Exploring Language Barriers as a Social Determinant of Mental Health among English-Speaking Post-Secondary Students in Quebec: A Scoping Review and Policy Analysis.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of mental health related problems among post-secondary students in Canadian higher education institutions. One important factor that can negatively impact the delivery of mental health services at these institutions is the language barrier. This issue is of prominent significance in a linguistically diverse society such as Quebec, where previous research indicates that linguistic minorities encounter significant obstacles in accessing equitable healthcare services. 

While previous research has investigated the impact of language barriers on health care access and the quality of care among Quebec's linguistic minorities, there is a paucity of research regarding mental health services available to English-speaking students in Quebec’s higher education institutions and their experiences accessing such services. This scoping review seeks to fill this gap by mapping the existing academic and grey literature on language barriers and access to mental health services among English-speaking post-secondary students in Quebec’s colleges and universities. This study is guided by the following research questions: 

1. How do language barriers create inequities in access to mental health services for English- speaking post-secondary students in Quebec’s higher education institutions? 

2. What policies and resources are in place at higher education institutions in Quebec to facilitate English-speaking students' access to mental health services? 

3. What policy interventions can be implemented to enhance access to mental health services for English-speaking students attending higher education institutions in Quebec? 

This study will provide insights and policy recommendations to foster a more equitable and inclusive mental health service delivery in Quebec's higher education institutions.