Latino Immigrant Teens and Parents: Migration and Mental Health
Author(s): K. M. Perreira S. Potochnick
The last decade has been characterized by an unprecedented growth in the Latino population of North Carolina. This study aims to: (1) provide prevalence data on mental health symptoms among first-generation Latino youth, (2) describe the migration and acculturation experiences of immigrant youth and their relationship to mental health, and (3) describe the characteristics of the community, school, and family contexts that affect the mental health of new immigrant youth. The study is based on 283 responses from first-generation Latino immigrant youth ages 12-19 and 283 of their primary caregivers. The study demonstrates that Latino immigrant youth were brought to the US as part of their parents' decisions to secure economic stability and to improve the life chances of their children. While the majority of caregivers and adolescents claimed that the migration process was stressful, both overwhelmingly felt that the decision to migrate was the best decision. As the immigrant Latino population adapted to their new settings and social norms, family was an important source of personal support for all adolescents and caregivers. The study also shows that discrimination kept adolescents and their parents from truly feeling a part of their communities. Despite discrimination, both caregivers and adolescents continued to acculturate with time in the US. In terms of caregiver and adolescent health, the study suggests that while few adolescents were engaged in risky behaviours, many reported clinically significant signs of externalizing and internalizing behaviours.