National survey data show steep falls in life satisfaction and self-rated health among migrant girls, alongside rising sadness, hopelessness and stress-related complaints.
A new Canadian study suggests migrant girls are among the young people most at risk of worsening mental health, even as broader teen well-being has declined across the country in recent years. The research, published in the Journal of School Health by academics at the University of Regina and the University of British Columbia, analysed responses from more than 76,000 students aged 11 to 15 in national surveys carried out in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
The findings point to a sharp deterioration in several measures of well-being for migrant girls over that period. The share reporting high life satisfaction fell from 25.7% to 19.9%, while the proportion describing their health as good or excellent dropped from 81.6% to 68.2%. At the same time, reports of sadness or hopelessness rose from 32.9% to 44%, and stress-related complaints such as headaches, stomach aches and sleep problems increased by 30%. Self-rated health also declined among migrant boys.
Daniel Ji, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor in the University of Regina’s faculty of social work, said the project was designed to compare migrant adolescents with their non-migrant peers over several years. Speaking in material released alongside the study, he said it is unusual to find national-level research focused on migrant teenagers’ mental well-being and argued that the results show a need for stronger support. The researchers also noted that some of the decline may reflect the wider shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, while Ji said the pandemic may also have intensified anti-Asian sentiment in Canada and elsewhere.
Even so, the study identified signs of resilience among newcomer youth. Migrant adolescents generally reported fewer recurring health complaints than Canadian-born students. In 2022, migrant girls reported greater self-confidence than non-migrant girls, and migrant boys reported fewer health complaints than boys born in Canada. The authors suggested that the experience of migration and settlement may, for some young people, strengthen resilience when it is backed by family, community and personal supports.
To help interpret the results, the team brought together a youth advisory group of migrant teenagers from across Canada. The group pointed to the pandemic, cultural stigma, shifting attitudes towards cultural identity and the growing influence of social media as possible drivers of the trend. Ji said schools are particularly well placed to help because they can reach young people regardless of family income or immigration status, and he called for culturally safe school-based mental health support linked to community organisations. The broader survey framework used in the study is part of Canada’s long-running Health Behaviour in School-aged Children programme, a World Health Organisation-linked study that has tracked the health of 11- to 15-year-olds every four years since 1989.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
