More than 3.5 million immigrants live in Los Angeles County, and of those, over 800,000 are undocumented, according to recent estimates.
So after the re-election of Donald Trump, who promised the largest deportation effort in American history, many people and families are dealing with questions about what could happen next — and wrestling with the toll that is taking on their mental health.
Experts warn of possible negative health consequences from the ongoing stress. And some worry that people will not look for mental health care when they need it for fear of deportation, particularly those among the tens of thousands of DACA recipients in the region who are uncertain of what a Trump administration will mean for their immigration status.
According to a study published last year by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the percentage of immigrant adults in California with “serious psychological distress” increased by 50% between 2015 and 2021. The study defines serious psychological distress as severe, diagnosable mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.
The study noted that 6% of immigrant adults who participated in the study reported having serious psychological distress from 2015-2017, and that percentage increased to 9% from 2019-2021.
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