Hardship and Survival: The Impact of Migration-Related Trauma, Communal Coping, and Social Stressors on the Suicide and Mental Health Outcomes of Latina Immigrant Women

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

PROPOSAL SUMMARY Migration is a social determinant of health which has profound and long-lasting health consequences, and contributes to the significant disparities in mental health outcomes experienced by Latina immigrants. Shifts in migration patterns from Latin America over the last decades – driven in part by sociopolitical conflict, organized violence, and evolving gender norms – have contributed to unprecedented growth in the population of Latinas in the US. Latina immigrants face cumulative exposure to an array of traumatic experiences before, during, and after migration – including sexual assault, natural disasters, kidnapping, separation from/and death of family members, and deprivation of basic needs. These are deeply traumatic experiences which are associated with poor mental health outcomes (posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety). Presently, suicide is a leading cause of death among Latinas in the U.S., but there is limited research seeking to identify the distinct factors that heighten the risk of suicide and that promote resilience among Latina immigrants. Furthermore, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding Latina immigrant’s lived experiences with suicide and migration- related trauma and understanding how these women utilize communal and cultural resources – such as communal coping, collective rituals, and traditional gatherings – to cope with the collective impact of migration- related trauma and chronic stress. This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study aims to generate a rich understanding of the experiences of Latina immigrants with migration-related trauma, suicide and suicidal ideation, and social stressors, and to identify salient cultural and communal factors that shape these experiences. This will be accomplished through the following aims: 1a) explore how exposure to migration-related trauma, communal coping, and social stressors influence the risk of suicidal ideation and mental health symptoms among adult Latina immigrants (n=20) using individual interviews and focus groups; 1b) understand community providers’ and team members’ (promotoras, nurses, and clinicians) (n=16-20) perspectives of how migration- related trauma, communal coping, and social stressors impact the mental health outcomes of Latina immigrants using focus groups; 2) examine how migration-related trauma, social stressors, communal coping and other salient cultural, migratory, and communal factors impact suicidal ideation and mental health symptoms among Latina immigrants using a cross-sectional survey; and 3) collaborate with community partners and the community advisory board to interpret and integrate findings and identify risk and resilience factors that shape experiences with suicide and the mental health outcomes of Latina immigrants. This innovative study builds on over a year of preliminary work, including community engagement efforts, a systematic review of the literature and concept analysis, and conceptual framework development. We center the cultivation of collaborations between the PI, mentorship team, our community partners at Centro SOL, and the Latino(a) immigrant community in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. To our knowledge, this innovative proposal will be the first to explore the impact of migration-related trauma (across the stages of migration), social stressors, communal coping, and other salient cultural and communal factors on the mental health outcomes of Latina immigrants.