Are you All Right? - Identifying the hurdles faced by refugee and migrant communities
(Content in this article is courtesy All Right?)
All Right? supports people to become more aware of their mental health and wellbeing, and to take small and regular steps to improve it.
All Right? is a Healthy Christchurch initiative led by the Canterbury District Health Board and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. The campaign was launched in February 2013 to support Cantabrians as the region recovers from the earthquakes.
All Right? is funded by the Ministry of Health and has also had support from the Ministry of Social Development and many other organisations including the Red Cross, SKIP, the Christchurch City Council and the Waimakariri District Council.
All Right? completes regular, indepth research into how Cantabrians are doing. This gives us a wealth of up-to-date knowledge about how people are feeling and the hurdles they are facing.
This research informs everything All Right? does – from raising awareness among community groups, organisations and businesses, to creating tools that promote the things we can do to improve our wellbeing.
Remember it is all right to reach out for extra support. You are not alone and help is available. Just call 0800 777 846.
More information is at allright.org.nz
Isolation and a lack of English are among the issues facing people of migrant and refugee background in Canterbury, according to qualitative research from the All Right? campaign. The research consisted of six two-hour long discussion groups and in-depth interviews with people from refugee and migrant communities in Christchurch. Participants came from a range of countries including Somalia, Sudan, Korea, China and Bhutan.
All Right? manager Sue Turner said the findings make emotional reading. “Many of the participants have endured hardships most New Zealanders will never face. Sadly, we’ve found that those who come to Christchurch are also confronted with some major hurdles in their new life here.”
Among the issues are isolation with participants reporting that they found it very hard to make friends in Canterbury, a lack of English, the pressure of straddling two cultures (trying to understand and learn about Kiwi culture while trying to hold onto their own) and battling to feel accepted.