Risk factors for mental health problems and illnesses
One out of five Canadian older adults surveyed experienced emotional distress that they found difficult to cope with on their own. This is slightly higher than in the other Commonwealth countries (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2017). Immigrant and refugee older adults are at high risk of developing mental health problems and illnesses due to a number of unique challenges that affect their mental health and well-being, as outlined below (Neilson, 2010; Spence & Koehn, 2010).
Loss of social status
Chronic physical health problems
Social isolation
Language barriers
Feeling of “aging in the wrong place”
Loss of independence
Elder abuse/neglect
Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 has had a serious health impact and has resulted in higher mortality rate for older adults. In addition, it has had detrimental impacts on the social and emotional well-being of this age group. These effects are also true for older adult immigrants and refugees.
Unique risk factors such as racism, discrimination, language barriers, weak social networks and separation from friends and family predispose immigrant and refugee older adults to a higher risk of social isolation. The pandemic and fear of the virus have exacerbated the effects of social isolation for this population, leading to deterioration in their mental health (Johnson et al., 2021).