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Investigating Depressive Symptoms among Caribbean and Mexican Immigrants
Mon, August 12, 4:30 to 5:30pm, New York Hilton, Floor: Second Floor, Sutton NorthAbstract
Immigrants belonging to some racial/ethnic minority groups might not be benefitting from the healthy migrant effect. With data from the New Immigrant Survey (2003), which includes immigrants from Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Jamaica, I examine the odds of depressive symptoms using a series of logistic regression analyses. I draw on segmented assimilation and the cumulative inequality theories to understand and explicate the extent to which immigrants’ demographic characteristics, pre-immigration experiences, and acculturation in the U.S. might have an impact on immigrants’ mental health outcomes. Being from Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and a woman, with unfavorable childhood health, and migrated at an early age were statistically significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Compared to Mexican immigrants, the odds of reporting depressive symptoms were .60 times lower for Haitian immigrants, controlling for gender, age, education and pre-immigration experiences. By contrast, the odds were 1.63 times greater for Dominican immigrants and 2.54 times greater for Cuban immigrants. Female immigrants have higher odds of reporting depressive symptoms compared to their male counterparts. Relative to immigrants with good childhood health, those with unfavorable childhood health have higher odds of reporting worse health outcomes. In the logistic regression models, immigrants who migrated at older age report lower odds of depressive symptoms. Acculturation is not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. By shedding light on the health status of understudied Caribbean immigrant groups in comparison with Mexican immigrants, this study serves as a starting point to guide policies that aim at decreasing health disparities among different immigrant groups.