Newly arrived immigrants to the United States and those who have not been able to regularize their residence in the country are likely to be affected by numerous symptoms that put their mental health at risk.
A first problem is that immigrants come from many places and different cultures. Each one comes for different problems and their impact is equally different.
Although it has declined in the past decade, the highest percentage of immigration to the U.S. come from Mexico. Additionally, rates of migration from Central American countries including Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have increased in recent years due to systemic challenges of poverty, political persecution and organized crime, and large-scale destabilization from hurricanes, floods, earthquake and volcanic eruptions.
As Hispanic/Latinx people continue to migrate to the U.S. and become a larger and more diverse segment of our population, it is important to understand the internal diversity, experiences and needs of these communities.
In addition to the wide range in national origin and ethnicity, Hispanic/Latinx immigrants come from diverse socioeconomic and educational backgrounds and have arrived under different documentation statuses. The community includes documented immigrants who have received permanent residency or citizenship status, undocumented immigrants, U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants and young people eligible for temporary protected status granted under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM (Development Relief and Education for Minors) Acts.
Depending on their reasons for migration, and the way in which they migrated to this country, members of this community may experience significant stressors — including severe physical, emotional and mental health trauma — that can increase their risk of poor mental health, worsen an existing mental illness or result in a new chronic condition.
Refugees and asylum seekers are a significantly vulnerable population at risk for worsened mental health outcomes. Many are seeking asylum due to trauma, violence and other social injustices unaddressed in their home countries. Additionally, the migration journey itself, and the relocation in a new country, can involve physical and emotional trauma.
The process to be granted refugee status is long, usually lasting years, while the individual awaits resettlement at a refugee camp or a secondary country. When it comes to mental health and trauma, unaccompanied minors, children and adolescents who migrate to the U.S. Without the company of an adult or a caregiver, or have been separated from their parents at the border, are a specific population of concern.
These children face significant mental health challenges as they often face mistreatment and lack social support. The results of trauma endured by separated families have not been fully measured or reported, but the impact of mental health as a result of adverse childhood experiences is well documented.
It is necessary to keep a constant checkup and see specialists to help them navigate this process. But the challenges are many: availability of services, language, immigration status. But it is convenient to seek when possible that help that is necessary to avoid falling into major problems, both for individuals, the family and society.
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