Hugs, Heaven and Mental Health: Belonging, Social Support and Life Satisfaction

1. Hugs, Heaven and Mental Health: Belonging, Social Support and Life Satisfaction Jack Jedwab Association for Canadian Studies Presented at Conference on Multiple Diversities at the Hospital for Sick Kids, Toronto, Ontario December 2009

2. Questions • What dose of diversity is healthy? • What form should it take? • Is knowing who we are culturally important to our state of mind and degree of life satisfaction? • Or is leaving cultural baggage behind better for our state of mind and life satisfaction? • In other words how important is community belonging • How do we distinguish structural from cultural factors in determining certain mental health outcomes?

3. Challenges • The census and special survey data tend to focus on identification and not identity from the standpoint of its salience and/or how it translates into behavior • In terms of identification, the categories in national health surveys are very broad and therefore the deeper diversity that is part of the visible minority or white category is not made available • We often make generalizations on the basis of group identification that require nuance • Health questions employed below invite respondents to “self-evaluate” their physical or mental health and life satisfaction or life stress

4. Some Indicators • Self-Perceived Health • Self-Perceived Mental Health • Sense of Belonging to Local Community • Satisfaction with Life

5. Some Identity Indicators • Age • Immigrant Status • Visible Minority • Length of Time in Canada • Belonging to Ethnic Group • Belonging to Family

6. Some Sources employed here • Statistics Canada, Census of Canada 2006 • Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2007 • Statistics Canada. Ethnic Diversity Survey, 2002 • Leger Marketing Survey, 2009

7. Heaven and Hugs • The CCHS reveals that while frequency of attendance at religious services has no discernable affect on the state of mental health, the level of social support does as evidences by the degree of affection one obtains and the positive self-evaluation of mental health

8. Spiritual guidance appears to do little for mental health

9. More hugs fosters better self-perceived mental health

10. Community Belonging Mental Health and Life Satisfaction

11. Those with Stronger Community Belonging more likely to report excellent mental health

12. 12-14 strong sense of belonging to local community more likely to be very satisfied with life

13. Same for 15-17

14. Strong sense of belonging and Higher Income contributes to better mental health

15. Spiritual guidance appears to do little for mental health

16. Mental Health and Life Satisfaction

17. Life Satisfaction Correlation with Mental Health

18. Mental Health Correlation with Life Satisfaction

19. Immigrant Status no discernable difference in assess mental health

20. No real difference in assessment of mental health perception on basis of VM status

21. No real difference on the basis of VM Status in assessment of mental health age 12-14

22. No real difference in rates of life satisfaction age 12-14 on basis of VM status

23. As they get older gap in life satisfaction widens somewhat between white and VM identifiers