Barriers and facilitators associated with the use of mental health services among immigrant students in high-income countries: A systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Immigrant students face various challenges in high-income countries that can contribute to the decline of their mental well-being upon arrival in their host country. Despite the growing population of these students in several high-income countries, there is inadequate attention given to their mental health needs and their access to mental health services. Thus, this systematic scoping review aimed to identify gaps in existing research relating to the barriers and facilitators associated with access to and use of mental health services in high-income countries. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-ScR checklist as guidance we systematically searched Ovid Medline, APA PsycInfo, Education Source, CINAHL, Web of Science databases for peer reviewed articles related to barriers and facilitators of mental health service use among immigrant students. We conducted a narrative evidence synthesis to highlight barriers and facilitators to the use of mental health services. RESULTS: Out of the 2407 articles initially found, 47 studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for this review. The increasing attention towards the mental health concerns of immigrant students and their access to mental health services is evident. However, various barriers like stigma, insufficient knowledge, or adherence to traditional gender roles (such as masculinity) hinder their utilization of these services. On the other hand, factors such as being a woman, having a strong sense of cultural adaptation, or possessing adequate mental health literacy serve as facilitators for accessing mental health services. CONCLUSION: These students have unique experiences, and their needs are often unmet. To improve their mental health and use of mental health services, it is important to consider the barriers they face and their unique experience in their specific life context and to develop tailored prevention and intervention programs.

Barriers and facilitators associated with the use of mental health services among immigrant students in high-income countries: a scoping review protocol.

BACKGROUND: While the mental health of immigrants is a growing issue that is attracting increasing interest from researchers, the same cannot be said for the mental health of immigrant students especially for international students. Indeed, the mental health of immigrant students and their use of mental health services are still poorly documented despite the significant increase in the number of these students in many high-income countries. This scoping review aims to providing an overview and exploring gaps in existing research regarding access to mental health care among immigrant students by identifying barriers and facilitators associated with the use of mental health services in high-income countries. METHODS: With the help of a professional librarian, we will develop a search strategy including several keywords such as mental health, mental illness, immigrant, students, immigrant students, or international students and access to care or use of mental health services. The following electronic databases will be searched (from their inception onwards): MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Education Source, and Embase. Studies addressing access to and use of mental health care conducted on immigrant students (adolescent and above) in high-income countries will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods. DISCUSSION: The purpose of this scoping review is to better map the literature on the mental health of immigrant students and their use of mental health care services. In doing so, we aim to identify barriers and facilitators to access and use of mental health care. Identifying barriers and facilitators of mental health services by immigrant students will support the development of appropriate interventions that can help improve access and use of mental health services by immigrant students in high-income countries. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework ( osf.io/a2rk6 ).