With lived experiences of just how difficult it is to move to Canada for an education, University of Calgary researchers have set out to examine the mental health of current and recently-graduated international students and the gaps in services available to support them.Research coordinator Shamsa Mistry and social work assistant professor Monica Sesma Vasquez at a conference where they presented their idea for the research project.
"I came in 2021 with my family, two kids, my husband and had my own journey, my own struggle navigating how to survive and how to live as an international student with my family," said Mistry. "Many of these crises like housing, medical supports, mental health supports — I think it's because all of these international students fall in the land of nobody," said Sesma Vazquez."That means many of these students come with families, and also their families fall in the gap of many things."Isa Isip moved to Calgary from the Philippines in 2022 with her two daughters and her husband to pursue postgraduate studies.
Coming from a culture that isn't very outspoken about mental health, Isip said she often felt like she was on her own."I think this will open a lot of conversations about mental health and mental health preparedness when you are preparing to uproot yourself and bring yourself to another country."As for Mistry and Sesma Vazquez, so far, they've completed seven interviews and received 28 completed survey responses.
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