How Are Non-Medical Settlement Service Organizations Supporting Access to Healthcare and Mental Health Services for Immigrants: A Scoping Review

Ayesha Ratnayake, Shahab Sayfi, Luisa Veronis, Sara Torres, Sihyun Baek and Kevin Pottie
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Ayesha Ratnayake: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Shahab Sayfi: Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Luisa Veronis: Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Sara Torres: School of Social Work, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
Sihyun Baek: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Kevin Pottie: C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Following resettlement in high-income countries, many immigrants and refugees experience barriers to accessing primary healthcare. Local non-medical settlement organizations, such as the Local Immigration Partnerships in Canada, that support immigrant integration, may also support access to mental health and healthcare services for immigrant populations. This scoping review aims to identify and map the types and characteristics of approaches and interventions that immigrant settlement organizations undertake to support access to primary healthcare for clients. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Social Services Abstracts, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases from 1 May 2013 to 31 May 2021 and mapped research findings using the Social-Ecological Model. The search identified 3299 citations; 10 studies met all inclusion criteria. Results suggest these organizations support access to primary healthcare services, often at the individual, relationship and community level, by collaborating with health sector partners in the community, connecting clients to health services and service providers, advocating for immigrant health, providing educational programming, and initiating community development/mobilization and advocacy activities. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of local non-medical immigrant settlement organizations involved in health care planning and service delivery on reducing barriers to access in order for primary care services to reach marginalized, high-need immigrant populations.

Keywords: immigrants; refugees; primary healthcare access; settlement service organizations; health equity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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