Social Capital: Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health
by Shirene Salamatian, EAL & LINC Instructor, BC TEAL Board Member

This article is based on, The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project Course, an online course delivered through Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. It is a free, self-directed training that provides an overview of immigrant and refugee mental health. The course is approximately 25 hours and is for anyone working with an immigrant and refugee population. Intake is ongoing.
https://www.camh.ca/en/professionals/professionals--projects/immigrant-and-refugee-mental-health-project


After completing the The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project Course, I have been thinking a lot about social capital and its relationship to mental health for EAL learners. According to the course materials, the quality of an immigrant or refugee’s mental health decreases the longer they are in Canada. Migration processes and policies favour human capital, the economic value of a worker’s skills and experience, so when immigrants and refugees arrive in Canada they are “at their best”. Over time, this population experiences downward social mobility which increases mental health risk factors (poor housing, limited employment, limited recognition of education and certification, discrimination) and mental health begins to deteriorate (The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project Course, 2025). In the classroom it is important to recognize that a student’s deterioration in mental health can occur at any point and in fact, can worsen the longer they are in class even when their English is progressing.
 
The determinants of mental health are considered in the context of Protective Factors and Risk Factors. Protective factors moderate stress and reduce the likelihood of a mental health problem (The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project Course, 2025). EAL educators play an important role in building protective factors within the classroom and one of these factors is social capital. Social capital refers to the resources and advantages an individual can access through their network of social relationships. It is derived from positive connections between people and high social capital is characterized by the ability to call on others when needed to advance one’s position in life (Drew, C. June 17, 2024 13 Best Examples of Social Capital, helpfulprofessor.com). Social capital is built on reciprocity and ongoing actions and can only develop over time in a place where one is included, which makes the classroom an ideal place to develop it. Social capital needs to be relevant, and continuous within a safe context which is also required for language learning.
 
There are many ways to build social capital within the classroom even when learning is restricted by time, curriculum objectives and funding mandates. It can be as simple as every student learning the names of their classmates and using them when they greet each other each time the class starts. Classrooms with many students can have smaller groups repeatedly introduce themselves to establish rapport. Intentional pairing and grouping can go a long way to building social capital. Students can be matched according to similar interests, skills or hobbies which is especially helpful when students are looking for work or working in related industries.
 
Sharing knowledge helps build social relationships and a sense of community. Classrooms can have informal “mentorships” where a new student is paired with a student who has been in the class longer. This leverages the “mentor’s” knowledge and experience, contributing to a sense of identity. Students can be asked to share a resource during each class within a set time. Resources can be varied: a restaurant recommendation, a store to shop in, a technical course to take, a festival to attend. As well, human resources can be shared in activities that identify a student’s network and the network can start with classmates. Colleagues, when appropriate, can be invited to meet the students so that students start to see themselves within a greater social context.
 
Outside of the classroom, students can participate in group volunteering. There are many opportunities to volunteer for one-day events such as car-free days, cultural days and fun runs. Educators can determine their level of involvement, i.e., help identify opportunities, register students, or participate in the event. While not every student can volunteer, they will learn about the opportunities to get involved in the community and language components can be taught to support these activities.
 
Importantly, educators need to continuously build their own knowledge of community resources and refer often. Take a few minutes during each class to present a community resource and how to access it.
 
Increased social capital protects students from worsening mental health and EAL educators working with immigrants and refugees can make their classrooms a place to improve health outcomes.