Migration and young people's mental health in Canada: A scoping review

Background: Young people's mental health is a public health priority. Given the influences of migration and resettlement on mental health, synthesis of current research with young people from migrant backgrounds can help inform mental health promotion initiatives that account for and are responsive to their needs.Aims: This article distils the results of a review of published literature on the mental health of adolescent immigrants (ages 10-19) living in Canada.Method: Scoping review methods were used to define inclusion and exclusion criteria; inform the search strategies; and extract and synthesize key findings.Results: Fourteen articles met criteria for inclusion. Analysis of the studies indicate diversity in mental health indicators, e.g., mental distress, emotional problems and behavioral problems, as well as a wide range of influences on mental health from age at migration and length of stay to place of residence, income and discrimination.Conclusions: Findings support the need to account for the array of influences on young people's mental health in relation to migration and to augment initiatives beyond the level of individual intervention.