Is Religion an Alternative Source of Help for Immigrants to Maintain Their Mental Well-Being?

A number of studies have shown that religious participation is positively related to immigrants' mental well-being in the West, thus making religious venues "places of refuge" for immigrants and religion their "balm for the soul." A study in Canada in 2007 found that immigrant status is associated with lower rates of use of mental health services, which is likely caused by cultural and linguistic barriers to care. In this paper, I attempt to find if religion is an alternative source of help for immigrants when they suffer from psychological distress and whether religious participation is associated with lower rates of use of mental health facilities among immigrants. The goal of my research is to help policy makers better understand how immigrants adapt in their host countries when facing barriers to access to certain important resources, in this case, culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services. 

            I will conduct my analysis within the Canadian context, where there is universal health insurance. My analysis will be based on data provided by the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-being. The variable mental well-being is defined by the "psychological well-being manifestation scale" in the survey. Consisting of 25 questions ranging from "self-confidence" to "pace of living" on five scales, these measurements are combined into one continuous variable. Religious participation can be defined by the two questions on how religious respondents feel about themselves, and their frequency of attending religious activities. The survey also contains a section on health care utilization, thus making it possible for me to analyze the relationship between religious participation and the use of mental health services.