IMG Mental Health and Coping Strategies

Dear fellow IMGs,

We are conducting a survey to understand the mental health challenges IMGs face since their immigration to Canada. We also want to identify the coping strategies IMGs are taking and to what extent they have been helpful or not. Please help us to understand this important issue by completing this survey.

The information is confidential. Your responses will be presented in aggregate format.

Please complete the survey by Sunday, July 24th.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact our research and evaluation coordinator at research@aimga.ca

- Step 1 of 3

Mental health challenges

The following questions will try to assess how your mental health have been challenged since immigration to Canada such as by causing anxiety, depression, and/or stress.

In relation to your experience in Canada since you have immigrated: (PSS-4)

	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?	Never1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? Never	Almost never1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? Almost never	Sometimes1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? Sometimes	Fairly often1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? Fairly often	Very often1. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? Very often
2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?	Never2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? Never	Almost never2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? Almost never	Sometimes2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? Sometimes	Fairly often2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? Fairly often	Very often2. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? Very often
3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?	Never3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way? Never	Almost never3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way? Almost never	Sometimes3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way? Sometimes	Fairly often3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way? Fairly often	Very often3. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way? Very often
4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?	Never4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? Never	Almost never4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? Almost never	Sometimes4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? Sometimes	Fairly often4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? Fairly often	Very often4. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? Very often

In relation to your experience in Canada since you have immigrated (PHQ-9)

	Not at all	Several days	More than half the days	Nearly everyday
1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things	Not at all1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things Not at all	Several days1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things Several days	More than half the days1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things More than half the days	Nearly everyday1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things Nearly everyday
2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless	Not at all2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Not at all	Several days2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Several days	More than half the days2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless More than half the days	Nearly everyday2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Nearly everyday
3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much	Not at all3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much Not at all	Several days3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much Several days	More than half the days3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much More than half the days	Nearly everyday3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much Nearly everyday
4. Feeling tired or having little energy	Not at all4. Feeling tired or having little energy Not at all	Several days4. Feeling tired or having little energy Several days	More than half the days4. Feeling tired or having little energy More than half the days	Nearly everyday4. Feeling tired or having little energy Nearly everyday
5. Poor appetite or overeating	Not at all5. Poor appetite or overeating Not at all	Several days5. Poor appetite or overeating Several days	More than half the days5. Poor appetite or overeating More than half the days	Nearly everyday5. Poor appetite or overeating Nearly everyday
6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down	Not at all6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down Not at all	Several days6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down Several days	More than half the days6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down More than half the days	Nearly everyday6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down Nearly everyday
7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television	Not at all7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television Not at all	Several days7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television Several days	More than half the days7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television More than half the days	Nearly everyday7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television Nearly everyday
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual	Not at all8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual Not at all	Several days8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual Several days	More than half the days8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual More than half the days	Nearly everyday8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual Nearly everyday
9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way	Not at all9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way Not at all	Several days9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way Several days	More than half the days9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way More than half the days	Nearly everyday9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way Nearly everyday

In relation to your experience in Canada since you have immigrated (GAD-7)

	Not at all	Several days	More than half the days	Nearly everyday
1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge?	Not at all1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? Not at all	Several days1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? Several days	More than half the days1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? More than half the days	Nearly everyday1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? Nearly everyday
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying	Not at all2. Not being able to stop or control worrying Not at all	Several days2. Not being able to stop or control worrying Several days	More than half the days2. Not being able to stop or control worrying More than half the days	Nearly everyday2. Not being able to stop or control worrying Nearly everyday
3. Worrying too much about different things	Not at all3. Worrying too much about different things Not at all	Several days3. Worrying too much about different things Several days	More than half the days3. Worrying too much about different things More than half the days	Nearly everyday3. Worrying too much about different things Nearly everyday
4. Trouble relaxing	Not at all4. Trouble relaxing Not at all	Several days4. Trouble relaxing Several days	More than half the days4. Trouble relaxing More than half the days	Nearly everyday4. Trouble relaxing Nearly everyday
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still	Not at all5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still Not at all	Several days5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still Several days	More than half the days5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still More than half the days	Nearly everyday5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still Nearly everyday
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable	Not at all6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable Not at all	Several days6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable Several days	More than half the days6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable More than half the days	Nearly everyday6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable Nearly everyday
7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen	Not at all7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen Not at all	Several days7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen Several days	More than half the days7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen More than half the days	Nearly everyday7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen Nearly everyday

Next

Coping strategies

The following questions will try to understand how you have been coping with the mental health challenges since immigration.

How would you rate your overall coping ability against the mental health challenges you have faced since immigration to Canada?

Selected Value: 0

Please rate from 0 to 10, 0 being the lowest ability and 10 being the highest ability.

What form of support have you taken to cope with the mental health challenges you have faced since immigration to Canada? (Select all that apply)

• Professional support from a psychiatrist (MD)
• Professional support from a psychologist
• Professional support from my family physician
• Other form of professional support (e.g., social and community-based mental health support worker, online support, etc.)
• Support from partner or family members
• Support from friends
• Support from other IMGs
• Support from my immigrant community
• Joining a mental health support group
• Support from employers at workplace
• Support from colleagues at workplace
• Religious/spiritual support
• Meditation
• Physical activity (e.g., exercise, sports, etc.)
• Alcohol consumption
• Cannabis consumption
• Other substance/drug use
• Other
• None

Please explain

Please describe your experiences with any form of mental health support that you have sought and how they have helped or haven't helped you.

Next

Sociodemographic factors

Please answer the following questions regarding socio-demographic factors that may be influence our mental health

Your age

• 18-25
• 26-35
• 36-45
• 46-55
• 56-65
• >65

Your gender

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary

Please explain

Country of originAfghanistanÅland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia (Plurinational State of)Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea (Democratic People's Republic of)Korea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia (Federated States of)Moldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRéunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited States of AmericaUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)Viet NamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Household composition

• Lives alone
• Lives with partner/spouse
• Lives with family members (parents, grandparents, children, etc.)
• Lives with roommate(s)

Immigration status

• Citizen
• Permanent resident
• Refugee
• Temporary migrant (e.g., international student, temporary foreign worker, etc.)

In what year did you arrive in Canada?1950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022

What is your employment status?

• Employed (full-time)
• Employed (part-time)
• Studying full-time
• Unemployed, seeking work
• Unemployed, not seeking work

What is your job/position title?

What are you studying?

Will you be interested in learning more about and/or participating in the 'Mindfulness' program?

• Yes
• No

If you are interested, you will be asked to provide your email and phone number to reach out to you with more information.

Email

Phone

Thank you for completing the survey.

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