Living Conditions and Psychological Distress in Latino Migrant Day Laborers: The Role of Cultural and Community Protective Factors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between typically difficult living conditions and psychological distress in Latino migrant day laborers (LMDLs), with attention to the potentially protective roles of contact with family in country of origin (i.e., communication, sending money, etc.), availability of local culture (i.e., food, music, people from one's country of origin), and utilization of community resources perceived to be culturally competent (i.e., services that are respectful, able to serve Latinos, able to solve problems, in Spanish, etc.). Participants were 344 LMDLs surveyed in the San Francisco Bay Area. As hypothesized: (a) difficult living conditions were related to depression, anxiety, and desesperación [desperation], the latter a popular Latino idiom of psychological distress recently validated on LMDLs; (b) contact with family moderated the relation between difficult living conditions and depression and desesperación but not anxiety and (c) access to local culture, and utilization of community resources, mediated the relation between difficult living conditions and depression and desesperación but not anxiety. Implications for intervening at local and larger levels in order to provide some protection against distress built into the LMDL experience in the United States are discussed.

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

“…However, most participants were living as single (74%), and those who were single or living as single were more depressed than those who were married or living with their partner. These findings were consistent with previous studies among day laborers documenting social isolation and limited social networks, and their association with poor mental and physical health (Negi, 2011; Organista, Ngo, et al, 2017; Steel et al, 2017).…”

“…In a Los Angeles area study, Latino day laborers reported experiencing mild to moderate levels of depressive symptoms on average (Bacio, Moore, Karno, & Ray, 2014). A study in the San Francisco area reported that Latino day laborers with difficult living conditions had higher levels of depression and desesperación (a culturally specific form of psychological distress; Organista, Ngo, et al, 2017). Several studies conducted in Latino migrant and day laborer populations have identified associations between poor mental health outcomes and substance use, including unhealthy alcohol use and other drug use (Organista, Arreola, & Neilands, 2017; Ornelas, Torres, & Serrano, 2016; Sánchez, 2015; Kissinger et al, 2008; J.…”

Working and Living Conditions and Psychological Distress in Latino Migrant Day Laborers

“…A direct path linking living conditions to alcohol use was also found. While links between living conditions and distress are consistent with past research (Organista, Ngo, et al, 2017), current results extend past findings by linking distressing living conditions to alcohol use. Problem drinking in LMDLs is concerning given its associations with depression, anxiety (Organista et al, 2016; Organista, Arreola, et al, 2017; Ornelas et al, 2016), and work injury (Walter, Bourgois, Loinaz, & Schillinger, 2002).…”

“…Organista, Ngo, Neilands, and Kral (2017) found similar living conditions for LMDLs in the San Francisco Bay Area and psychological distress related to interpersonal housing-related factors such as not trusting or getting along with roommates. That is, even though the majority of LMDLs had found housing, they reported distressing circumstances within their living situations that warrant further research.…”

“…Previous research demonstrates that distress related to living conditions is mitigated by use of community services perceived by LMDLs to be culturally competent and contact with family (Organista, Ngo, et al, 2017). Thus, implications include expanding culturally competent services and encouraging LMDLs to remain in contact with family even when distressed.…”