Family support and mental health of Latinx children in migrant farmworker families

Abstract

Our mixed-method study examined the mental health of Latinx children in migrant farmworker (LMFW) families, assessed whether acculturative stressors contributed to mental health problems, and examined whether family warmth and support counteracted the negative effects of acculturative stressors on mental health. Participants were children aged 6–18 (N = 80, mean age = 11.71, 55% male) participating in two summer Migrant Education Programs in Indiana. Overall, we found support for associations between acculturative stressors and poor mental health in LMFW children utilizing multiple data sources that included child self-reports, teacher reports, and qualitative interviews. We also found evidence in qualitative interviews and teacher reports for the positive association between perceived maternal supportive parenting and children’s mental health. Findings suggested that while LMFW children are vulnerable to anxiety and depressive problems, perceptions of family support (particularly from mothers) are especially salient for their resilience and mental health. Differences by age and child sex are also discussed.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our community partners at Indiana’s Region-2 Migrant Education Program, our research assistants, and the youth, children, and teachers who participated in this study. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Grant 201700032 from the Spencer Foundation and a grant from the Agricultural Science and Extension for Economic Development (AgSEED) in Indiana Agriculture and Rural Communities at Purdue University to Yumary Ruiz and Zoe E. Taylor.