Since 2016, about 5 million Venezuelans have left the country. Approximately 1.8 million of them have settled in Colombia. Recent studies聽have shown that about 19% of Venezuelan migrants have clinical symptoms of聽depression and 23% present symptoms of anxiety. Our own research shows even higher rates of depressive (52%) and anxiety (62%) symptoms. What we know from previous research is that mental health among parents and children can bring about detrimental consequences for their incorporation into a new society by lowering productivity among parents and diminishing聽academic achievement among children. With collaboration from undergraduate聽and graduate students, we conducted a needs assessment to better understand the mental health needs of聽Venezuelan families living in Colombia. With the support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation we culturally adapted an intervention to improve the wellbeing of Venezuelan migrant families with children under the age of 3 years. We are also conducting a feasibility trial to evaluate the impact of the intervention on parental mental health and parenting skills.聽聽

Research Projects in Colombia

Families who have recently migrated to the United States are disproportionately affected by poverty, diminished social capital, discrimination, and exposure to neighborhood violence. These stressors reduce levels of positive parenting and family cohesion, which in turn negatively affect children鈥檚 mental health. More than 50% of the immigrant population in the United States (US) comes from Latin America, and Latino children under the age of 18 make up more than 30% of the US population. Although rates of depression among adult Latino immigrants have been shown to be lower than those of native-born Latinos, rates of post-traumatic stress (PTS) have been found be as high as 52% among Latino immigrants. Many Latino immigrants report traumatic experiences before, during, and after migrating to the US. In an effort to improve mental health outcomes among parents and children, we are working closely with families, providers, and other community stakeholders to identify the key mental health aspects that need to be addressed.

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