Research

Mental Health Needs Assessment

Wellness Counselling Centre for You Canada has been working with community partners to conduct a Community-based Participatory Research on needs assessment for mental health and wellbeing of Chinese international student in the Greater Toronto Area.

This study aims to identify the main barriers to international students’ participation in existing mental health services and explore feasible methods to effectively help international students who are silently enduring mental health problems without seeking help. It seeks to understand the referral methods and processing systems currently used by parents, international students, and relevant service personnel, identify existing service gaps, and develop effective strategies to improve the mental health of Chinese international students in Canada.

This project has received a positive response from TDSB and the international student community. It has successfully completed the first phase of stakeholder consultations. 16 interviews were conducted with professionals who work with international students in variety of settings such as, TDSB trustees, school settlement workers, tutoring centre staff, immigration consultants, private and public high school, principles/teachers, Guidance counsellors, School trustee and MPP, Learning Strategist.

We have also hosted a community forum with panel discussion and six focus groups with international students, home stay providers, custodians, student advisers and parents to collect data.