Does time heal all wounds?: the changing mental health of refugees over time

An increase of ongoing armed conflicts has resulted in substantial numbers of refugees around the world. The traumatic experiences refugees face can be detrimental to their mental health, further compounded by resettlement stressors upon arrival in Canada. This qualitative study incorporates an intersectional social determinants of health framework in order to understand the changes in mental health of refugees at different stages of a lifelong (re)settlement process. The findings of this study are informed by interviews with five service providers. Results indicated a number of salient post-migration factors that influence mental health in both the short and over the longer term for refugees and further elucidated the effects of a mutually-reinforcing relationship between resettlement stressors and trauma in mental health changes. Implications of the study findings reveal a critical need for a more psychosocial approach to be taken regarding refugee mental healthcare in future research as well as psychological interventions.