The presence of emotional or behavior symptoms that occur within three months of the onset of an identifiable stressor.
A person who is emotionally, physically, spiritually and/or sexually attracted to people of more than one gender, though not necessarily at the same time.
A person whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. The term also includes the understanding that a person’s gender identity, role, expectations and expression conform to society’s expectations of the gender associated with their biological sex and anatomy.
The term “client” is used throughout this course (instead of “patient”, “consumer” or other terms).
Ethnic origin is generally used by the Government of Canada to refer to the ethnic or cultural origins of a person’s ancestors. Ethnic origin does not refer to citizenship, nationality, language or place of birth.
A person who is emotionally, physically, spiritually and/or sexually attracted to the same gender. The word can refer to men or women, although some women prefer “lesbian.” It is sometimes used as an umbrella term for the LBGTQ community.
A social system whereby people are thought to have either one of two genders: “man” or “woman.” These genders are expected to correspond to birth sex: male or female. In the gender binary system, there is no room for living between genders or for transcending the gender binary. The gender binary system is rigid and restrictive for many people whose sex assigned at birth does not match up with their gender, or whose gender is fluid and not fixed.
Individuals who do not follow gender stereotypes based on the sex they were assigned at birth. They may identify and express themselves as “feminine men” or “masculine women” or as androgynous, outside of the categories “boy/man” and “girl/woman.” People who are gender non-conforming may or may not identify as trans or transgender.
GARs arerefugees, from the Convention Refugees Abroad Class, whose initial resettlement in Canada is supported by the Government of Canada or the Government of Quebec.
In high-context cultures, such as Chinese culture, other communicative cues such as body language, the understanding of unspoken rules and even silence have a more important role to play in communication. The message is not as much in the spoken word as it is embedded in the context. There is more emphasis on what is left unspoken and more responsibility on the listener to interpret the meaning.
The Canadian government defines immigrants as "persons residing in Canada, who were born outside of Canada, excluding temporary foreign workers, Canadian citizens born outside Canada and those with student or working visas". There are times when the term “immigrants” is included in the “refugee” classification and vice versa. In this course, where possible, an effort has been made to clarify the above when referencing literature.
Refers to the risk of a new event of psychosis occurring during the timeframe for the population in question, compared to the risk of a new case of psychosis occurring in the comparison group.
A person born with reproductive systems, chromosomes and/or hormones that are not easily characterized as male or female. This might include a woman with XY chromosomes or a man with ovaries instead of testes. Intersex characteristics occur in one out of every 1,500 births. Typically, intersex people are assigned one sex, male or female, at birth. Some intersex people identify with their assigned sex, while others do not, and some choose to identify as intersex. Intersex people may or may not identify as trans or transgender.
A woman who is emotionally, physically, spiritually and/or sexually attracted to women.
This course uses the term 2SLGBTQ+ (2-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus). The use of this term is not intended to be exclusive; it is recognized that terminology for sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) can vary by region and community, and across time and place (Hall & Sajnani, n.d.).
In low-context cultures, such as American culture, communication occurs predominantly through explicit statements. The message is in the spoken word. Silence and pauses are usually perceived as either signs of agreement or a lack of interest.
Mental disorders (also called mental illnesses) are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour (or some combination thereof) associated with significant distress and impaired functioning.
The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community".
Mental illnesses (also called mental disorders) are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour (or some combination thereof) associated with significant distress and impaired functioning.
A migrant is a person who is outside their country of origin.
In this course, the phrase “immigrant and refugee” may be used interchangeably with the term “newcomer,” and both will refer to immigrants and refugees who have been in Canada for less than five years.
People with disabilities include “those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments [by illness, injury or wounds] which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (United Nations [UN], 2006).
A permanent resident is a person who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen.
Formerly, a derogatory slang term used to identify 2SLGBTQ+ people. Some members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community have reclaimed queer as an identity and use it to describe their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission describes people as “racialized person” or “racialized group” instead of the terms “racial minority,” “visible minority,” “person of colour” or “non-White,” as “racialized” expresses race as a social construct rather than as a description based on perceived biological traits. The term “racialized” is used in this course, except when referring to sources which use different terminology (e.g., visible minority, South Asian, etc.). In those cases, the original terms from the literature are used.
The United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees defines a refugee as someone who, "owing to a well-founded fear or being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country". There are times when the term “immigrants” is included in the “refugee” classification and vice versa. In this course, where possible, an effort has been made to clarify the above when referencing literature.
A temporary resident is a person who has permission to remain in Canada on a temporary basis. The three main types of temporary residence are: (1) visitors, (2) students, and (3) workers.
Umbrella terms that describe people with diverse gender identities and gender expressions that do not conform to stereotypical ideas about what it means to be a girl/woman or boy/man in society. “Trans” can mean transcending beyond, existing between, or crossing over the gender spectrum. It includes but is not limited to people who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming (gender variant or gender-queer).
Trans identities include people whose gender identity is different from the gender associated with their birth-assigned sex. Trans people may or may not undergo medically supportive treatments, such as hormone therapy and a range of surgical procedures, to align their bodies with their internally felt gender identity.
A term used by Indigenous Peoples to describe from a cultural perspective people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or intersex. It is used to capture a concept that exists in many different Indigenous cultures and languages. For some, the term two-spirit describes a societal and spiritual role that certain people played within traditional societies. They were often mediators, keepers of certain ceremonies and transcended accepted roles of men and women by filling a role as an established middle gender.
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993, Article 1) defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”
Visible minority refers to “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour”. This term is used by some researchers; however, the term “racialized” will be used throughout this course.