Help Wanted: Mental Health and Social Stressors Among Latino Day Laborers

Abstract

Latino day laborers may be especially vulnerable to poor mental health due to stressful life experiences, yet few studies have described patterns of mental health outcomes and their correlates in this population. Patterns of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7), and associations with demographic characteristics, social stressors, and substance use in a recruited sample of male Latino day laborers ( n = 101) are described. High rates of depression and anxiety were identified. Specifically, 39% screened positive for moderate or severe depression and 25% for moderate or severe anxiety. Higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with being single, being homeless or in temporary housing, experiencing discrimination, acculturation stress, and marijuana use. While tobacco and unhealthy alcohol use were common in this sample (39% and 66%, respectively), they were not associated with depression and anxiety. These findings suggest that depression and anxiety are common among Latino day laborers and associated with stressful life experiences. Future research should further assess ways to ameliorate social stressors and reduce risk for poor mental health.

Immigration Policy Vulnerability Linked to Adverse Mental Health Among Latino Day Laborers

“…The two study outcome variables are depression and anxiety. Day laborers’ depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient-Health-Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8), which has been used and validated among Latinos and Spanish-speaking patients in clinical and community settings [ 4 , 43 ]. We opted for the PHQ-8 instead of the PHQ-9, which assesses suicidal ideation, due to participant safety concerns; we did not want to trigger a negative reaction without providing participants with adequate risk management support.…”

“…The psychological distress caused by discrimination, the effortful coping with anticipatory threats of family separation, and social exclusion limiting access to resources all impact well-being. Among Latino male day laborers, correlates of adverse mental health include being homeless, experiencing discrimination, higher levels of acculturation stress, and being single [ 4 ]. These social stressors may lead to the overstimulation of the stress-response system, which can increase disease vulnerability and risk of adverse physical and mental health [ 33 , 34 ].…”

The Health of Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: What We Know and Future Directions

“…Common experiences reported in both qualitative and quantitative studies include verbal and physical assault, including mistreatment by immigration and law enforcement as well as racial and linguistic profiling (13,112,116,123). Undocumented immigrants report that discrimination occurs most frequently at work, when seeking health care, and during interactions with immigration and law enforcement (28,54). Undocumented Latinx immigrants are often targets of violent victimization because they are commonly paid in cash and are perceived as carrying large amounts of money (35).…”

The Prevalence of Generalised Anxiety Disorder Among Prisoners of the Penitentiary Institution in North-Eastern Poland

“…It is difficult to determine the dominant cause of the disorder. In the group of Hispanics working on daily payment, people with low social status, the prevalence of depression and anxiety turned out to be higher than in the general population of Latinos in the U.S., on the other hand, among Puerto Rican youth living in the Bronx, anxiety disorders were more common than those in Puerto Rico, at a similar level of poverty in both groups (14,15). Cigarette smoking or quitting, alcohol abuse, and taking drugs include other risk factors for generalised anxiety disorder (16)(17)(18).…”

“…The more frequent prevalence of mental disorders, including anxiety disorders observed among immigrants, is explained by discrimination, yet according to many researchers, other factors such as economic stress or lack of life partner are of substantial significance (13)(14)(15). It is difficult to determine the dominant cause of the disorder.…”