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191265 Emotional health, healthcare, and the migration experience

Monday, October 27, 2008: 1:00 PM

Whitney L. Duncan, MA , Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
This paper examines the emotional health of indigenous Mixtec migrants and their non-migrating counterparts residing in Oaxaca, Mexico. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected in Oaxaca and San Diego, I assess the influence of five main factors: high-risk border crossing experiences; family separation; documentation status; occupation; and access to healthcare. The data indicate that the migration experience can present definite risks to emotional health for both migrants and their non-migrating family members, and that occupation type and documentation status both affect access to care.

Learning Objectives:
Understand the risks to emotional health of high risk border crossing experiences Examine the emotional health impact of the migration experience for both migrants and their non-migrating family members

Keywords: Mental Health, Migrant Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Whitney L. Duncan is PhD candidate in Medical Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego. She has conducted extensive field research in the US with Mixtec migrants and with their non-migrating counterparts in Oaxaca Mexico.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Occupational Health Disparities Institute: Dying to Work - The Migrant's Journey to Work in the US
See more of: Occupational Health and Safety