Jordan Easterlin, “Systems-Level Acculturative Stressors Impacting Immigrants from Latin America Residing in the United States”
Mentor: Gabriela Nagy, Psychology
Poster #116
As the number of Latinx immigrants (20 million) in the US continues to grow, it is essential for mental health fields to be attuned to acculturative stressors that hinder the mental health well-being of this population. Literature regarding acculturative stress highlights that a significant challenge for immigrants is navigating complex systems (e.g., education, healthcare, legal, and economic systems). Because of how these complex systems were set up, many immigrants do not have the proper resources or guidance on how to get connected to these systems, and they also may not know how to navigate them once they are connected to them. This study will comprise a secondary analysis of qualitative data, where focus groups were conducted with community leaders serving the Latinx community (N=12). Through the descriptive qualitative analysis of data, we hope to answer four overarching research questions: (1) Which systems do Latinx immigrants interface with? (2) How do they interface with these systems (at the levels of learning the systems, initial contact with the systems, and navigating through the systems)? (3) To what extent are those systems perceived to be “immigrant-welcoming” vs. “immigrant-hostile”? (4) What community-level resources and strategies might be needed to offset systemic acculturative stressors perpetuated by those systems? Using a rapid qualitative analysis approach, we will analyze analytic memos derived from focus groups with community leaders to identify salient themes related to the overarching questions. These findings will offer guidance on future interventions and initiatives that can support the health and well-being of Latinx immigrants.