"If I get sick here, I will never see my children again": The mental health of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
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- Category: Mental Health
- Publication Date: November 29, 20220
A qualitative case study was carried out through individual online interviews to 30 international migrants living in Chile during the pandemic and 10 experts of the social and health care sectors. An inductive content analysis was carried out, a process during which the researchers sought to identify patterns and themes derived from the data. Participants experienced mainly negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression symptomatology. Stressors included the virus itself, work, living and socioeconomic conditions, discrimination, fear for their family and distance caring. Institutional responses to address the mental health of international migrants during the pandemic in Chile were limited and participants relied mainly on individual coping strategies.
Association between time of residence and self-perception of distress, interpersonal relationships, and social role in Venezuelan immigrants in Lima, Peru 2018–19: mixed-methods study
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- Category: Mental Health
- Publication Date: 2018–19
Immigrants arriving in a new country face changes that affect their social, employment, and migratory status. We carried out a mixed-methods study in the rapidly growing Venezuelan immigrant population in Lima, Peru. The objective was to determine whether there was an association between time in Peru and self-perception of symptom distress (SD), interpersonal relationships (IR), and social role (SR). The quantitative central component consisted of a cross-sectional study, surveying 152 participants using the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ-45.2). The qualitative component, based on phenomenology, explored experiences and challenges during the migration process. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted in 16 informants.
Cultural Stress and Mental Health Among Venezuelan Migrants: Cross-National Evidence From 2017 To 2024
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- Category: Mental Health
- Publication Date: 2024-10-04
Since 2015, ~ 8 million Venezuelans have fled what was once Latin America’s most prosperous nation, with many relocating to nearby Colombia and others migrating to the United States (U.S.). Emerging research suggests that migration-related cultural stress is a challenge for Venezuelans and is related to an increased risk of mental health problems. However, it remains uncertain how cultural stress and mental health outcomes manifest over time and across countries. e analyze survey data from multiple studies of Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and the U.S. State of Florida. Data collected include self-report measures on discrimination, negative context of reception (NCR), and depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening diagnoses, collected from distinct cross-national cohorts in 2017 (N = 638) and 2023–2024 (N = 1,241). Self-reported NCR and discrimination were consistently higher among Venezuelan migrants in Colombia than among Venezuelans in Florida. Levels of cultural stress within countries were variable, with NCR decreasing across years in Florida and self-reported discrimination increasing in both Florida and Colombia. Many Venezuelan migrants reported symptoms of mental health problems, with half of the sample in Colombia (54–56%) and two-fifths of the sample in Florida (39–41%) screening positive for depression in 2017 and 2023–2024. Individuals exposed to higher levels of cultural stress were substantially more likely to screen positive for depression and PTSD. This study is the first to examine cultural stress and mental health among Venezuelan migrants across national contexts and different stages of the still-unfolding international migration crisis.
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