The mental health of older immigrant Punjabi women living in British Columbia: A provincial wide participatory research evaluation study

– South Asians make up 60% of Canada’s immigrant population, with Punjabis being the fastest-growing subpopulation of this demographic in BC. Since many Punjabi women have low health literacy skills and face cultural stigmas around mental health, community-based health promotion (CBHP) programs are needed. However, such programs typically focus on supporting affluent White groups. This participatory research project will address these gaps by evaluating the CBHP program “Healing Through Ancient Teachings,” (offered by Moving Forward Family Services) which was exclusively created for Punjabi women aged 50+ to develop coping mechanisms for their mental health.
• The 13-week program was originally created by community advocate and certified yoga teacher Ms. Jas Cheema who has served the BC Punjabi community for 35+ years. Despite the program being offered twice to the community, where the feedback stated decreased feelings of anxiety and depression, a program evaluation would help measure whether it is serving the community’s needs. The proposed project will provide an opportunity to collaborate with the Punjabi community and identify recommendations for future programs.

Faculty Supervisor:

Barbara Mitchell

Student:

Partner:

Moving Forward Family Services

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program: