Department of Health Services, University of Washington, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Box 359455, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2020 Oct;7(5):937-948. doi: 10.1007/s40615-020-00717-7. Epub 2020 Feb 10.
Latina immigrant women in the U.S. are at increased risk for poor mental health status, due to socioeconomic- and immigration-related stressors. We sought to describe the mechanisms linking immigration-related stressors and mental health, including how the current social and political climate affects women's mental health status, and which coping strategies are used to maintain well-being. We conducted four focus groups with Latina immigrants (N = 58) recruited through local community-based organizations. We drew on the stages of migration framework to guide our study design and analysis. Focus group transcripts were analyzed to identify emergent themes across groups. On average, focus group participants were 35.5 years old and had lived in the U.S. for 12.5 years. Most were from Mexico. Participants reported immigration-related stressors including unsafe migration, worry about immigration enforcement, broken social ties, and limited access to health and social services. In the face of these stressors, they relied on transnational social networks and connections with other Latina immigrant women. Social ties with family in the U.S. also helped them alleviate social isolation and overcome barriers to social services. Those who were mothers expressed that their children were a source of encouragement and comfort with feelings of stress. Immigration policies that contribute to unsafe migration, worry about immigration enforcement, limited social ties, and limited access to social services were associated with increased stress among Latina immigrants who participated in the focus groups. These participants could benefit from increased access to mental health care and community-based programs that connect them to resources.
美国的拉丁裔移民女性由于社会经济和移民相关的压力因素，心理健康状况较差。我们旨在描述将移民相关压力与心理健康联系起来的机制，包括当前的社会和政治氛围如何影响女性的心理健康状况，以及使用哪些应对策略来保持幸福感。我们通过当地的社区组织招募了 58 名拉丁裔移民参与者，开展了四个焦点小组。我们借鉴移民阶段框架来指导我们的研究设计和分析。对焦点小组的转录本进行了分析，以确定跨组出现的主题。平均而言，焦点小组参与者的年龄为 35.5 岁，在美国生活了 12.5 年。他们大多来自墨西哥。参与者报告了移民相关的压力因素，包括不安全的移民、担心移民执法、社会关系破裂以及获得医疗和社会服务的机会有限。面对这些压力，他们依靠跨国社会网络和与其他拉丁裔移民女性的联系。与美国的家庭关系也帮助他们缓解了社会孤立感并克服了获得社会服务的障碍。那些作为母亲的人表示，他们的孩子是他们在感到压力时的鼓励和安慰来源。导致不安全移民、担心移民执法、社会关系有限和获得社会服务机会有限的移民政策与参与焦点小组的拉丁裔移民的压力增加有关。这些参与者可能受益于增加获得心理健康护理和社区为他们提供资源的计划的机会。
