A qualitative study of refugee men's mental health in non-metropolitan Manitoba

In bringing together literature on masculinity, refugee mental health experiences, and rural and non metropolitan settings, we identify a gap surrounding the mental health experiences of refugee men in non metropolitan places, and in non-metropolitan Canada specifically. In this article, we explore how refugee men in non-metropolitan Canada understood mental health; what they perceive to be the most significant barriers to good mental health; and the perceived access to and quality of support services. This collaborative qualitative study of refugee men's mental health was based in Brandon, Manitoba, and involved focus groups with a total of 29 participants, conducted in three different languages. Participants were from various countries in East Africa and the Middle East and ranged in age from 18 to 61 years old. Participants revealed diverse understandings of mental health related to cultural and religious/spiritual teachings as well as stressors that were embedded in their non-metropolitan community and their transnational journeys and relationships. Participants also indicated that both local stressors (e.g., employment/unemployment problems, challenges making a life/future) and distant stressors (e.g., concern for the safety of family in the participants' home countries, the separation of family participants due to migration, logistical difficulties in communicating with loved ones outside of Canada, and grief over war and conflict in participants' countries of origin) significantly impacted their mental health. We conclude that a holistic approach to health supports, including mental, physical, and spiritual wellness is important for refugee men in rural/non-metropolitan areas. These findings can inform policies, programs and funding of initiatives supporting newcomers and refugees to rural and non-metropolitan areas and contributes meaningfully to the refugee dispersion debate in Canada.