United States

US Immigration Policies Causing ‘Psychological Distress' on Latin Parents, Kids

The risks these teenagers are experiencing by virtue of their parents’ poor mental health will come at a very high cost to our society

The Trump administration’s immigration policies are causing "high levels of psychological distress" in many Latino parents, who are passing that anxiety along to their kids, a new study finds, NBC News reported. 

A team at George Washington University found that a majority of Latino parents surveyed are afraid that they or their relatives will be deported, and many families reported avoiding police even when they need help and neglecting healthcare and food assistance because they are afraid to interact with any form of government.

"Studies show that adolescents whose parents are anxious or depressed are at elevated risk of doing poorly in school, adopting risky behaviors, and developing lifelong health and mental health problems," said study lead author Kathleen Roche.

Roche notes that most of the children whose parents were surveyed are U.S. citizens, and the "risks these teenagers are experiencing by virtue of their parents’ poor mental health is not only going to derail their own futures and wellbeing, but those will come at a very high cost to our society in terms of criminal justice and healthcare system impacts."

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