Prevalence of Mental Health Issues in the Borderlands: A Comparative Perspective

O’Connor, Kathleen; Anders, Robert L.; Balcázar, Héctor; Ibarra, Jorge; Pérez, Eduardo Veloso; Flores, Luis Guillermo Ruiz; Ortiz, Melchor; Bean, Nathaniel H.

doi:10.1891/1540-4153.6.3.140

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 40 publications

(67 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mexicans are also less likely than other Latino groups to have been exposed to political or civil violence (Fortuna et al, 2008). However, Mexican-origin Hispanics in the El Paso border region, even before the worst years of the conflict, report significantly higher rates of depression than immigrant groups or native born Hispanics (O’Connor et al, 2008). The additional stressor of an armed conflict thus increases the risk of negative mental health outcomes in a population that has already been documented as experiencing high rates of depression (Aker, Önen, & Karakiliç, 2007; Amin & Khan, 2009; Ayazi, Lien, Eide, Swartz, & Hauff, 2014; Başoğlu et al, 2004; Fortuna et al, 2008; Husain et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health outcomes of drug conflict among university students at the U.S.–Mexico border.

O’Connor¹,

Vizcaino²,

Benavides³

2015

Traumatology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate to what extent young adults with close ties to Mexico were at greater risk for self-reported negative mental health outcomes than comparison groups during drug-related armed conflict from 2008 through 2012, and the effect of type and number of traumatic events on mental health outcomes. Using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, 202 university students living in the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez border region were surveyed for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Students with close ties to Mexico reported symptoms of anxiety and posttraumatic stress at significantly higher rates compared with those without connection to Mexico, but there was no significant difference in rates of depression. Although more than a third of participants reported experiencing 5 or more traumatic events connected with the drug war, being confined to home had the most significant effect. Frequency of traumatic events reported by students as well as rates of anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms were higher among students with greater connection to Mexico. Rates of clinically-significant depressive symptoms among all students were higher than expected for U.S. adults but comparable with all U.S. college students. This study presents important new data on the mental health effects of Mexico’s drug war.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health outcomes of drug conflict among university students at the U.S.–Mexico border.

O’Connor¹,

Vizcaino²,

Benavides³

2015

Traumatology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Immigration Distress and Associated Factors Among Vietnamese Women in Transnational Marriages in Taiwan

Yang

Wang

Anderson

2010

The Kaohsiung J of Med Scie

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this study was to explore the types and predictors of immigration distress among Vietnamese women in transnational marriages in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey with face-to-face interviews was conducted for data collection. A convenient sample of 203 Vietnamese women in transnational marriages in southern Taiwan was recruited. The Demographic Inventory measured the participants' age, education, employment status, religion, length of residency and number of children, as well as their spouse's age, education, employment status and religion. The Demand of Immigration Specific Distress scale measured the level of distress and had six subscales: loss, novelty, occupational adjustment, language accommodation, discrimination and alienation. Among the 203 participants, 6.4% had a high level of immigration distress; 91.1% had moderate distress; and 2.5% had minor distress. Higher mean scores were found for the loss, novelty and language accommodation subscales of the Demand of Immigration Specific Distress scale. Participant's (r = 0.321, p < 0.01) and spouse's (r = 0.375, p < 0.01) unemployment, and more children (r = 0.129, p < 0.05) led to greater immigration distress. Length of residency in Taiwan (r = 0.576, p < 0.001) was an effective predictor of immigration distress. It indicated that the participants who had stayed fewer years in Taiwan had a higher level of immigrant distress. Health care professionals need to be aware that the female newcomers in transnational marriages are highly susceptible to immigration distress. The study suggests that healthcare professionals need to provide a comprehensive assessment of immigration distress to detect health problems early and administer culturally appropriate healthcare for immigrant women in transnational marriages.

show abstract

Mental health outcomes of Mexico’s drug war in Ciudad Juárez: A pilot study among university students.

O’Connor

Vizcaino

Benavides

2014

Traumatology: An International Journal

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During the most intense period of armed conflict related to the drug trade in Mexico, forty students attending the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, were surveyed in this pilot study for symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. The percentage of participants who scored positively for symptoms of PTSD depression and anxiety were 32.5%, 35% and 37.5%, respectively. Criteria for post-traumatic stress were analyzed separately. The most frequently-reported traumatic events included extortion or robbery, confinement to home, injury to loved one, being in an armed conflict, witnessing a killing or dead body and being beaten. Trauma events positively associated with depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms included robbery or extortion, armed conflict situation, exposure to frequent arms fire, and witnessing a killing or dead body.

show abstract

Prevalence of Mental Health Issues in the Borderlands: A Comparative Perspective

Cited by 4 publications

References 40 publications

Mental health outcomes of drug conflict among university students at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Mental health outcomes of drug conflict among university students at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Immigration Distress and Associated Factors Among Vietnamese Women in Transnational Marriages in Taiwan

Mental health outcomes of Mexico’s drug war in Ciudad Juárez: A pilot study among university students.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About