Stages of Latino Immigration: The Effect of Trauma on Well-Being

Background/Purpose. Latino immigrants often endure distinct hardships at each stage of the immigration process (pre-migration, migration, and post-migration). Examples include poverty and violence in one’s home country during pre-migration, illness and arrest during the migration journey, and discrimination during post-migration settlement. Little is known about the long-term impact of immigration-related trauma. This pilot study investigates the impact of trauma encountered during each stage on Latino immigrant well-being.

Methods. Data were collected via surveys from adult Latino immigrants (N = 101). The survey was designed to assess experiences during the immigration journey and well-being in the United States. Separate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the impact of trauma on subjective health, life satisfaction, and psychological distress. General health and life satisfaction were assessed through single item measures. The Kessler K6 (K6) standardized scale was used to assess psychological distress. A dichotomous variable was created to specify whether or not a participant was at risk of psychological distress (cutoff score = 13). Immigration-related trauma was assessed through multiple-items scales that were developed, based on the literature, to assess for exposure to trauma at each immigration stage. Specifically, participants indicated each form of hardship encountered during the three stages. Additional predictors included length of time spent in the United States, social support, and demographic measures.

Results. Descriptive results showed that most participants were female (80%), had unauthorized status (85%), had lived in the United States 14 years (on average), and were a mean of 38 years old. Analyses of the data indicated that participants encountered, on average, three incidents of trauma during the pre-migration and the post-migration stages of immigration and one incident during the migration journey. In terms of well-being, 38.5% of participants reported very good or excellent health, 82% reported high life satisfaction, and 25% of participants were found to be at risk of psychological distress. Logistic regression results indicated that post-migration stressors (OR = .554, p = .01) and social support (OR = 1.12, p = .03) predicted health status, while time in the U.S. (OR = 1.21, p = .004) predicted life satisfaction. Time in the U.S. (OR = .854, p = .012), as well as stress during both pre-migration (OR = 1.48, p = .03 and post-migration (OR = 2.22, p = .003) predicted psychological distress.

Conclusions and Implications. Findings suggest that trauma during pre-migration and post-migration stages of immigration have a distinct negative effect on subjective health and psychological well-being. Yet, much of social work research and service delivery focus strictly on events occurring post-migration settlement. This study supports the importance of addressing the impact of trauma experienced during post-migration settlement, but also suggests that pre-migration trauma may be detrimental to psychological well-being well after arrival in the United States. Mexicans and Central Americans, in particular, reside in locations with high poverty, crime, and gang-related violence. This study raises awareness for social work practice and future research to consider the role of pre-migration trauma on Latino immigrants’ long-term well-being.