Connecting Immigrants to Mental Health Providers and Community Resources

Abstract

Purpose: This project was designed to determine whether connecting immigrants with mental health practitioners and community resources could be beneficial for increasing awareness of such resources within the immigrant community. Background: Immigrants represent a large percentage of the population in the United States (US), accounting for over 44.8 million individuals. However, the immigrant population is disproportionally affected by mental health disorders, with 30.8% and 30.65% suffering from depression and post-traumatic disorder, respectively. Immigrants often lack access to mental healthcare due to frequent barriers, including undocumented status, lack of health insurance, low income, communication barriers, and coping behaviors, among other obstacles. Methods: The project adopted a quantitative, descriptive approach to determine the impact of connecting immigrants at a local clinic in Tucson, Arizona, with mental health providers and mental health community resources. Self-reported data were collected from 16 immigrants using a self-developed survey. The data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The survey findings demonstrated an increased awareness of food banks providing groceries and an understanding of shelter organizations and self-help groups designed to address needs within the immigrant community. Linking immigrants to mental health providers increased their knowledge of available resources. The Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test yielded P<0.05, demonstrating a significant improvement in awareness of mental health resources. Conclusion: Connecting immigrants to mental health providers and community resources significantly improve immigrants’ awareness of mental health resources and strengthens a collaborative care approach compared to current practice