Laura Simich
Biographic Data
| ID | 148106 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Laura Simich |
| GIVEN NAMES | Laura |
| FAMILY NAME | Simich |
| SIGNATURE | SIMICH L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 280 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Perceptions and understandings of mental health from three Sudanese communities in Canada
As Canada becomes increasingly ethno-culturally diverse, health and human services professionals are challenged to provide mental health services that effectively meet the needs of newcomer populations. Currently, there is a dearth of literature focused on the ways in which members of Sudanese communities in Canada understand or make meaning of the constructs of mental health and illness. The purpose of this article is to explore the perceptions …
Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Risk Drinking in Ontario Ethnic Groups
This article examines prevalence and gender differences of alcohol use and risk drinking in a representative sample of Ontario adults. Data were drawn from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor survey of Ontario adults aged 18 and older collected between January 2005 and December 2010. The prevalence of self-reported lifetime, current, and high-risk drinking were all higher among the Canadian and the European-origin groups com…
Sudanese and Somali Refugees in Canada: Social Support Needs and Preferences
The aim of the study was to identify the unique support needs and preferences of African refugees in Canada. In‐depth interviews were conducted with Sudanese and Somali refugees (n=68) living in two cities in central and western Canada. Refugees were interviewed individually to identify their support needs, current sources of support, available support programmes, barriers to access to support resources, and preferred support interventions. These…
Supporting African refugees in Canada: Insights from a support intervention
Although evidence suggests the importance of social support for refugees, this knowledge has not been invoked to systematically develop culturally congruent support interventions that help refugees adapt to life in receiving countries. The objective of this study was to design and pilot test a culturally congruent intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two ethno-culturally distinct refugee groups. Support was delivered to So…
Impacts of a social support intervention for Somali and Sudanese refugees in Canada
Purpose The aim of this paper is to design and pilot test a culturally tailored intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two refugee groups. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a multi‐method participatory research design and was conducted in two urban centres in western and central Canada. Support was delivered to Sudanese and Somali refugees ( n =58), by trained peer and professional helpers, in face‐to‐face group…
Regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: Results from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS)
Meanings of home and mental well-being among Sudanese refugees in Canada
Qualities of home that Sudanese lack during resettlement points to critical gaps that must be filled by mental health and other service providers to promote positive refugee mental health in countries of resettlement
From social liminality to cultural negotiation: Transformative processes in immigrant mental wellbeing
The underlying psychosocial processes that produce immigrant mental wellbeing are understudied in anthropology and medicine. This paper provides insights into these processes by describing culturally diverse immigrants' perceptions of mental health and adaptation strategies. Qualitative data were collected from 21 focus groups as part of a large, multidisciplinary, participatory action research project about mental health with five ethnolinguisti…
Developing Theory From Complexity: Reflections on a Collaborative Mixed Method Participatory Action Research Study
Research studies are increasingly complex: They draw on multiple methods to gather data, generate both qualitative and quantitative data, and frequently represent the perspectives of more than one stakeholder. The teams that generate them are increasingly multidisciplinary. A commitment to engaging community members in the research process often adds a further layer of complexity. How to approach a synthesizing analysis of these multiple and vari…
Post-Disaster Mental Distress Relief: Health Promotion and Knowledge Exchange in Partnership with a Refugee Diaspora Community
After the 2004 Asian tsunami, a group of concerned scientists, physicians, and community service providers united to form a Local Distress Relief Network (LDRN) to provide information, referral, and care to affected members of the large Sri Lankan Tamil community in Toronto. The LDRN organized a workshop that brought together community-based organizations and international and local experts in mental health and disaster response to review existin…
Multicultural Meanings of Social Support among Immigrants and Refugees
Canada continues to be a prominent immigrant and refugee‐receiving country in worldwide migration, resettlement, and search for refuge, yet there is a gap in our understanding of these newcomers’ views of the specific meanings of social support and their support needs and resources. The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings of social support for immigrants and refugees in Canada, and to explore the types and adequacy of formal supp…
Reciprocity: An ethic for community-based participatory action research
Ethical issues have been of ongoing interest in discussions of community-based participatory action research (CBPAR). In this article we suggest that the notion of reciprocity — defined as an ongoing process of exchange with the aim of establishing and maintaining equality between parties — can provide a guide to the ethical practice of CBPAR. Through sharing our experiences with a CBPAR project focused on mental health services and supports in s…
Status and Health Security: An Exploratory Study of Irregular Immigrants in Toronto
Mental Distress, Economic Hardship and Expectations of Life in Canada among Sudanese Newcomers
As part of a settlement needs assessment of 220 recently arrived Sudanese refugees and immigrants in seven cities, we examined overall health status, indicators of mental distress, economic hardship and expectations of life in Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Results indicate that those Sudanese for whom life in Canada was not what they expected and those who experienced economi…
Providing Social Support for Immigrants and Refugees in Canada: Challenges and Directions
Social Support and the Significance of Shared Experience in Refugee Migration and Resettlement
This article examines the role of social support as a determinant of refugee well-being and migration patterns during early resettlement. Analysis is based on qualitative in-depth inter-views with 47 government-assisted refugees in Canada and 38 key informants (settlement service providers and immigration officials) in Canada and overseas. The study describes refugees' decision making during stages of migration and resettlement, from whom they se…
Reinforcing refugee resettlement: An introduction to private sponsorship and partnerships
Negotiating Boundaries of Refugee Resettlement: A Study of Settlement Patterns and Social Support
Cet article analyse des aspects du processus bureaucratique dans la négociation du lieu d'établissement et du soutien social par et pour les réfugiés réétablis au Canada. Les questions théoriques soulevées comprennent la capacité d'adaptation des réfugiés et les effets des structures du pouvoir sur des réseaux de migrants. ***Il décrit une étude qualitative des raisons sous‐jacentes à la migration secondaire vers l'Ontario des réfugiés subvention…
Community in Distress: Mental Health Needs and Help‐seekingin the Tamil Community in Toronto
Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration
Laura Simich, Morton Beiser, Farah Mawani, Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration, Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec., 2002), pp. 597-607
Christian Fundamentalism and Nuclear Threat
The literature on Christian fundamentalism' has grown dramatically in recent years. [We define Christian as Christians who believe in Biblical inerrancy, would consider themselves reborn, may or may not speak in tongues, and in their belief systems probably ascribe to a fairly modern reading of biblical prophecies, especially the book of Revelation. We believe this definition is historically and sociologically accurate and avoids parochial, denom…
Reciprocity: An ethic for community-based participatory action research
Ethical issues have been of ongoing interest in discussions of community-based participatory action research (CBPAR). In this article we suggest that the notion of reciprocity — defined as an ongoing process of exchange with the aim of establishing and maintaining equality between parties — can provide a guide to the ethical practice of CBPAR. Through sharing our experiences with a CBPAR project focused on mental health services and supports in s…
Multicultural Meanings of Social Support among Immigrants and Refugees
Canada continues to be a prominent immigrant and refugee‐receiving country in worldwide migration, resettlement, and search for refuge, yet there is a gap in our understanding of these newcomers’ views of the specific meanings of social support and their support needs and resources. The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings of social support for immigrants and refugees in Canada, and to explore the types and adequacy of formal supp…
Sudanese and Somali Refugees in Canada: Social Support Needs and Preferences
The aim of the study was to identify the unique support needs and preferences of African refugees in Canada. In‐depth interviews were conducted with Sudanese and Somali refugees (n=68) living in two cities in central and western Canada. Refugees were interviewed individually to identify their support needs, current sources of support, available support programmes, barriers to access to support resources, and preferred support interventions. These…
Mental Distress, Economic Hardship and Expectations of Life in Canada among Sudanese Newcomers
As part of a settlement needs assessment of 220 recently arrived Sudanese refugees and immigrants in seven cities, we examined overall health status, indicators of mental distress, economic hardship and expectations of life in Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Results indicate that those Sudanese for whom life in Canada was not what they expected and those who experienced economi…
Negotiating Boundaries of Refugee Resettlement: A Study of Settlement Patterns and Social Support
Cet article analyse des aspects du processus bureaucratique dans la négociation du lieu d'établissement et du soutien social par et pour les réfugiés réétablis au Canada. Les questions théoriques soulevées comprennent la capacité d'adaptation des réfugiés et les effets des structures du pouvoir sur des réseaux de migrants. ***Il décrit une étude qualitative des raisons sous‐jacentes à la migration secondaire vers l'Ontario des réfugiés subvention…
Supporting African refugees in Canada: Insights from a support intervention
Although evidence suggests the importance of social support for refugees, this knowledge has not been invoked to systematically develop culturally congruent support interventions that help refugees adapt to life in receiving countries. The objective of this study was to design and pilot test a culturally congruent intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two ethno-culturally distinct refugee groups. Support was delivered to So…
Meanings of home and mental well-being among Sudanese refugees in Canada
Qualities of home that Sudanese lack during resettlement points to critical gaps that must be filled by mental health and other service providers to promote positive refugee mental health in countries of resettlement
Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration
Laura Simich, Morton Beiser, Farah Mawani, Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration, Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec., 2002), pp. 597-607
Regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: Results from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS)
Status and Health Security: An Exploratory Study of Irregular Immigrants in Toronto
From social liminality to cultural negotiation: Transformative processes in immigrant mental wellbeing
The underlying psychosocial processes that produce immigrant mental wellbeing are understudied in anthropology and medicine. This paper provides insights into these processes by describing culturally diverse immigrants' perceptions of mental health and adaptation strategies. Qualitative data were collected from 21 focus groups as part of a large, multidisciplinary, participatory action research project about mental health with five ethnolinguisti…
Community in Distress: Mental Health Needs and Help‐seekingin the Tamil Community in Toronto
Impacts of a social support intervention for Somali and Sudanese refugees in Canada
Purpose The aim of this paper is to design and pilot test a culturally tailored intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two refugee groups. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a multi‐method participatory research design and was conducted in two urban centres in western and central Canada. Support was delivered to Sudanese and Somali refugees ( n =58), by trained peer and professional helpers, in face‐to‐face group…
Perceptions and understandings of mental health from three Sudanese communities in Canada
As Canada becomes increasingly ethno-culturally diverse, health and human services professionals are challenged to provide mental health services that effectively meet the needs of newcomer populations. Currently, there is a dearth of literature focused on the ways in which members of Sudanese communities in Canada understand or make meaning of the constructs of mental health and illness. The purpose of this article is to explore the perceptions …
Christian Fundamentalism and Nuclear Threat
The literature on Christian fundamentalism' has grown dramatically in recent years. [We define Christian as Christians who believe in Biblical inerrancy, would consider themselves reborn, may or may not speak in tongues, and in their belief systems probably ascribe to a fairly modern reading of biblical prophecies, especially the book of Revelation. We believe this definition is historically and sociologically accurate and avoids parochial, denom…
Post-Disaster Mental Distress Relief: Health Promotion and Knowledge Exchange in Partnership with a Refugee Diaspora Community
After the 2004 Asian tsunami, a group of concerned scientists, physicians, and community service providers united to form a Local Distress Relief Network (LDRN) to provide information, referral, and care to affected members of the large Sri Lankan Tamil community in Toronto. The LDRN organized a workshop that brought together community-based organizations and international and local experts in mental health and disaster response to review existin…
Christian Fundamentalism and Nuclear Threat
The literature on Christian fundamentalism' has grown dramatically in recent years. [We define Christian as Christians who believe in Biblical inerrancy, would consider themselves reborn, may or may not speak in tongues, and in their belief systems probably ascribe to a fairly modern reading of biblical prophecies, especially the book of Revelation. We believe this definition is historically and sociologically accurate and avoids parochial, denom…
Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration
Laura Simich, Morton Beiser, Farah Mawani, Paved with Good Intentions: Canada's Refugee Destining Policy and Paths of Secondary Migration, Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec., 2002), pp. 597-607
Social Support and the Significance of Shared Experience in Refugee Migration and Resettlement
This article examines the role of social support as a determinant of refugee well-being and migration patterns during early resettlement. Analysis is based on qualitative in-depth inter-views with 47 government-assisted refugees in Canada and 38 key informants (settlement service providers and immigration officials) in Canada and overseas. The study describes refugees' decision making during stages of migration and resettlement, from whom they se…
Reinforcing refugee resettlement: An introduction to private sponsorship and partnerships
Negotiating Boundaries of Refugee Resettlement: A Study of Settlement Patterns and Social Support
Cet article analyse des aspects du processus bureaucratique dans la négociation du lieu d'établissement et du soutien social par et pour les réfugiés réétablis au Canada. Les questions théoriques soulevées comprennent la capacité d'adaptation des réfugiés et les effets des structures du pouvoir sur des réseaux de migrants. ***Il décrit une étude qualitative des raisons sous‐jacentes à la migration secondaire vers l'Ontario des réfugiés subvention…
Community in Distress: Mental Health Needs and Help‐seekingin the Tamil Community in Toronto
Providing Social Support for Immigrants and Refugees in Canada: Challenges and Directions
Mental Distress, Economic Hardship and Expectations of Life in Canada among Sudanese Newcomers
As part of a settlement needs assessment of 220 recently arrived Sudanese refugees and immigrants in seven cities, we examined overall health status, indicators of mental distress, economic hardship and expectations of life in Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Results indicate that those Sudanese for whom life in Canada was not what they expected and those who experienced economi…
Status and Health Security: An Exploratory Study of Irregular Immigrants in Toronto
Developing Theory From Complexity: Reflections on a Collaborative Mixed Method Participatory Action Research Study
Research studies are increasingly complex: They draw on multiple methods to gather data, generate both qualitative and quantitative data, and frequently represent the perspectives of more than one stakeholder. The teams that generate them are increasingly multidisciplinary. A commitment to engaging community members in the research process often adds a further layer of complexity. How to approach a synthesizing analysis of these multiple and vari…
Post-Disaster Mental Distress Relief: Health Promotion and Knowledge Exchange in Partnership with a Refugee Diaspora Community
After the 2004 Asian tsunami, a group of concerned scientists, physicians, and community service providers united to form a Local Distress Relief Network (LDRN) to provide information, referral, and care to affected members of the large Sri Lankan Tamil community in Toronto. The LDRN organized a workshop that brought together community-based organizations and international and local experts in mental health and disaster response to review existin…
Multicultural Meanings of Social Support among Immigrants and Refugees
Canada continues to be a prominent immigrant and refugee‐receiving country in worldwide migration, resettlement, and search for refuge, yet there is a gap in our understanding of these newcomers’ views of the specific meanings of social support and their support needs and resources. The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings of social support for immigrants and refugees in Canada, and to explore the types and adequacy of formal supp…
Reciprocity: An ethic for community-based participatory action research
Ethical issues have been of ongoing interest in discussions of community-based participatory action research (CBPAR). In this article we suggest that the notion of reciprocity — defined as an ongoing process of exchange with the aim of establishing and maintaining equality between parties — can provide a guide to the ethical practice of CBPAR. Through sharing our experiences with a CBPAR project focused on mental health services and supports in s…
From social liminality to cultural negotiation: Transformative processes in immigrant mental wellbeing
The underlying psychosocial processes that produce immigrant mental wellbeing are understudied in anthropology and medicine. This paper provides insights into these processes by describing culturally diverse immigrants' perceptions of mental health and adaptation strategies. Qualitative data were collected from 21 focus groups as part of a large, multidisciplinary, participatory action research project about mental health with five ethnolinguisti…
Meanings of home and mental well-being among Sudanese refugees in Canada
Qualities of home that Sudanese lack during resettlement points to critical gaps that must be filled by mental health and other service providers to promote positive refugee mental health in countries of resettlement
Impacts of a social support intervention for Somali and Sudanese refugees in Canada
Purpose The aim of this paper is to design and pilot test a culturally tailored intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two refugee groups. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a multi‐method participatory research design and was conducted in two urban centres in western and central Canada. Support was delivered to Sudanese and Somali refugees ( n =58), by trained peer and professional helpers, in face‐to‐face group…
Regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: Results from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS)
Supporting African refugees in Canada: Insights from a support intervention
Although evidence suggests the importance of social support for refugees, this knowledge has not been invoked to systematically develop culturally congruent support interventions that help refugees adapt to life in receiving countries. The objective of this study was to design and pilot test a culturally congruent intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two ethno-culturally distinct refugee groups. Support was delivered to So…
Sudanese and Somali Refugees in Canada: Social Support Needs and Preferences
The aim of the study was to identify the unique support needs and preferences of African refugees in Canada. In‐depth interviews were conducted with Sudanese and Somali refugees (n=68) living in two cities in central and western Canada. Refugees were interviewed individually to identify their support needs, current sources of support, available support programmes, barriers to access to support resources, and preferred support interventions. These…
Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Risk Drinking in Ontario Ethnic Groups
This article examines prevalence and gender differences of alcohol use and risk drinking in a representative sample of Ontario adults. Data were drawn from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor survey of Ontario adults aged 18 and older collected between January 2005 and December 2010. The prevalence of self-reported lifetime, current, and high-risk drinking were all higher among the Canadian and the European-origin groups com…
Perceptions and understandings of mental health from three Sudanese communities in Canada
As Canada becomes increasingly ethno-culturally diverse, health and human services professionals are challenged to provide mental health services that effectively meet the needs of newcomer populations. Currently, there is a dearth of literature focused on the ways in which members of Sudanese communities in Canada understand or make meaning of the constructs of mental health and illness. The purpose of this article is to explore the perceptions …
Political science (18 works) · Sociology (18 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (17 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Refugee (12 works) · Medicine (10 works) · Mental health (8 works) · Psychiatry (8 works) · Immigration (7 works) · Law (7 works)