Decolonizing Mental Health Care: Experiences of South Asian Immigrants in Canada

This talk examines how colonial legacies and current systems shape the mental health experiences of South Asian immigrants in Canada, with a focus on population health in Southern Alberta. Grounded in intersectionality and decolonial theory, the study uses qualitative interviews analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis to surface how Eurocentric paradigms influence access, care pathways, and therapeutic encounters. I discuss tensions between biomedical framings and community-grounded understandings of well-being, highlighting implications for culturally responsive, justice-oriented models of care. The goal is to translate participants’ experiences into actionable changes that improve equity and outcomes for racialized immigrant communities.