{
  "abstract": "Background: Existing research on siblings of children with disabilities has predominantly concentrated on settled families residing within tier-one metropolitan areas, while pandemic-focused migration literature has primarily centred on parent cohorts. Consequently, little is known about how newcomer youth with disabled siblings experienced pandemic disruptions, particularly in mid-sized Canadian cities where specialized care infrastructure is often constrained. Objective: This study examines the psychological and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding public health restrictions on Muslim immigrant youth who are siblings of children with disabilities in a mid-sized Ontario city. The analysis focuses on family relationship dynamics and informal coping strategies. Methods: In partnership with a local settlement organization, this community-engaged study used a modified photovoice design. Seventeen participants generated photographs and completed individual photo-elicitation interviews (predominantly in Arabic). Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. Findings: The sample consisted of seventeen youth aged 16–24 (9 males, 8 females) from Syria (n = 10), Iraq (n = 6), and Egypt (n = 1). Textual and photo analysis revealed five central themes: 1) mental health under COVID-19 confinement: distress, withdrawal, and reflexive growth; 2) family as care infrastructure: heightened responsibility and evolving relationships; 3) exacerbating factors: pandemic governance, migration, and educational disruption; 4) protective conditions: faith, community, and daily coping practices; and 5) structural barriers, service landscapes, and culturally imagined alternatives. Study implications: Findings highlight a downward redistribution of care. There is an urgent need for culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and faith-integrated mental health services, community mentorship networks, and targeted educational, linguistic, and credentialing supports for newcomer families to address systemic inequities.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Political Studies, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada",
    "Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration, 101 - 111 Waterloo St., London, Ontario, N6B 2M4, Canada",
    "School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada; Corresponding author."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bharati Sethi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Abir Al Jamal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Loretta Baidoo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b2hkme4f9adew.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100896",
  "fulltext_url": "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321526002003",
  "id": "b2hkme4f9adew",
  "issns": [
    "2667-3215"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100896",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RA1-1270"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|Family and Disability Support Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224345071",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-31",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b2hkme4f9adew.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T14:22:57Z",
      "native_id": "0029b9161ed146d3af3c11f568d73efb",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100896"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|Family and Disability Support Research",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Illuminating the voices of forgotten youth: A photovoice analysis of the mental health experiences of Muslim siblings of children with disabilities",
  "title_text": "Illuminating the voices of forgotten youth: A photovoice analysis of the mental health experiences of Muslim siblings of children with disabilities",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-02T14:20:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b2hkme4f9adew",
  "venue": "SSM: Qualitative Research in Health",
  "versions": []
}