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
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Search continues for 'armed man' in Dartmouth, N.S.
Police say they continue to search for an armed man who allegedly threatened people in Dartmouth, N.S.
Swarm of bees delays Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles game in Arizona. An 'MVP' beekeeper came to the rescue
Major League Baseball fans had an unexpected buzz on Tuesday after a swarm of bees delayed the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game for around two hours.
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
It's opening day for the $34B Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion
Wednesday marks the official start date of the long-awaited $34-billion Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project.