Transitions to belonging: Evaluating the impacts of a community-based physical activity program through the lens of newcomer youth’s definitions of mental health
Abstract
The immigrant population in Canada is rapidly increasing and projected to rise exponentially in the coming years. The immigrant population faces complex and diverse challenges when transitioning into a new country, and this occurrence may be uniquely experienced by youth, who are also navigating transitions in child development, most notably into adolescence. Embedded in a broader mixed methods pilot project, the aim of this thesis was to qualitatively investigate the impact of the Immigrant-based Physical Literacy for Youth (IPLAY) program on mental health and well-being. 21 Afghan refugee youth in Calgary, AB who participated in IPLAY were interviewed. Results indicated that youth held a holistic conceptualization of mental health, contrasting what is common practice in the field and literature. Such findings provide a rich tapestry of understanding into how newcomer youth define, understand, and experience mental health, and implications for stress management.
Notes
Key recommendations:
The results also indicate that programs such as IPLAY can have important and positive impacts on youth participants, and how future programming may be able to adapt to further support the growing demographic of newcomer youth.
Location: Calgary, AB
Community organizations:
1) WinSport
2) CCIS (Calgary Catholic Immigration Society)
Future research / gaps identified:
Deepen understandings of transition stress from immigration beyond just initial arrival, and create related policy options to tackle this.
Integration timeline: not defined
Key findings:
1) Youth perceived mental health as holistic, where physical health, mental health and (sometimes) the soul connect.
2) In relation to their mental health, youth discussed newfound feelings of safety in Canada, the life left behind, the role of adjustment, and new opportunities and future-oriented thinking.
3) Youth appeared to have positive mental health gains from the IPLAY program, including the opportunity to reconnect, expand social connections, experience a general source of enjoyment, and retreat from home and usual responsibilities.
4) IPLAY seemed to serve as a vehicle for broader integration, by encouraging gender interactions, creating a multicultural environment, and bolstering the youths’ motivation and confidence to engage in new activities.
Key populations: Afghan refugee youth in a physical activity program for immigrants and refugees in Calgary
Open access: Yes