Everyday discrimination and risk for clinical depression among a community sample of undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States

Abstract

Undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States face pervasive discrimination that increases their risk for experiencing depressive symptomatology. Although research has linked discrimination to depressive symptoms more broadly, we do not know whether everyday forms of discrimination are associated with elevated risk for clinical depression among this population. Using data collected from a community sample of undocumented Latino immigrants during the 2015 Trump campaign, we found that everyday discrimination was associated with significantly higher odds of being classified as higher risk for clinical depression. Findings indicate everyday discrimination as a risk factor for clinical depression among undocumented Latino immigrants.

Keywords: Discrimination; Mental health; Unauthorized immigration.