Linguistic minority status and Psychosis trajectories in Québec: A study of Pathways to care and Outcomes

Psychotic disorders are among the most severe mental health conditions and often emerge during early adulthood, a critical period for education, employment, and social development. Immigrant populations and their children are disproportionately affected, yet they frequently encounter barriers to timely and appropriate mental health care. These barriers include delayed access to services, higher rates of police involvement or compulsory treatment, and increased likelihood of disengagement from care. Emerging evidence suggests that language proficiency may play an important but understudied role in shaping both access to care and long-term outcomes in psychosis.

This project examines how linguistic minority status influences pathways to care and clinical outcomes in individuals with first-episode psychosis in Montréal, particularly in a predominantly French-language treatment context. It will assess whether prior findings on treatment disengagement can be replicated in a new cohort, and explore how language background relates to key indicators such as mode of entry into care, duration of untreated psychosis, symptom progression, and vocational recovery. The goal is to better understand how language barriers shape mental health trajectories and to inform more equitable, accessible psychosis care for linguistic minority communities.

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