ME #2

Jaydon Anderson 

Dr. Walmalwa 

CODE120 

19 October 2026 

Analysis of Key Stakeholders 

For stakeholders, I will be analyzing information that I can curate about the Mental Health of African Immigrants. 

My citations to relevant sources: 

Stakeholders are directly involved within a system. Sometimes stakeholders can be things, places, or people. For this instance, African immigrants will be the main subject we will analyze as our stakeholders in the system of health and wellbeing. The health and wellbeing of African Immigrants is important, no matter which country they are in. This essay will help us to determine how we can improve the health and wellbeing of African immigrants, while debunking the generalizations that have been created over time. I will use research for authorized databases to pull trustworthy and valid evidence for impactful, real word application and education. 

“”If You Say You Have Mental Health Issues, Then You Are Mad”: Perceptions of Mental Health in the Parenting Practices of African Immigrants in Canada”, is a scholarly journal located on EBSCOhost, which is a database widely used to find reputable sources for research just like this. In this journal, authors’ Sophie Yohani, Bukola Salami, Philimina Okoke-Ihejirka, Helen Valliantos, Dominic Alaazi, and Christina Nsaliwa come together to investigate the perceptions of mental health among the African immigrants who reside in Canada and how these perceptions currently impact parenting within the African immigrant community. The results found within this journal read: 

“Our thematic analysis of the data produced four major themes that describe percep- tions of mental health and child mental health promotion practices of African immigrants in the study, including (1) Mental health as synonymous to mental Canadian Ethnic Studies/Études ethniques au Canada illness, (2) Mental health challenges as a spiritual problem, (3) Stigma and mental health, and (4) Contesting concepts of mental health diagnoses and treatment (54).” 

This conclusion that was yielded from Canadian Ethnic Studies is important to note when trying to deepen the understanding of how the mental health of African immigrants. The qualitative research gathered allows to confidently see that African immigrants often view mental health as a negative or spiritual problem, rather than something that can be addressed as a real issue that can be treated. 

There is another scholarly journal that is worth noting when it comes to bettering the overall understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of African immigrants called “Willingness to Use Mental Health Services for Depression Among African Immigrants and White Canadian‑Born People in the Province of Quebec, Canada”. In this journal, Tchaa Balakiyéme Boukpessi, Lonzozou Kpanake and Jean‑Pierre Gagnier deeply analyze the African immigrant community in Quebec in 2020. Their research shows how African Immigrants are less likely to search for mental health services when dealing with depression compared to White Canadian born individuals: 

“African immigrants (N = 262) and White Canadian-born people (N = 250) living in Montreal, Canada, indicated their willingness to use mental health services under different conditions varying as a function of four factors: the severity of symptoms, the waiting time for first consultation, the type of care offered in the mental health service, and whether informal sources of help were available. Seven qualitatively different positions were identified: Never Consult (18% of the African immigrants and 1% of the White Canadian-born people); Hesitant (18% of the African immi- grants and 7% of the White Canadian-born people); Depends on Waiting Time (16% of the African immigrants); Depends on Waiting Time and Symptoms (22% of the African immigrants); Depends on Symptoms (36% of the White Canadian-born people and 6% of the African immigrants); Willing to consult (33% of the White Canadian-born people and 2% of the African immigrants); Certain to Consult (9% of the White Canadian-born people and 4% of the African immigrants), while 14% of participants in each group did not express any position. African immigrants were more likely to underuse mental health services, compared with White Canadian-born people (1).” 

This research is incredibly valuable because it uses quantitative and qualitative data to create a better understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of African Immigrants.  

With the information from these two sources alone, the African immigrant community can be better understood from an educated standpoint. The analysis gathered from “”If You Say You Have Mental Health Issues, Then You Are Mad”: Perceptions of Mental Health in the Parenting Practices of African Immigrants in Canada” allows us to truly see how the African immigrant community perceives mental health, so we do not have to assume from an outsider’s standing point. The following analyzed journal, “Willingness to Use Mental Health Services for Depression Among African Immigrants and White Canadian‑Born People in the Province of Quebec, Canada” uses a more mathematical approach, showing how mental health care services for African immigrants shouldn’t be the same as all other populations, and must be “tailored” in order to better address their needs as stakeholders. 

Works Cited 

Yohani, Sophie, et al. “‘If You Say You Have Mental Health Issues, Then You Are Mad’: Perceptions of Mental Health in the Parenting Practices of African Immigrants in Canada.” Canadian Ethnic Studies, vol. 52, no. 3, Sept. 2020, pp. 47–66. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1353/ces.2020.0016. 

Balakiyéme, Boukpessi T., et al. “Willingness to Use Mental Health Services for Depression Among African Immigrants and White Canadian-Born People in the Province of Quebec, Canada.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, vol. 23, no. 2, 2021, pp. 320-328. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/willingness-use-mental-health-services-depression/docview/2493882351/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01061-y.