Access to Psychotherapy for Minority-Language Speakers: A Scoping Review to Build Recommendations for English-Speaking Communities in Québec

Many people from minority language communities in Québec face barriers to accessing mental health services because of systemic, linguistic, and cultural challenges. For English-speaking communities, accessing psychotherapy in their first language can be especially difficult, even though research shows that therapy is generally more effective when delivered in the patient’s primary language.

This project will review research published over the past two decades on psychotherapy in linguistic minority settings. The study will examine how language affects the quality and effectiveness of mental health care, as well as existing clinical guidelines and policy recommendations related to language-concordant services.

The findings will help identify ways to improve access to effective mental health care for English-speaking communities in Québec. The project will also bring together researchers, practitioners, and community partners to develop practical recommendations for strengthening mental health services in patients’ first language.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

An environmental scan of policies and interventions to improve access to dementia care for English-speaking minority communities in Québec

English-speaking people living with dementia in Québec often face barriers to care, including delays in diagnosis and difficulty accessing timely support and services. These challenges can negatively affect both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, while also reflecting broader inequities experienced by linguistic minority communities.

This project will examine the policies, programs, and services that support language- and culture-friendly dementia care in Québec. Researchers will review public documents and websites and interview healthcare providers, administrators, and decision-makers to better understand current practices and gaps in care.

The findings will be organized into a living online resource that brings together existing policies, tools, programs, and evidence about their effectiveness. The project aims to improve access to timely, culturally safe, and language-concordant dementia care for English-speaking communities in Québec and help guide future healthcare improvements.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

Improving Access to Anxiety Therapy for English-Speaking Communities in Québec

Title: Improving Access to Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Anxiety Disorders and Related Problems for English-Speaking Communities in Quebec: A Scoping Review of Adaptations and Delivery Models in Linguistic Minority Contexts

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in Québec and Canada, affecting one in three people during their lifetime. If left untreated, anxiety can interfere with work, school, relationships, and physical health. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective, evidence-based treatment for anxiety, but many English-speaking Quebecers face language barriers that limit access to these services, especially outside major urban centres.

This project will examine how CBT for anxiety has been adapted in different countries to better support people who speak a minority language within their healthcare system. Researchers will conduct a scoping review to identify strategies such as translated materials, culturally adapted resources, bilingual therapists, and telehealth services.

The findings will help identify practical approaches that could improve access to quality mental health care for English-speaking communities in Québec, particularly in regions with limited English-language services. Results will be shared through a scientific publication, an infographic, and a policy brief.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

Socio-regional inequities in breast cancer screening in Quebec: Best practices for equitable participation in the Quebec breast cancer screening program (PQDCS)

Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in Quebec, which accounts for nearly a quarter of Canada’s cases. Although early detection through the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program (PQDCS) saves lives, participation remains below the 70% target, with significant regional and linguistic disparities.

English-speaking women—especially those with limited French proficiency or living in vulnerable conditions—face added barriers such as language challenges, lower health literacy, socioeconomic constraints, and limited trust in the health system. Montreal, home to many English-speaking and diverse communities, has the lowest screening rates in the province, showing that bilingual materials alone are not enough.

This project brings together researchers, community organizations, and institutional partners to better understand these inequities and co-create solutions. Using an intersectional and equity-focused approach, the study will explore how language and social determinants affect access to screening, identify barriers, and assess the potential of community-based health navigation.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

Building healthy systems: Retaining English-speaking students enrolled in Québec’s English language, healthcare-oriented vocational training programs

English speakers are underrepresented in Québec’s healthcare workforce and are more likely to leave the province compared to French-speaking healthcare workers. They are also more likely to work in healthcare roles requiring university degrees rather than positions accessible through vocational or CEGEP training. More research is needed to understand why these trends exist and how to better support and retain English-speaking healthcare workers in Québec.

This project will examine the factors affecting the retention of students in English-language health and social assistance vocational programs and identify strategies to improve the retention of English-speaking healthcare professionals in Québec. The study will use a mixed-methods approach, including statistical analysis, interviews with students, and a review of best practices for retaining healthcare workers in minority-language settings.

The findings will help inform policies and programs aimed at strengthening the participation and retention of English speakers in Québec’s healthcare sector, improving access to English-language healthcare services and helping address workforce shortages.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

DESCREEN-Québec: Reducing Evening Screen Use and Improving Sleep in Québec Adolescents

Title: DESCREEN-Québec: Increasing Access to Evidence-Based Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Evening Screen Use Among Quebecker Adolescents Through Rapid Dissemination of Interventions via School Partnership

Adolescents in Québec are spending increasing amounts of time on screens, especially in the evening, which can interfere with sleep and negatively affect mental health, learning, and overall well-being. Although reducing evening screen time is recommended by health experts, there are currently no programs specifically designed for English-speaking adolescents in Québec.

This project will develop and implement DESCREEN-Québec, a school-based program that helps adolescents reduce evening screen exposure and improve sleep habits. The study will take place in two phases: first, an evidence-based screen-reduction intervention will be adapted to meet the needs of English-speaking youth in Québec, and second, the program’s impact on screen use and sleep health will be evaluated.

Researchers will measure changes in screen exposure and sleep using both questionnaires and objective measures collected before, after, and three months following the intervention. The findings will help improve access to evidence-based sleep health support for English-speaking adolescents and provide a scalable model for future school-based health programs in Québec.

Outputs:

Coming soon…

Speaking of Care: Comparing Indicators of Language Identity and Preference for Equitable Access to Health Services in Quebec English-Speaking Populations

Many English-speaking residents in Quebec face challenges accessing health care in their preferred language. In advancing research and changing practices to better meet their needs, a key challenge lies in how we identify individuals who are English-speaking. Shifts in Canada’s demographic composition and increases in immigration has broadened the concept of English-speakers to include not only native English-speakers, but also persons with another mother tongue who speak English most often at home, as well as those who can conduct a conversation in English but not in French. Existing studies use varied and inconsistent approaches to defining linguistic identity such as mother tongue, first official language spoken, or language most often spoken at home.

This project will explore how traditional variables about language translate to the application of healthcare encounters. We will begin by forming a Patient Partner Council to collaborate closely with our research team throughout the project. Using existing large surveys of the Quebec population, we will identify different ways used to measure language and examine patterns and associations between these measures of language and health care access. Finally, we will present these results to English-speaking patients and health care providers in Quebec to obtain their perspectives of the most appropriate measures for capturing language identity and preferences as they relate to healthcare access. Ensuring language is measured in a way that reflects people’s healthcare preferences is a critical step toward building more inclusive, equitable health systems that meet the needs of the diverse English-speaking minority communities in Quebec.

Outputs:

Coming soon…