Cultural beliefs about mental health: Points of view of migrant francophone parents from Sub-Saharan Africa

Objectives : The aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to arrive at a better understanding of the points of view and cultural beliefs of migrant parents from Sub-Saharan Africa on the subject of mental health. A second aim was to provide a variety of recommendations based on the results obtained to help school system staff working with such parents and their children thought to be living with a mental health disorder (MHD). Method : Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 8 parents. Results and conclusion : The results suggest that the beliefs held by the majority of the parents on the subjects of mental health, MHDs and the accompanying taboos are similar to Occidental parents’ beliefs, but that their points of view differ regarding the treatment of MHDs. Also, according to 7 of the 8 parents interviewed, certain MHDs are caused by supernatural phenomena. Lastly, some avenues for future research are proposed.