199330 Psychological distress levels among non-citizen immigrants in California: A comparison with naturalized citizens and the second-generation in the California Health Interview Survey

Monday, November 9, 2009: 10:45 AM

Catherine N. Barry, MA , Graduate Group in Sociology and Demography, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
This study compares levels of psychological distress among non-citizens, naturalized citizens, and second-generation immigrants in California using the 2005 California Health Interview Survey and the Kessler 6 (K6) embedded within the survey. Non-citizens include both legal permanent residents and undocumented persons.

Results of an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, weighted and assessed using jackknife replications, indicate that non-citizens and naturalized citizens do not differ in levels of psychological distress when age, gender, poverty level, education, years in the U.S., and race/ethnicity are taken into account. On the other hand, second generation immigrants have slightly higher levels of psychological distress than their immigrant counter-parts, significant at the .05 level.

Once health, English ability, employment status, marital status and spousal presence are introduced, no difference exists among the three groups. Interestingly, non-Latino Blacks and Latinos have slightly lower levels of psychological distress than whites, and this is statistically significant; non-Latino Asians show no difference.

Different race/ethnic groups may differ in experiences and attitudes toward stress factors which may interact with citizenship and generational status. Therefore, cross-products of citizenship/generation and race/ethnicity were created and added.

Results find that non-citizen Latinos have lower levels of psychological distress than naturalized citizen Latinos; second-generation Latinos have higher levels of psychological distress than naturalized citizen Latinos. All other racial groups do not differ among citizenship/generation.

Because large numbers of undocumented persons are included in the non-citizen category, this indicates that undocumented persons, and Latinos in particular are able to cope psychologically with the stresses of being undocumented.

Learning Objectives:
Compare psychological distress levels of non-citizens, naturalized citizens, and second-generation immigrants in California. Identify differences between racial/ethnic non-citizens, naturalized citizens, and second-generation immigrants.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate student pursuing a PhD in Sociology and Demography and I currently hold a Master's degree in Demography. Migration/migrants is my main area of study. Though not directly related to mental health, I have previous presented research on immigrant educational/earnings attainment at a student roundtable of the American Sociological Association (2008), as well as a regular paper for the California Sociological Association (2007).
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.

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