A Scoping Review of the Mental Health Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Newcomber Children and Youth in Canada
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Date
2025-05
Authors
Thompson, Kerry Ann
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Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, disrupted the daily lives of children and youth globally. It posed an unprecedented threat to their mental health due to the quarantine orders, the death of family members, and the disruptions in the economy. Studies have shown that the global prevalence of mental illness amongst children and youth increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about the research exploring the effects of the pandemic on one of the most precarious populations of minors: immigrant children. This scoping review aims to map and explore the scope and depth of the research literature relating to the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on newcomer children and youth in Canada. The researcher scoped literature written in English in Canada from March 2020 to fall 2024. A comprehensive search of ten (10) databases produced one hundred and forty-three (143) possible studies to be scoped. Fifteen (15) duplicate copies were removed, and another one hundred and sixteen (116) were removed for other reasons. After the inclusion and exclusion process was applied, one study met the criteria for scoping. Three themes emerged from this scoping review: Economic Support, Resilience, and Social Support, with sub-themes: r food insecurity, adaptation, resourcefulness, the collapse of the economy, and assimilation and acculturation. The findings indicate that there is a glaring lack of research on the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on newcomer children and youth in Canada. The lack of relevant literature on this topic and the negative impacts of the epidemic on newcomer children and youth mental health in Canada related in the lone study, underscores the need for further research on the topic.