This project examined perceptions of mental health across four age groups, covering Tamil women ages 18 to 80. Focus groups were conducted to understand perspectives on mental health, perceived causes of mental illness, barriers in accessing resources and strategies to overcome these barriers.

Findings informed the development of an interactive, intergenerational mental health promotion program. Feedback from participants in both the focus groups and the mental health promotion program indicate that there is a need for the provision of culturally-specific, tailored programming and strategies to address mental health.

An initiative to update the data collected in 2013 - see below for details.

The goal of the sexual health research project is to educate newcomer women in the Tamil community on sexual health topics that are not familiar to them and to identify barriers that newcomers face when accessing sexual health care and communicating with their healthcare providers.

The goal of our Sexual Health Research Project is to understand the barriers Tamil-speaking patients face in discussing sexual health topics with their healthcare professionals. We will collect data by doing one-on-one interviews with patients and focus groups with healthcare professionals to determine strategies and methods to increase dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals about sexual health.

We received a $15,000 grant from Women’s XChange to help improve the health of Tamil women by increasing their access and utilization of healthy eating and food preparation resources. Through extensive research, THA created and distributed culturally sensitive education materials that incorporated the findings of this research.

The Tamil Health Association is 1 of 25 projects funded by the Women’s College Hospital, aimed at enhancing the health of women in our community. The Healthy Food Program was created with the hope of improving the health of families by increasing their access to and use of resources about healthy eating and food preparation. Our goal is to provide the right resources for Tamil women in the community help them prepare their favourite meals using healthier recipes. We still want to enjoy eggplant and chicken curry, but also want it to be healthier by reducing salt and oil content, for example.

The program is focused on women for two reasons:

(1) the funding required that a program be focused on women, and

(2) women are often primarily responsible for meal preparations in the household – though we are aware that this is not always the case, we hope that men will be informally involved in the programs as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QbCC-NqRGA

One of our early projects , was a needs assessment to grasp a better understanding of the health status of the Tamil population. The research targeted Tamil-speaking individuals and was conducted through a convenience sampling method at two various events (CMR Star Fest and TVI Kondaattam). A total of 284 surveys were completed! We used these results to determine our strategic directions and research priorities for the upcoming years.

Recognizing the lack of research on the health of Tamil Canadians, a community based needs assessment approach was used to collect baseline demographic and health profile data. The goal is to utilize the data collected from the needs assessment to determine the health priorities, strengths and needs of the Tamil community. The baseline data is further intended to aid in program planning initiatives, health promotion, and to be used as pre-intervention data to evaluate the effectiveness of health programs.

The Background

• In the 2011 Census, 95% of the 111,060 individuals in Ontario who reported Tamil as their mother tongue resided in the Greater Toronto Area (ref).

• A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found South Asians (the general ethnic group Tamils are identified under) in Canada to have the highest mortality rates due to coronary heart disease in comparison to Chinese and European ethnic groups.

• The community needs assessment was conducted via a paper/electronic questionnaire administered by 20 English and Tamil speaking volunteers.

• These items explored the population’s self-reported health conditions, perceived health needs, barriers to improving health and accessing healthcare services, source of health information, and attitudes and practices of healthy living

The Results

• The resulting numbers suggest that 43% of our sample population (n=101) was overweight, putting them at increased risk for health conditions such as diabetes. This was followed by 30% (n=73) in the normal BMI category and 21% of respondents (n=49) in the obese category.

• The self reported health conditions portion of the needs assessment revealed that diabetes and high blood pressure were the top two conditions present within our sample population.

• 17% who reported having joint or back pain and 12% reported to be overweight

• How this group compares with the general Canadian population is a critical component for the implementation of evidenced-based initiatives that are specific to the background, culture and lifestyle of the Tamil population.

Our Conclusion

The need for improving health for all Canadians is evident by the growing rate of obesity and chronic disease within the population. However, research by the Canadian Council on Learning demonstrated that 60% of Canadian adults over the age of 16, and 88% of seniors over the age of 65, lack the skills required to understand and act on health services and information (PHABC, 2012). Immigrant populations were stated as more vulnerable to lacking health literacy. In our survey, despite the fact that 43% of the sample population was overweight and 21% obese, a good portion of the population (37%) stated that they didn’t feel the need to improve their health. Money and lack of information to start were also reported as barriers to improving health. Furthermore, lack of time (26%) was also reported as a difficulty to improving health. In a 2011 survey by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation of over 2000 adults reported that 44% of Canadians state they don’t have the time for regular physical activity (Heart and Stroke, 2011).

Project leads: Tamil Association of Residents and Medical Students (TARMS)

TARMS is an organization that consists of medical trainees at all stages of their career. One of the main goals of our organization is to create a sense of community among Tamil medical trainees and provide a forum for innovative solutions to solve issues that plague the Tamil community.

A local autism health centre, in Toronto – South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC) and Ninety9Thirty Creative Consulting, in partnership with the Tamil Health Association launched Project InForm. This was an autism awareness campaign for newcomers and recent immigrants to help them gain a basic understanding of early screening and diagnosis for autism amongst the South Asian community.

Introduction

• Approximately 1 in 77 children in Southern Ontario is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (1).

• Early diagnosis and intervention are essential for optimal long-term outcomes and are the best course of action to prevent poor functional ability, quality of life, social isolation, and financial vulnerability for both the child and caregiver(s).

• Marginalized racialized groups often experience additional barriers to early diagnosis and intervention, however this issue has not been sufficiently explored and summarized in literature.

• The purpose of this study is to examine the strengths and limitations of current practices related to autism awareness, screening, and diagnosis in minority communities, specifically within the South Asian Community.

Results

Caregiver perceptions

• Lack of knowledge in minority communities

  • Example: Latino parents felt they lack autism awareness because autism is a condition that “does not exist” in Mexican communities as it is not labeled as a medical condition (Zuckerman, Sinche, Mejia, Cobian, Becker, & Nicolaidis, 2013).

• Autism is a stigmatized condition in certain cultures

  • Example: Some Latino fathers feel a child with autism is a poor reflection on him, leading to shame and embarrassment and decreased likelihood of disclosing child’s condition (Zuckerman, Sinche, Mejia, Cobian, Becker, & Nicolaidis, 2013).

Service provider competency

• Service providers favour Western medical practices and culture

  • Example: Parents indicated health professionals told them to speak in English, limit interaction with relatives and avoid community events, to “keep the child’s life simple.” This is in contrast to most families’ cultural norms (Jegatheesana, Fowler & Miller, 2010)

Organizational barriers

• Organizations that provide autism services lack culturally informed services.

  • Example: The EarlyBird program, an intervention program for parents, found significant decreased participation from Maori, Pasifika and Asian families due to language and social customs barriers (Birkin, Anderson, Seymour & Moore, 2008).

Conclusion

• Literature is exploring and/or addressing cultural issues related to Autism Spectrum Disorder

• However, in practice agencies are lagging behind and are not providing sufficient programs to address cultural issues related in Autism Spectrum Disorder

• More diverse cultural-sensitive approaches are needed

• It is also unclear if parents and caregivers are aware of current resources and how to access them

• Next steps include interviewing caregivers and health care providers, to develop and validate culturally appropriate health promotion campaigns and tools to ensure ASD children receive appropriate and timely services in South Asian communities.

In collaboration with Ryerson University located in downtown Toronto, THA as a community partner for Strength in Unity (SIU), developed a first comprehensive anti-stigma intervention research project among Asian communities in Canada. This was a 3 million dollar project funded by the Movember Foundation. SIU aims to reduce mental illness stigma in Asian communities by mobilizing Asian youth and men to become Community Mental Health Ambassadors (CMAs) by training them in either Acceptance Commitment Training (ACT) or Contact-based Empowerment Education (CEE). Data was collected pre and post-study to evaluate the effectiveness of both the ACT and CEE interventions.

In particular, we will be working with individuals living with or affected by mental illness, and community leaders from various sectors in piloting and evaluating two anti-stigma interventions.

1. One of the interventions is aimed at the intrapersonal level and focuses on internalized stigma.

2. The other intervention has to do with interpersonal levels to facilitate knowledge building about mental health/illness and stigma reduction, and skill development in evidence-uptake to advance practice and policy change.

Visit strength-in-unity.ca/ontario for more information!

On September 10, 2017 at Scarborough Civic Centre for THA, in collaboration with CTPA held highly requested, panel discussion highlighting Tamil Canadians making strides in unconventional healthcare and science fields. During this discussion we highlighted careers in clinical research, consulting, health policy and health management.

To end the event we held a networking session, to give young health leaders the opportunity to meet other healthcare professionals and gain further insight about the industry.

Here at THA we strive to nurture the minds of young health leaders who will help us pave the path for better research and evidently patient care. For more details on upcoming events like this, subscribe to our newsletter.

‘Manathil Uruthi Vendum’, translating to ‘the need for strength of the mind’ was an annual mental health awareness campaign organized by THA. This campaign is a grassroots effort to promote action that changes attitudes and behaviors toward mental health at the individual and community level. This annual awareness campaign aims to increase the interest in the community to learn more about positive mental health, bring awareness about mental health services in the community and promote collaboration among community groups and organizations. With special guests such as doctors, psychiatrists, patients all within the tamil community, the annual event is well attended each year!

Our 2016 mental health awareness event titled Manathil Uruthi Vendum was focused on Anti-Stigma in the south asian community. It is widely accepted and understood that there is a growing need to have an ongoing conversation within Tamil community regarding mental health and mental illness. Tamil community is still suffering with stigma due to lack of knowledge about mental health and mental illness, and cultural barriers. Cultural thinking and behaviors restricts the members from engaging in open discussions about mental illness and seeking appropriate help. This could potentially create the danger of oversight where members have not understood the importance of learning positive coping skills in order to maintain good mental health and cope with adverse situations.

Our Partners

Men’s Mental Health Association

Fidget Toys

Choosing Gratitude

Shalini Dance

THA partnered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and a multitude of other South Asian organizations to host a successful Screening Clinic for the RBC Foundation South Asian Women’s Health Program. The clinic implemented screening for cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure, waist circumference and cholesterol in a culturally appropriate environment and as well, having individuals familiar with their language.

Want to collaborate with us on similar events? Send us a message and we would love to chat!

"It has been shown that more South Asians, compared to Canadians of European descent, suffer from increased diabetes and heart disease. Also, they show these signs even when they do not appear to be overweight. It is important to develop effective health promotion messages and strategies for South Asians to help reduce their risk of developing heart disease"

Dr. Sonia Anand, Professor of Medicine, McMaster University and Chair in Population Health, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada partnered with Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), International Medical Health Organization (IMHO), Malvern Family Resource Centre (MFRC), Sri Lankan Canadian Community Services (SLCCS) , Tamil Health Association and Vasantham Tamil Seniors Wellness Centre to host a free Screening Clinic for the RBC Foundation South Asian Women’s Health Program at Scarborough’s Sai Centre on Saturday May 10th 2014.

Without lifestyle changes now, South Asians face up to three times higher rates of living with or dying from heart disease and stroke at an earlier age. The clinic will help South Asians, women in particular, to increase their knowledge of risk factors for heart disease and stroke

South Asians from all diverse South Asian communities are invited to attend the screening clinic. Healthcare professionals and trained personnel will be onsite for the screening tests and to answer questions regarding heart disease and stroke. By learning more about the risk factors, South Asians and their families can improve both health status and quality of life in later years.

The Tamil Health Association (THA) joined the Global Movember movement in 2013, 2014 and 2015 to encourage the sprouting of moustaches (aka Meesai) in the Tamil community! For those not familiar with Movember, it is essentially a globally recognized month long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness for prostate cancer, other male cancers and mental health, and raise money – to change the face of men’s health.

In 2013 alone over 25 Tamil men became a part of our month-long campaign to increase awareness and create discussion on men’s health within our Tamil community. As a community, we raised over $1400 for cancer research – I like to see it as a contribution from the Tamil community, social media interaction over the 1 month with health tips for men, and finally a great celebration event attracting 50 Tamil Mo Bros and Mo Sistas – the Meesai Party.