Toronto mental health centre offers culturally sensitive help
Online courses and pandemic isolation have taken a toll on the mental health of many students. But for those coming here from other countries to study, the stress is even harder.
That’s why Hong Fook Mental Health recently created a new program, specifically to address the needs of Asian university students in the Toronto area.
“I’d say the top thing is isolation because once people lose the opportunity to meet with others, face to face, they feel like they are losing connections between one another,” says peer counsellor Ambrose Jing.
The 26-year-old began at Hong Fook as a participant in the youth program. She says students have been doing courses and assignments online, without family or other supports in Canada. Even though more people are gathering together now, many foreign students are still hesitant to open up to strangers, especially in a different language.
Executive Director Bonnie Wong says Hong Fook has been helping new immigrants overcome language barriers for 40 years now.
“With translation services, escort services, so they have access to professionals to get help,” Wong said.
She says the organization began in 1982, when Canada began seeing a wave of immigrants from Southeast Asia, like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Later, immigrants from Hong Kong and then mainland China came, each group with different language needs.
Today, Hong Fook offers services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean, plus staff often speak additional Asian languages.
And the mental health programs are presented in a culturally sensitive way.
In many Asian societies, “mental illness may be seen as a kind of family shame or weakness,” explains Wong.
Statistics show that even without language barriers, 56 per cent of people in Canada aren’t getting the mental health support they need.
Ironically, for the new International Students peer support group, the main language of communication is English. But Jing says they sometimes break into their home tongues for some lighter topics, like foods and pop culture, both Western and Asian.
She says the program doesn’t offer therapy, so much as a safe space for young people to express their emotions and tell their stories.
And she has a message of hope for Bell Let’s Talk Day – “You’ll be doing alright.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.