ABSTRACT
Purpose: Immigrants comprise about 14% of the existing population of the United States. The period under Trump administration and COVID-19 in particular have been challenging for immigrants. The goal of this review was to present a landscape of immigrants in the US and their experiences during the exclusionary environment under Trump administration and the pandemic. Method: The study presents descriptive findings and chi-square results utilizing data collected from a survey. Our sample (N = 490) was collected during the early 2021. Results: Findings indicate differences in COVID experiences, stress impact as a result of travel bans, and resiliency by race. Minority communities compared to those who were White were disproportionately impacted. Discussion and Conclusion: By drawing on the literature, research and policy briefs and the study data, we discuss mental health implications and increased discrimination against immigrants. We propose ways in which researchers, practitioners and policy advocates can enhance support for immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
We investigated the role of COVID-19 exposure and discrimination on depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Latinx adults residing in the southeastern United States. Survey data were collected from 264 Latinx adults. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures, we estimated a structural model for hypothesized direct and indirect relationships between the risk factors of COVID-19 exposure and discrimination, social support, and two mental health conditions: depression and posttraumatic stress. COVID-19 exposure and discrimination each had a significant and positive relationship with both depression and posttraumatic stress. Social support was found to have a significant and inverse relationship with depression and posttraumatic stress, as well as to mediate the relationship between discrimination and both mental health symptoms. Implications for service provision and program design are presented. Future studies should examine variation between southeastern states and consider the influence of documentation status among an immigrant-only sample.