policy-makers about the cost incurred to
the community, agencies, and individuals
to participate in research.
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References:
 Shah, A., Doe, P. & Deverill, K. (2008). Ethnic minority elders:
Are they neglected in published geriatric psychiatry
literature? International Psychogeriatrics, 20(5), 1041-1045.
 Struthers, J. (forthcoming). Framing Aging Through the
State: Canada’s Two Senate Committees on Aging, 1963-1966
and 2006-2009, Canadian Review of Social Policy.
 Turcotte, M., & Schellenberg, G. (2007). A portrait of seniors
in Canada 2006 (No. 89-519-XIE). Ottawa: Minister of
Industry.
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