Galvez Eliza Silvia, Held Mary Lehman, Wang Fei, Lucio Robert
Stokely Management Center, College of Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 916, Volunteer Blvd Floors 5 and 7, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
J Immigr Minor Health. 2025 May 28. doi: 10.1007/s10903-025-01692-z.
Existing research highlights the impact of migration-stage stress on the mental health of Latinx migrants. However, there remains limited understanding of the experiences of recently arrived Mexican and Central American migrants who have fled hardships and encountered substantial challenges throughout their migration journey. To address this gap, this study was designed to examine the associations between cumulative stress experienced at distinct stages of migration (pre-migration, peri-migration, and post-migration) to the United States (U.S.) and depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the moderating role of social support as a protective factor for these mental health outcomes. Using a cross-sectional design, survey data were collected from Mexican and Central American migrants who arrived within the past decade (n = 305). Multiple regression analyses were employed to assess the relationship between stage-specific migration stressors and reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Higher pre-migration and post-migration stress were significantly associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, while peri-migration stress was specifically associated with heightened anxiety and PTSD symptoms. Notably, social support demonstrated a protective effect on all mental health symptoms, although no significant moderating effects were observed. Findings highlight the critical importance of addressing migration-stage stress throughout all stages of migration. This study presents practice and policy implications to promote the wellbeing and integration of Mexican and Central American migrants in the U.S.
现有研究强调了移民阶段压力对拉丁裔移民心理健康的影响。然而，对于最近抵达的墨西哥和中美洲移民的经历，我们的了解仍然有限，这些移民在整个移民过程中逃离了困境并面临了巨大挑战。为了填补这一空白，本研究旨在探讨移民到美国（美国）不同阶段（移民前、移民期间和移民后）所经历的累积压力与抑郁、焦虑和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状之间的关联。此外，该研究旨在检验社会支持作为这些心理健康结果的保护因素的调节作用。采用横断面设计，从过去十年内抵达的墨西哥和中美洲移民中收集了调查数据（n = 305）。采用多元回归分析来评估特定阶段的移民压力源与报告的抑郁、焦虑和PTSD症状之间的关系。较高的移民前和移民后压力与抑郁、焦虑和PTSD症状的增加显著相关，而移民期间的压力则与焦虑和PTSD症状的加剧特别相关。值得注意的是，社会支持对所有心理健康症状都显示出保护作用，尽管未观察到显著的调节作用。研究结果强调了在移民的所有阶段应对移民阶段压力的至关重要性。本研究提出了实践和政策建议，以促进墨西哥和中美洲移民在美国的福祉和融入。
