Refugee Mental Health and Addictions Fact Sheets for Service Providers, developed by Manitoba Health as part of the Refugee Mental Health project.
Refugees may be at risk for mental health and substance misuse issues due to traumatic war-related experiences and their displacement. This can include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic symptoms and addiction. Often the symptoms related to these issues may not surface immediately after arrival, but months or years after arriving in Canada.
If a person is functioning and doing well, it is recommended that service providers do not inquire about traumatic experiences. However, providers should be alert to signs and symptoms of post-traumatic symptoms and other mental health and addiction issues or illnesses in this population. The following resources have been developed for service providers working with refugees to increase awareness of the signs of distress in children, youth and adults; how to respond and where referrals can be made to access formal mental health and addiction services:
Mental Health & Addictions Services for REFUGEES: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/primarycare/providers/docs/triageguide_resource_list.pdfMor
Optimizing Well-being and Responding to Emotional Distress of CHILDREN AND YOUTH: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/primarycare/providers/docs/triageguide_cy.pdf
Optimizing Well-being and Responding to Emotional Distress of ADULTS: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/primarycare/providers/docs/triageguide_adult.pdf
