Abstract
Research shows that one in four migrant farmworkers experienced an episode of one or more mental health disorders such as stress, depression, or anxiety in their lifetime. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore experiences and perceptions related to stress and depression among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs), and to identify their coping behaviors for dealing with these mental health conditions. Using a mixed methods research approach, three focus group interviews of a sample of Latino MSFWs (N = 29) were conducted and a quantitative survey was implemented (N = 57) at community sites in eastern North Carolina. Four major themes emerged from the focus group data: (1) physical stress related to working conditions; (2) mental stress related to family situations, work environment, documentation status, and lack of resources; (3) depression related to separation from family and the lack of resources; and (4) use of positive and negative mechanisms for coping with stress and depression. A discussion of these themes, results from the survey findings, implications for intervention and outreach programs, along with recommendations for further research, are provided.
Highlights
An estimated 3–12 million migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) currently live in the U.S, the majority of whom are natives of Spanish speaking countries, mostly from Mexico [1,2,3,4,5,6]
MSFWs have significantly poorer health than other worker populations, with many of them suffering from occupational injuries, chronic pain, heart disease, cancer, and conditions related to pesticide exposure
Four themes emerged from the focus group interview data: (1) physical stress related to working conditions; (2) mental stress related to family situations, work environment, documentation status, and the lack of resources; (3) depression related to separation from family and the lack of resources; and (4) use of positive and negative mechanisms for coping with stress and depression
Summary
An estimated 3–12 million migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) currently live in the U.S, the majority of whom are natives of Spanish speaking countries, mostly from Mexico [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Most farm work is seasonal and sporadic, limiting workers’ ability to earn wages when the weather is bad, when crops are not ripe or ready for harvest, when they are sick, or while they are traveling to their job [1,2]. They are underinsured or uninsured employees in an extremely hazardous vocation, providing essential services in support of a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry in the U.S [4]. Many suffer from mental health issues [14,16,17,18]
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