New Article Feature: Immigrant Concentration in Schools and Youth Mental Health
A new study led by Dr. Mahdis Kamali and supervised Dr. Kathy Georgiades examines the association between immigration background and mental health, as well as the role of school immigrant concentration and sense of belonging in this relationship.
The authors used data from the Hamilton Youth Study to examine 1,449 immigrant and non-immigrant youth aged 9–15.
Youth from first- and second-generation immigrant families showed fewer behavioural problems (as reported by both parents and youth) and fewer emotional difficulties (as reported by parents) compared to youth from non-immigrant families. In schools with a higher number of immigrant students, immigrant youth exhibited even fewer behavioural problems. Feeling less lonely at school mediated this association: when immigrant students attended schools with many other immigrant peers, they felt less isolated, which in turn was associated with fewer behavioural and emotional problems, based on reports from both parents and youth.
As a next step, longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the social processes that shape differing experiences across groups, so that schools can develop more effective ways to support and integrate both immigrant and non-immigrant youth.
Check out the original investigation, entitled “Immigrant Concentration in Schools and Youth Mental Health: The Role of School Loneliness and Belonging” authored by Drs. Mahdis Kamali, Katherine Cost, Ruth Repchuck, Eric Duku, Laura Anderson, and Kathy Georgiades.
This article was published in The Journal of Adolescent Health in December 2025.
If you are interested in learning more, you can contact the lead author at kamalim@mcmaster.ca.
