Intercepted journeys: Associations between migration and mobility experiences and depressive symptoms among substance using migrants at the Mexico-Guatemala border

ABSTRACT

Substance use and depressive psychiatric symptoms have been associated with migration and mobility. The Mexico-Guatemala border is a key transit point for internal, regional, and international migration flows. However, there is limited knowledge of the role of substance use, migration, and mobility on mental health among migrants at this border. Our paper explores the association of migration and mobility patterns with possible major depressive symptoms among migrants at this key geographic region. We recruited 392 substance-using migrants using modified time-location sampling. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were developed. We found that 12% of the sample had possible major depressive symptoms. After adjusting for relevant covariates, including gender, income, and perceived homelessness, we found that recent rural-urban and short-term migrants had higher odds of possible major depressive symptoms, whereas international migrants had lower odds. Findings of this paper suggest that although migrants experience hardship and uncertainty, they may respond with complex and nuanced forms of coping and planning.

KEYWORDS:

• Migration
• mental health
• substance use
• Mexico
• Guatemala

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the participants, community collaborators, and study staff in both Guatemala (EDUCAVIDA) and Mexico. The authors are enormously grateful to Valerie Mercer from the University of California, San Diego from her support. The Crossing Borders project was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIDA R01DA029899, PI Kimberly Brouwer). A special acknowledgment to Dr. Fernando Salinas-Quiroz, from the National Pedagogic University in Mexico City (UPN), for his support in the interpretation of the CESD-R-10 scale. The first author (TR) was supported by the AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) Fogarty International Center (5D43TW00863303), the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico (CONACYT-UC Mexus 396237) and the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies Visiting Fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

he authors are enormously grateful to Valerie Mercer from the University of California, San Diego from her support. The Crossing Borders project was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIDA R01DA029899, PI Kimberly Brouwer). A special acknowledgment to Dr. Fernando Salinas-Quiroz, from the National Pedagogic University in Mexico City (UPN), for his support in the interpretation of the CESD-R-10 scale. The first author (TR) was supported by the AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) Fogarty International Center (5D43TW00863303), the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico (CONACYT-UC Mexus 396237) and the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies Visiting Fellowship.