Sometimes a study is done with results that are so obvious that one might wonder, “Why did someone take the time to study something we already knew?” But the truth is, while it may seem intuitively so, we don’t officially We won’t know until we look into it. To that end, researchers at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine recently investigated the impact of U.S. immigration policies and practices on children’s mental health. Their works are Psychiatric news In July, it was found that children who are separated from their parents, or who live with the possibility of being separated from their parents, may experience “serious psychological harm”.
“U.S. immigration policies are a source of chronic fear, instability, and trauma for millions of immigrants, and expanded enforcement mechanisms are upending the daily lives of families and children,” the report said. “Psychiatry cannot remain on the fringes.”
The study authors looked at previous research on the topic and the clinical experience of researchers at the University of California and found that childhood depression, chronic anxiety, and even PTSD were on the rise among children whose families experienced separation from the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Notably, this applies not only to children (themselves or their parents) who have experienced deportation or detention, but also to any one parent. maybe Be deported or detained. “The mental health of immigrant children is inseparable from the environments in which they live, grow, and imagine their futures,” the study concludes.
Researchers said uncertainty, including inconsistent enforcement actions, lack of transparency, and ubiquity of raids, including in once-safe locations such as schools, health facilities, and immigration courts, exacerbated fear within immigrant communities and among children. Even those who enjoy some legal status are caught up in immigration crackdowns, and there is growing community awareness that anyone can be detained or deported.
As a result, not only does mental health deteriorate, but it also causes withdrawal from social life including school, sleep disorders, appetite disorders, emotional regulation disorders, and developmental delays.
The researchers also note that while daily deportations are decreasing by double-digit percentages (nearly 11% overall), long-term, indefinite detentions are on the rise, which can be equally traumatic for children left to cope with separation from their parents, and can lead to suicidal thoughts and increased alcohol use.
“Both actual and threatened separations can impair attachment, disrupt developmental processes, and cause persistent traumatic stress,” the study continues. “Immigration enforcement has a formative and often traumatic impact on children’s lives.”
