Violence and Trauma Experienced By Immigrant Women from Central America

Background: Many female migrants from the northern triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) come tothe United States in an attempt to escape poor economic conditions, as well as the political and social violence in their country of origin.  These women have been forced to leave their country as they do not feel they have any other options for survival.  Exploring the trauma as a result of the violence experienced in the country of origin as well as the migratory journey can help determine the mental health status of these immigrant women arriving in the United States. 

The overarching research questions were as follows:  Does the trauma experienced during the journey to the U.S. add to the trauma already suffered in their country of origin? Does the compounded experience of trauma and violence increase the mental health problems of immigrant women from Central America?

Research hypotheses included:  Hypothesis 1: Violence will have a negative impact on mental health.    Hypothesis 2: Trauma will have a negative impact on mental health.  Hypothesis 3: The impact of violence on mental health will be mediated by trauma.

Methods:  Data was collected using a cross sectional survey design.  Interviews of 100 women ages 18-65 were conducted using a screening tool to identify reasons for migration, demographics, and types of violence experienced before, during and after their journey.  In addition, four standardized screening tools were used to measure the participants’ anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), trauma (TSQ), and PTSD (PCL-C).

The data was analyzed using univariate, and bivariate and multivariate statistics, to best understand relationships among variables and make significant predictions and associations.  Forty percent of the participants were from Honduras, 35% from El Salvador, and 25% from Guatemala.  At the time the survey was administered the participants' mean age was 42 years, 61% had not completed high school, and had been in the U.S. for an average of 19 years.  The average age of the participants when they journeyed to the U.S. was 23, and 60% traveled either alone or with minor children. 

 Results: Preliminary results indicate that 57% of participants had symptoms of depression. In addition, 52% of participants met the criteria for trauma, and 44% met the criteria for PTSD.  Experiencing political and social violence was reported by 79% of the participants as their reasons for migration. Regression analysis indicated that the levels of depression increased when trauma was introduced as a mediator. Extensive analysis will be detailed in the presentation.

 Conclusion and Implications: Findings suggest that immigrant women from Central America are at high risk for mental health problems related to depression and trauma and are in need of assistance so they can adjust to their new environment. Social workers can play a pivotal role in assisting these women by providing counseling and making referrals to education, housing and other programs to help alleviate added trauma that could be experienced in this country. In addition, social workers can advocate for policies opposing detainment of women based on the findings of this study.