A psychology professor from the University of Windsor is involved in a national study that focuses on the integration of Syrian refugees into Canadian life.

Psychology professor Ben Kuo, whose research focuses on cross-cultural psychology and multicultural counselling, will track the physical and mental health of 135 people now living in Windsor over the next five years.

Kuo and his team of students have already been working with some of the refugees, holding workshops on how to manage stress and how to deal with situations they might encounter.

"Many of them come with a history of trauma and tortures," he said. "Many of them didn't have a lot of time to prepare to leave, so they come with a variety of issues as a result of the conflict they are facing."

The Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County will help recruit volunteers for the study, which includes two Arabic-speaking research assistants to conduct focus groups and in-home surveys.

The overall study will include more than 2,200 refugees from across the country.

"We are trying to understand what the experience is like for Syrian refugees, not just [after] one year, two years, but multiple years," Kuo said.