The mental health of immigrant and refugee children.

One in five children living in Canada was born either outside the country or to recently arrived immigrants. Helping the children of new settlers adapt to their schools, integrate with the larger society and stay happy and healthy during the process are important goals for all immigrant receiving countries. However, there is a dearth of knowledge about what promotes adaptation and integration on the one hand, and what jeopardizes the well-being of immigrant and refugee children on the other. This article describes the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS), a longitudinal investigation of personal and contextual factors affecting immigrant and refugee children’s health, mental health and development, designed to fill some glaring gaps in current knowledge.