Legal Immigration Status is Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Latina Transgender Women in Washington, DC

Thespina Yamanis, Mannat Malik, Ana María Del Río-González, Andrea L. Wirtz, Erin Cooney, Maren Lujan, Ruby Corado and Tonia Poteat
Additional contact information
Thespina Yamanis: School of International Service, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA
Mannat Malik: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Ana María Del Río-González: Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, 2121 I St NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Andrea L. Wirtz: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Erin Cooney: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Maren Lujan: School of International Service, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA
Ruby Corado: Casa Ruby, 7530 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20012, USA
Tonia Poteat: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Latina transgender women (LTW) are disproportionately vulnerable to depression, although the role of immigration/documentation status (legal authority to live/work in the U.S.) in depression has not been explored. LTW in Washington, DC were recruited into a cross-sectional study via convenience sampling. Most were Spanish-speaking Central American immigrants. Participants completed rapid HIV tests, and a Spanish-language survey assessing recent depressive symptoms (PHQ-2), sociodemographics, and factors from the minority stress framework: structural stressors (documentation status, stable housing), social stressors (discrimination, fear of deportation, violence) and coping resources (social support, resilience). Among immigrant LTW ( n = 38), 24 were undocumented. Among the undocumented, the average PHQ-2 score was 2.7, and among the documented, the average PHQ-2 score was 1.4 ( p < 0.05). Undocumented LTW were significantly more likely to experience employment discrimination, recent unstable housing, and fear of deportation. Bivariate and multiple linear regressions were performed to assess the relationship between documentation status and other correlates of past two week depressive symptoms. In multivariate analysis, PHQ-2 scores were inversely associated with being documented ( p < 0.01), having an income above the federal poverty level, higher friends’ social support, and increased resiliency. Documentation status is an important correlate of depressive symptoms among LTW that should be considered within the context of health interventions.

Keywords: transgender women; immigrants; Latinas; immigration status; documentation status; depression; depressive symptoms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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