Identifying experiences related to suicidal behaviour for first-generation Latin American immigrants living in Montreal, Canada

Versão em português / versión en español

What is the research about?

This project aims to better understand what factors protect against or enhance the risk of having suicidal thoughts or behaviors in first-generation Latin American immigrants living in Montreal.

Who can participate?

To participate, you need:

  • To be 18 years old and over
  • To be a first-generation Latin American immigrant
  • To live in Montreal, Canada
  • To know someone in your family or friends who has thought about suicide, attempted or died by suicide, or to have thought about suicide or attempted suicide yourself at some point in your life.

What does my participation entail?

This project involves individual interviews, lasting about 1 hour. Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary and completely confidential. The interview can be in English, Spanish or Portuguese, according to your preference.

During the interview, we will ask you general open questions to know more about your experience of immigration, the things that helped you and those that were challenging.

Camila C. Matias Pereira, PhD

Who is the lead researcher in this project?

Camila Corrêa Matias Pereira is also from Latin America and is doing her post doc at the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices (CRISE) of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) supervised by Prof. Cécile Bardon, PhD.

For more information or to participate, please contact Camila Corrêa Matias Pereira, PhD, at: correa_matias_pereira.camila@courrier.uqam.ca

Why participate?

If you meet the inclusion criteria above, your experience can help make the mental health of your community better! Your participation will help us understand the experience of first-generation Latin American immigrants living in Montreal, in order to be able to develop mental health and suicide prevention programs that meet the needs of people in your community.

Although the interview is not a therapy and does not aim at providing psychological help, it can be useful to reflect on your experience as an immigrant. If you are feeling distressed or suicidal, please contact one of the resources listed below.

Your experience is also valuable for others who might be experiencing the same situation and the results could be important for developing interventions and Public Policies to support Latin American Immigrants

What is suicidal behavior?

Suicidal behavior includes suicidal ideation (thoughts of ending one’s life), suicide attempts (the actual event of trying to kill one’s self), and death by suicide. The causes are multiple and complex, and depend on each individual. However, there are factors that can enhance the risk of experiencing suicidal behavior, while other factors tend to protect against suicide.

Suicidal Behaviour and Immigration

Suicide mortality among immigrant groups is an important health issue, particularly in countries with growing segments of immigrant populations such as Canada. It is important to understand how immigrant status and the various dimensions of integration can impact suicidality. This is the first step in order to improve treatment options and prevention programs.

Help is available: resources for Latin American immigrants in Montreal

It is important to get help if you are experiencing distress. CRISE is not a help centre, but other resources are available to help you: