Politics, Pandemics, and Trauma: Understanding and Addressing Latino Health Needs Through a Culturally-Informed Lens

Abstract

Latino communities in the United States (U.S.) have long endured trauma due to multiple intersecting social and political forces. New restrictive immigration policies since 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic have each created novel stressors for Latino communities, while escalating the risk of mental health disorders and highlighting the communities' vulnerabilities. The effects of these stressors have been particularly pronounced in southeastern states, such as Tennessee and Georgia, due to their state-level anti-immigrant legislation. Yet, we lack sufficient data to understand how these factors present among Latinos seeking services. To focus attention on the specific experiences of Latino communities living in the U.S. Southeast, the authors analyzed the perspectives of 44 service providers working with these communities in the region using qualitative data collected in an online survey administered during the COVID-19 pandemic and while President Trump's exclusionary immigration policies were in force. Four themes were identified: (1) Latino communities' strengths; (2) impact of the Trump administration on Latino communities; (3) impact of COVID-19's on Latino communities; and (4) strategies to enhance service delivery in Latino communities. Results provide meaningful data to inform micro- and macro-level service delivery in two exclusionary policy states and beyond. Findings suggest future research should include other new immigrant destinations and explore perceptions of Latino community members.

Prescription and Non-Prescription Drug Use during the Covid-19 Pandemic among Racial-Ethnic Identities

“…Additionally, African American populations were faced with increased allegations of police brutality, widespread grief, and fear due to the public losses of individuals such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey [23][24][25]. Furthermore, Latinx populations continued to be confronted with immigration policies that contributed to heightened anxiety and depression [26][27][28].…”

“…When stratified by racial/ethnic identity, NHW were associated with increased prescription drug (stimulants, sedatives, and opioids) use. Previous studies suggest wealth distribution disparities, implicit bias in prescribing patterns, and inequitable mental health resource accessibility as potential contributors to this disconcerting trend [25,26,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

“…14 We compared medication use in participants with moderate to severe anxiety (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) to those with mild anxiety(0-9). The PHQ-9 ranks depression into five categories: minimal depression(1-4), mild depression(5-9), moderate depression (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderately severe depression (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and severe depression (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). 15 We compared medication use in participants with moderate to severe depression (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)…”

“…The PHQ-9 ranks depression into five categories: minimal depression(1-4), mild depression(5-9), moderate depression (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderately severe depression (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and severe depression (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). 15 We compared medication use in participants with moderate to severe depression (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27) to those with minimal to mild depression (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). Both screening tools (GAD-7 and PHQ-9) are based on the DSM-IV criteria for major depression and generalized anxiety disorder and have welldocumented reliability and validity in the literature [15].…”

“Nos apoyamos mutuamente”: Strategies to supporting community health workers addressing the emergency and chronic needs of Latinx families.

“…For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has put mixed-status Latinx immigrant families at greater risk of unemployment, social isolation, economic insecurity, and housing insecurity, with greater demands for psychosocial services as a result (Krogstad & Lopez, 2020; Lovato & Ramirez, 2022; Vargas & Sanchez, 2020). Undocumented immigrants are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic due to their precarious legal status (Garcini et al, 2023; Held et al, 2022). Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased family violence globally due to the lack of unemployment, social support, and health concerns (Rauhaus et al, 2020; World Health Organization, 2020).…”