Experiences and Perceptions of Mental Health Interventions, Services, and Programs among Women Living with Varying Immigration Statuses in Canada: A Qualitative Systematic Review

06/07/2026

AI Summary

Intersection of immigration status, race and gender reveals higher rates of acute and chronic mental health concerns among women.
Culturally misaligned mental health care exacerbates barriers for racialised women, limiting acceptability and effectiveness of services.
Women recommend equity informed, culturally tailored supports and improved access conditions to address systemic racism and immigration related vulnerabilities.

AI Summary

Health, immigration status, race, and gender are intersecting concepts that reveal higher rates of acute and chronic mental health concerns among women.

This qualitative systematic review aimed to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize qualitative evidence on how women living with diverse immigration statuses experience mental health interventions in Canada.

A total of 107 findings consisting of participants' verbatim quotes were extracted from 18 studies and aggregated into the following synthesized findings: (1) Women's socio-emotional well-being, (2) Culturally misaligned mental health care among racialized women, (3) Women's cultural preferences and access conditions, and (4) Women's recommendations for improving mental health care and support.

Basic summary

J Immigr Minor Health. 2026 Jul 6. doi: 10.1007/s10903-026-01950-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Health, immigration status, race, and gender are intersecting concepts that reveal higher rates of acute and chronic mental health concerns among women. This qualitative systematic review aimed to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize qualitative evidence on how women living with diverse immigration statuses experience mental health interventions in Canada. Literature was searched using Medline (Ovid) and then translated into each of the following databases: Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Ebsco), PsycINFO (Ebsco), Web of Science, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO; and Web of Science. Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methods and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, studies published between 2003 and 2025 were identified and screened within Covidence for quality using the standard JBI critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. A total of 107 findings consisting of participants’ verbatim quotes were extracted from 18 studies and aggregated into the following synthesized findings: (1) Women’s socio-emotional well-being, (2) Culturally misaligned mental health care among racialized women, (3) Women’s cultural preferences and access conditions, and (4) Women’s recommendations for improving mental health care and support. Implications of the review findings address gaps in equity-informed mental health services tailored to women living at the intersections of racism and diverse immigration status in Canada.

PMID:42406204 | DOI:10.1007/s10903-026-01950-8

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