HOUSTON — Undocumented Mexican immigrants living near the California-Mexico border experience increased rates of clinical depression and anxiety, a new study finds.
Researchers at Rice University examined the incidence of mental illnesses and substance abuse among 250 individuals within this stressed population, finding that 23 percent met the DSM’s criteria for having a mental disorder.
Fourteen percent of the study’s participants were found to have major depressive disorder (MDD), while eight and seven percent had panic or generalized anxiety disorders, respectively.
Some were determined to have suffered from multiple conditions concurrently.
“The estimates obtained in this study for depression and anxiety disorders were considerably higher in this population when compared with estimates for the general U.S. population,” says lead author Luz Garcini in a university news release.
Namely, one major study shows that seven percent of Americans suffer from MDD, while three percent suffer from a panic or anxiety-related disorder.
These findings came despite the related finding that aliens residing in the U.S. did not demonstrate increased levels of substance abuse.
“This finding defies existing stereotypes that contribute to stigmatization of and discrimination against Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. without documentation as a population with high prevalence of substance use,” Garcini explains. “These individuals are unlikely to engage in substance use because it increases their risk for deportation and it interferes with their productivity at work.”
The researchers believe that a number of stressors, including stigmatization, language barriers, fear of deportation, family separation, and discrimination, are culprits for the deteriorated mental health of many migrants.
Compounding matters, undocumented individuals rarely have access to adequate mental health services, the researchers say.
“Additional research and funding are needed to document the devastating effects of the current socio-political context on the mental health of immigrants living in the U.S. without documentation, which is needed to inform advocacy, policy and intervention efforts,” Garcini concludes.
The study’s findings will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
Sounds consistent with the rest of the nation…
Probably a higher percent of lawmakers do.
In a sane world, this would be another reason to return them home. But Pelosi, Schumer, et als would argue this as a reason to add illegals to Medicaid/ACA….L
Yeah it’s called Islam
It’s way more than 25%. The proof is in their voting records.
Their called Democrats!!
Bu Bu But ..What about the rocket scientists , physicists and curers for Cancer “THE DREAMERS”!!!!! BBBWWAAAHHHHAAA! !
Go back to Mexico and be depressed there. We do not need to be spending taxpayer’s dollars on mental or physical health on these illegal invaders.
These countries are dumping their garbage on our streets. Trump was right again!!
WRONG! For the followers of the certifiably psychotic, demon possessed, genocidal [Yeah I have read the CONran.] pedophile it is 100%, and I can prove that.
What sane man would want 72 virgins?
That’s just great. More of my hard earned tax dollars at work. Thanks Democrat retards.
Someone had to do a study to figure this out? Reality is Mexicans that are educated and normal aren’t clamoring to climb the fence and get into the USA, they are happy to live in Mexico just as an American is happy to live in the US. The Mexicans we get crossing the border are the dregs of Mexico the people that are uneducated and considered worthless by their fellow Mexicans, they pretty much chase them into the US to get them out of Mexico. So of course a lot of them are mentally ill, its cheaper for Mexico to chase the crazies across the border than to care for them.
By all means, bring more of them into this country. We don’t have enough mental illness here already.
So they broke the law and now are stressed that they could be caught and forced to pay for their crimes (deported). I guess then bank robbers should be given counseling, as I would imagine it would be stressful as heck living your daily life knowing that you could be busted for breaking the law at any minute. Thieves and pick pockets should get the help they need as well, mind you not to stop or correct their criminal misdeeds in the past, but to deal with the stress and worry over the fact that they may end up paying for their crimes one day.
Anybody thinking they can outrun their problems by coming to the United States is a threat to the public.
That should improve the gene pool since 75% of Democrats already have mental disorders.
If they are Jihadists, they have 100% mental disorders.
No wonder illegals vote Democrat (both are mentally ill).
I think it would be 2/3’s for Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy.